Butterflies
by Fayth85
Summary: [COMPLETE] "Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me."
1. Intro

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Intro – Who's Namiki Aya?_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

In a class full of clan heirs, and geniuses... someone had to be the dud. Most pin it on Uzumaki-san, but at least he stands for something. Sure, an annoying something, but something nonetheless. Me? I'm... not sure if my classmates have even heard me speak. I'm not even sure if Umino-sensei knows I'm here half the time, and he notices Aburame-san!

Mostly, I just keep to myself. I've had to. Without speaking to people, it's kind of hard to get to know them. Well, I'm sure it would be hard for anyone else. I'm a good listener. A really good listener. Unless it's a lecture. Kami-sama, Umino-sensei could drone on for hours sometimes about the stupidest thing! Like the history of the kunai. WHO CARES!? It's a tool, it's meant to be used, thrown, strung with an explosive note or something else that's USEFUL! Instead, he talks about how it was a farming tool that we kind of 'borrowed'.

I sigh. History is so boring.

Two of my classmates start chatting amongst themselves. It's all static to me though; crap about how cute and powerful and talented and insert-more-empty-and-clearly-made-up-claims-here 'Sasuke-kun' is. That boy wouldn't urinate on you if you were on fire... that's how you say it, right? No... Piss! He wouldn't piss on you if you were on... oh, never mind. I already ruined it, didn't I.

I can't wait for graduation next week. I hate being cooped up with these people. Maybe I'll end up getting killed on my first mission? Wow, Aya, way to make yourself feel awkward. I know I'm a shoe in to graduate, but now I'm kind of tempted to fail on purpose.

I sigh, wondering why I'm so weird. "Namiki Aya?" I turn to the person that called my name, wondering why anyone even knows I'm here. Oh, it's just Umino-sensei. I gaze at him, wondering why he's so fuzzy. Ah, glasses slid down my nose. I right my glasses, seeing the tanned and scarred man come into focus.

"N-nn." I noise, hoping he doesn't ask me a question or something. He calls another name, looking around expectantly. Ah. Roll call. Class is about to start. That's why he called my name. That makes sense. I look back down at my doodle, wondering if anyone would be able to tell it's a picture of _him_. I mean, I know I got the swirls down right, and the way his wild hair kind of points in every direction at the same time. And those adorable puffy cheeks!

My face heats up, just thinking about what his cheeks might feel like. "What are you doing, Aya-chan?" I turn to my left, finding a blond that's out of focus. Ah, glasses again. They keep sliding off while I'm doodling. "Is that..."

I glare at her, daring her to finish that statement. "Another drawing, huh?" She whispers. "That's the fifth one this week. And it's always him. You like him, don't you." I blush and look away, but I do make sure to fold up my doodle and stuff it into my pocket... I don't have a pocket...

Crap. I just shoved that doodle into my pants, didn't I. Subtle, Aya. Real subtle. Way to not draw attention to yourself.

"It's alright, I won't tell anyone." Yamanaka says, but I don't really know if I should believe her or not. "I could introduce you if you like, though. I mean, the three of us were practically raised together, you know."

My face, my ears, my whole head is on fire! I don't think I've ever blushed so completely before!

I look towards the door, wishing to be anywhere but here right now. I'd be too embarrassed to talk to him if she dared introduce me. Then again... I've been sitting next to Yamanaka-san for almost a year now, and I don't think I've ever said a word to her. Not on purpose anyway. I don't know what she's thinking, but I'm sure I don't want to find out.

"Good, we're all here." Umino-sensei announces, meaning he'll start with his lecture. I point my nose to him, but he's fuzzy again. Ah, glasses.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After getting home, and properly shutting and locking the door behind me, I sigh. Another pointless day at school. Umino-sensei has been 'reviewing' what we're supposed to know for the graduation exams. Again. Really, how hard is it to remember silly things like the Shinobi Code, or the vital organs, or all eleven countries that share a border with the Land of Fire? I sigh again.

Walking further into my apartment, I don't bother announcing I'm home. It's not like anyone will hear me anyway. Kind of the thing about living alone, no one is ever home to greet you. So instead, I just plop my book on my table and go into my kitchenette in search of a snack.

There isn't really much to this place. I have a two-seater couch –what do people call that again, a 'like-seat'(?)– that I usually take a nap on if the weather's hot. I have a wobbly low table I scored when some old couple down the street passed away – a matchbox fixed that problem straight away. I have a small fridge, with an even smaller freezer compartment that is usually frozen over. I've tried asking my landlady about how to fix that, but I've never really built up the courage to. And I have a four burner stove. That's pretty much it.

Well, I still have my bed, but a futon rolled up in a corner doesn't really take up much space. And I don't count the dishes in my cabinet, seeing as I only have two plates, two tea cups, and two pairs of chopsticks (the disposable kind that I replace every few weeks). Oh, and I have an electric water cooker. I kind of splurged on that last Christmas. I have no idea why, but it was on sale! I was glad to toss out that rusted kettle I scored from that same couple that passed away – it always made the tea taste funny.

Opening my fridge, I find my usual vices staring me in the face. Chocolate pudding, chocolate muffins (why do I keep those in the fridge again?), chocolate mousse, and a healthy stash of chocolate bars. Sure, there's also a half empty box of lychees, two bags of cherries, a still mostly full carton of peaches, and two orders of takeout (lunch and dinner), but those aren't exactly vices. Still, I'll have to make a trip to get some more takeout, or I'll have nothing to eat tomorrow after school. Well, that or cook. I cringe, thinking about the last time I tried cooking something – I'm pretty sure it landed me in the hospital.

Anyway, let me see. Chocolate, chocolate, or chocolate. Hmm, that's a hard decision to make, but I think the winner is obvious! Cherries! Yup, definitely che... didn't I want chocolate when I opened the fridge? I blink, wondering about that. Does it matter? I want cherries now! But I really had my heart set on chocolate... Both then? Yes, both.

I grab a chocolate bar and one of the bags of cherries. Hmm, maybe I'll get in some studying later? Nah, that'd be pointless. There isn't anything I'm worr... well, that's not entirely true. My taijutsu sucks. But that is something that was true last year too. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now.

Now I feel like a peach too. I grab a peach and close the fridge, before I start craving something else as well. Technically I should simply eat the takeout, my supposed late lunch. But, I just feel like chocolate... and cherries... and a peach! Crap, now I feel like spare ribs and an order of beef. Not that I even know what that tastes like, but I know the smell well enough to venture a guess.

 _ **8-8**_

 _ **End Intro**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Not sure where I want to go with this story. It's just one of those things that ends up jumpkicking me a 2 AM. Sadly, some of my best ideas do that to me. Heck, if I remember correctly, that's how Cosmic Comedy was born too :P**_

 _ **Anyhoo! Let me know what you guys think, and if I should continue this story or not. ^_^**_


	2. Confessions of a chocoholic

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 1 – Confessions of a chocoholic_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Waking up is always awkward. Not because I'm not a morning person, I sort of am, but because I can never quite find my glasses. You'd think after wearing them for six years I'd have some sort of system worked out. But the truth is, I do. The problem in the system, is that I leave my glasses on my table. Yeah. I have this weird habit of tossing and turning in my sleep, which means laying my glasses near me is asking for trouble. And that's completely ignoring the fact that I probably can't afford a new pair if something were to happen. Well, if I happen to damage them in school, I can always blame it on the teacher – poor Umino-sensei is so far the only one that hasn't been conned into buying me a new pair.

Anyway! Time to start the...

I just kicked the couch again, didn't I? I swear, having a couch and a low table that are sort of the same colour, in low lighting and no glasses on... Not my smartest plan. Still, I suffer the pain in silence. It's not like screaming will make the pain go away. Or at least, not that I've yet been able to figure out. Mostly whining about it in my head is enough, and I don't feel like whining about it in my head. It's... pointless. Especially before I eat breakfast. And I can't start figuring out breakfast until I find my glasses. Not because I don't plan on making the exact same thing I always make for breakfast, but because I probably wouldn't be able to find it without being able to see properly. In order to...

Aya, isn't it a bit early to ramble? Yes, it's a bit early to ramble. Stop rambling in your head, if someone could read your thoughts, you'd look like a schizophrenic or something! Or... would that be someone with Multiple Personality Disorder...? They kind of strike me as the same thing? I mean, different personalities talking to you in your head, versus simply having multiple personalities that share custody of your brain? Okay, that makes no sense. And where are my glasses!? I know-

THUD! Shh.

I sigh. I just kicked the low table, didn't I. At least I heard my glasses move, so I know they're here... somewhere. I wonder what Umino-sensei is going to 'review' today. I mean, it's not like we're going to learn anything new this close to the graduation exams. I hate the waiting. And I hate... THERE!

"Lucky!" I squeal, finally feeling my glasses. I take them, and put them on. They feel a little... ah, upside-down. I take them back off and turn them around, donning them properly this time. The world comes half in focus. I sigh... I hate wearing glasses. I always seem to get fingerprints on one of the lenses, making everything seem fuzzy even when I'm wearing them. If I wanted the world to look fuzzy, I'd not wear my glasses in the first place.

I take my glasses off again, carefully rubbing the lens in my shirt. I know it's horrible for the material, and that I'll just wear them down quicker making me need a new pair sooner, and making me more desperate to start taking missions so I can have a hope in harm to... hope in hail... hope in... ... ... something! A chance to buy a pair I actually like. But, I can't care until after I bathe. It's a rule! No caring about things until: my stomach's full, my body's clean, and my hair's brushed until it shines. None of these things have happened. So I don't care.

Speaking of stomachs, I'd better get some chocolate in there before I get grumpy. I swear, chocolate withdrawal will be the death of me! Or someone nearby at least. I wonder why I haven't killed anyone yet, I mean, I know it's a possibility if I haven't had my daily dose of chocolate. Maybe that's why I keep people at a comfortable distance?

Sure, Aya. Blame the essence of life for your poor social skills. Uh huh. I sigh, annoyed with myself.

I walk over to the fridge, taking out two tubs of chocolate mousse and a chocolate muffin. Hmm, better grab some lychees too, just in case. Don't want to get backed up again! That was NOT fu... why am I thinking about this? I blink. I blink again. Aya, it's official, you're weird.

Then again, is weird such a bad thing? I mean, everyone's a little weird. Like Haruno-san and Yamanaka-san's obsession... correction, ninety percent of the girls in our class's obsession with Uchiha-san. Honestly, I think only Hyuuga-san and I don't like him, at least, not like that.

I open the first mousse, breathing in my good morning. I feel a goofy-happy smile on my face, as usual, my eyes half closed. I swear, the only thing I like more than chocolate is Chouji-san. But really, if he were to smear chocolate on himself...

I wipe away the blood suddenly trickling down from my nose.

Okay... definitely storing that thought away for another time. I have no idea when, but not when I should be starting my day!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After taking my shower –I hate not having a tub to soak in– I carefully wipe my glasses in my towel to remove the steam... fog... moisture(?) from them. After putting on my glasses, I start getting dressed. Nothing too spectacular. Just the same black spaghetti strapped top, black seven-eighths legging/pants (skin-tight... thing I wear to cover most of me below the waist), and black midriff jacket. Umm... I mean the same TYPE! They're all clean! Well, other than the jacket. I wear the same jacket. I like this jacket. It's kind of an oversized kimono style... ish... thing. So it has wide sleeves that completely cover my hands. I like that. It has no pockets, which is kind of a shame, but nothing I wear seems to have pockets. Other than my leg pouch, but that isn't exactly a pocket, now is it.

Anyway. After I'm fully dressed, I wipe my mirror with my towel so I can see what I'm doing. I don't know why I need to see what I'm doing yet. I just want to brush my teeth. Still, I like seeing myself while I do so.

My long, black hair is a complete mess. I wash my hair in the morning, for some reason. But that's why I'm always up so early. Well, that and making sure my look is absolutely perfect. I don't know why I like to look so perfect, but I do.

Anyway, I go about brushing my teeth. For some reason I like staring at my eyes in the mirror while I do this. I think my eyes are so weird. I mean, brown, bordering on yellow, colour irises, with this weird black band-ring-thing about halfway through? I know it isn't some light trick because of my glasses, I looked at my eyes in my reflection without my glasses –though I almost had to kiss the mirror to do so– and it was still there.

Even though needing glasses kind of irks me sometimes, I do like my glasses. The red, elongated oval frame just makes me look bookish, I think. I like that about it. I like that I look like someone that would comfortably spend their evenings in the library – which I would, if I'm honest. I just no longer have access to any interesting material. There's only so many times you can read 'introduction to jutsu' before you get bored to death of it. The funny thing about being antisocial, is that you don't have to worry about silly things like friends to distract you from a really good read.

Whatever. I spit out the mush in my mouth (spit the mush in my mouth out... spit out the toothpaste!) rinse and wipe my face in my towel. Then I look at myself again. "Good morning, Aya-cha~aaaan!" I say, pleased with the light, almost airy soprano that greets my ears. As little as I like to talk – at least, to people I don't know well – I love hearing my voice. I used to get teased so much, because I liked singing to myself. But what do you expect in an orphanage? People just look for reasons to tear you down. Really, almost everything I did was reason enough to get teased. Until I started punching people. I think that's why I eventually got kicked out. Picking a fight with words is acceptable, but returning the favour with a balled fist isn't. Who knew? At least I got recommended to join the academy for it.

But... I was going to ask to join the academy anyway... when I worked up the courage to. Meh, this way I saved myself the need to ask... which, if I'm really honest might never have come.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Having made it to class –twenty minutes early, as always– I take my usual seat. I don't know why I like being early. Just that being early is a thing for me. I open my book, turn to a blank page, and start doodling. I don't know what I'm doodling this time. I usually don't know when I start out. Mostly butterflies though. I love butterflies. Part of the reason I love summer so much. I just...

Yup, a butterfly it will be. A little one, with little swirl patterns in its wings. No, not just one. Dozens of little butterflies. Flitting about, carefree, happy. And in the centre? A dancing couple. She has long, straight hair, like me. He has short, spiky hair, sticking up in all directions. He holds her close to him, and she can't take her eyes off him. She's gazing into his eyes as they dance, he's admiring the butterflies.

"Morning, Aya-cha~aaan." I look up, towards the voice. A blurry blond, again. To my left, so it must be Yamanaka-san. I make a noise, but decide to just get back to my doodle. "Another one with him, huh." I blush, but don't respond. It'd be pointless. She's already made her point clear that she knows, and she knew the exact number of doodles with him.

"You know, you have such a pretty voice. Why don't you ever talk?" She asks. I shrug and make noncommittal grunt, not looking up from my doodling. I love drawing almost as much as I love singing. Not that I'm very good at either, but I love them all the same.

"I'll make you a deal, if you talk with me I'll treat you to whatever you want to eat after school. Deal?" She offers, but I smell a trap... I smell a rat, in the form of a trap... I don't trust that she is just being nice!

Still... "Chocolate parfaits?" I ask. I don't trust her, but anyone that buys me chocolate must be a friend! And even if she isn't, the chocolate would still be worth it!

"Is that what you like?" She asks, curious. I nod fervently.

"I like anything with chocolate. Muffins, parfaits, mousse, ice cream, chocolate bars, chocolate milk... chocolate is life!" I declare, and I'm being completely honest too.

"Jeez, how do you keep your figure eating all that?" She asks. She's obviously intriqued... curious. She's obviously curious.

I shrug, not really knowing the answer either. "I just do. I swear if I go a day without it I'll end up killing someone!" Again, completely honest. "I do end up eating a lot of fruits to make sure me and Chocolate- _danna_ don't disagree, but he's sooooo worth it!"

"I see. What about combining fruits with chocolate then? I mean, that should make it easier, right?" She seems amused about something, but I can't really say I care what about. I shrug, having already thought about that but I don't have the money to buy the fancier ones or the skill to make it myself.

"I usually end up doing that anyway. I tend to only stick to fruits that agree with chocolate though. I mean, I tried apples once... bleh!" I almost gag thinking about that again. That was NOT a good day.

"You're really focused on food, huh." I right my glasses and turn to her, eyeing her curiously.

"Not really. I mean, I love chocolate, but other than that food is just meant for surviving." I clarify. "It's just that you've only asked me about food so far."

"Oh? What else do you like then?" Yamanaka-san's being really familiar with me today. Still, she promised chocolate parfaits, so I don't care enough to not answer her.

"Lots of stuff. I like singing, doodling, reading, going for long walks, training, studying butterflies, staring at the stars, cloud gazing isn't half bad either. I like learning new things, trying new things. I like trying to identify a flower by how it smells. I like remember details about people most would never even notice. I like listening to people, especially when they talk about something they're passionate about. I like going to the theatre, to watch the geisha dance and sing and play music. Lots of things." I offer, and again, being totally honest with her.

"But you only admit to loving chocolate." She smiles, amused.

"I won't lie, chocolate is my second love." I smile too, thinking back to the first time I ever tried chocolate.

"What's your first love then?" Crap. I probably should have seen this coming. No, I **definitely** should have seen this coming! I blush. "Or perhaps 'who' is the better question...?" I blush a LOT deeper this time. No matter how much chocolate she offers, I'm not admitting to anything! But... I doubt she even needs verbal confirmation anymore.

"I see." She says. Yeah, about what I figured. She has a nose for things like this. She's the one that found out about Uchiha-san's love for tomatoes, and she's the one that's been sneaking fresh ones onto his desk every morning. Yeah, I noticed, but it's just none of my business, so I keep out when people start asking around.

"I don't get you. You're not nervous when you talk to me, but you never talk. Why is that?" She changes the topic, thankfully.

"No reason to?" I wonder about that. "Maybe it has to do with the other kids that always teased me about every little detail. I don't know, I don't care. I'm fine doodling by myself."

"Orphanage brat, huh." The life in her voice is gone. I sense this topic is hurting her, but realistically she wouldn't know anything about that.

"I was. I got kicked out after I started bullying the bullies." I smile, thinking back on that. I've broken more noses than anyone in the orphanage's history, something I'm quite proud of, really. I mean, some of those kids were already genins! I still handed them their backs... behinds! I handed them their behinds!

"So you don't like getting pushed around?" She's back in interrogator mode.

"I don't care too much, mostly. I can live with it, but once I've had enough, I've had enough." I offer, shrugging.

"Aren't you going to ask me any questions?" She wonders, her eyes sharper now than before.

"No need. I know more about you than you know about me." I say. That gets her REALLY curious. "You're confident, both in your skills and your looks. You like looking your best no matter the time or reason. You hate bullies, and you hate people being bullied. You're the one that stood up for Haruno-san after all. You're ranked top of our class, for the girls. You're from the Yamanaka clan that specializes in all things to do with the mind, you're also likely to be teamed up with Nara-san and Chouji-san. You show up early every day, and you always place a fresh tomato on Uchiha-san's desk for him, but no one else has ever noticed it was you. You fight with Haruno-san a lot, but that's because you try to help her build up her confidence. You hate that your friendship ended because of something stupid, but you aren't sure what to do about it. And your favourite colour is black, though you never wear it. You probably think it will make you look old, or something."

Shock. That's all she feels right now; it's all she **can** feel. "Am I wrong?" I ask, batting my eyelashes at her.

"How...?"

"I'm a good listener." I shrug. Nara-san and Chouji-san enter, so I decide it's a good time to get back to my doodle. I do make sure to turn to a new page, just to make sure neither notices what I've already been working on.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Class was really boring, as usual. Umino-sensei mostly reviewed the first, second and third shinobi wars, and the highlights of all four Hokages. _Sigh_! The most interesting thing that happened was Uzumaki-san pulling a prank and getting yelled at for it. I swear, he likes getting caught just for the attention and the notoriety that comes with it. I know he's sneaky enough to not get caught after all – if he could be bothered to not laugh his face off... leg off...? Laugh and give himself away!

Still, Yamanaka-san promised me chocolate! And I fully intend to collect! Oh, you can bet your last Ryou I'm not ever going to forget about someone promising me chocolate!

So, after grabbing my book, I turn to her and nudge her with my elbow. When she turns to me, she gives me a meaningful look and a smirk. She didn't forget. Good. I nod, smiling a little myself. "You mind if Shikamaru and Chouji tag along? I kind of had plans with them already?" She offers, pretending to feel sheepish. I know she's pretending. She isn't sorry, she wasn't forgetful. She planned this and set the best trap she could.

I still blush, deeply. "Come on, it'll be fun! And I know you want that promised chocolate ~ _parfait_ ~!" She sings that last word. Hmm, if she really wanted to hook me, she should have put the emphasis on 'chocolate', but that's just me. I sigh, resigning myself to my fate. The things I do for you, Chocolate- _danna_. The things I do for you.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Why Yamanaka-san chooses to meet up with our classmates outside of school is not something I want to understand – mostly because I have a hunch and I'd chomp her head off if I'm right... or is that 'chew'? Either way, I'm introduced to Nara-san and Chouji-san. I bow politely, but don't say anything; I look away too embarrassed to speak. Every time I get this close to Chouji-san, I just get a queasy feeling in my belly, like an overdose of chocolate. He makes me feel so wrong and sooooooo right at the same time. And the now permanently fixed blush on my anything above my chest isn't really helping much.

Still, neither boy seems too surprised that I don't speak. If I had to guess, they're more surprised I'm tagging along. Don't worry, Chocolate- _danna_ , you're worth this and more! So much more!

We make our way in a seemingly random direction. I don't care too much, so long as I can sort of find my way back later. No one seems too chatty though, other than Yamanaka-san. Hmm, what's that about? Nara-san and Chouji-san bother seem comfortable with the silence too, so I doubt this is a new thing for them. Hmm, interesting to note. Not sure what it means, but interesting.

It takes us nearly twenty minutes to reach wherever we're meant to go – we're in the Clan District though. Hmm, Sarutobi Sector of it too. This is their joint clans' stomping grounds? Why am I even allowed here? I mean, sure, I get them being here. They're the heirs of their respective clans. But me? I'm an outsider, a civilian, and not part of any clan. I shouldn't even be in this district!

"So like I was telling Aya-chan earlier, this place has the best chocolate parfaits in the village!" Yamanaka-san claims, but I don't buy it. She offered those parfaits. She didn't say anything about taking me here, or they're being the best of anything. I don't care, the deal was that she'd treat; her cross to bear... I said that right, right? I think so...?

I notice how both boys share a look, wondering why she's calling me so familiarly. Not that I mind. I mean, it's just a thing she does with everyone. Everyone to her is either a 'chan' or a 'kun' in our class, other than Umino-sensei. I don't get it, but I don't try to.

Another thing I notice, is that Chouji-san looks worried about something. He's embarrassed about something? He's even looking down and away from our group? What could possibly... his eyes flick towards me, then flick away again. He's worried about me? He thinks I'll react badly to something?

"It's Chouji's clan's restaurant, by the way. The Akimichi always have the best food, the best desserts and the best service!" Yamanaka-san brags. Chouji-san just worries more.

"It sounds lovely." I say, smiling a bit. Chouji-san's head snaps towards me, shock plainly in his eyes. Whether it's from me talking or me not saying what he expected me to say, I can't say for sure. What I can say, is that he's pleasantly surprised, if that shy little smile is anything to go by. I can't fight the blush though; him staring so openly at me – only me!

We continue for a bit longer, the boys just as quiet as ever, Yamanaka-san just as chatty. Me still blushing. I... I sigh... I just can't believe that Chouji-san would ever worry about what I have to say about his family owning a restaurant. What did he expect me to say? I mean, come on! That means family discount! How awesome is that!

I'm starting to notice something though. Something else. We're encountering a lot of generously proportioned shinobi, blonds, redheads and brunets. And a lot of skinny blonds and brunets. And a lot of lazy looking brunets – solely with black hair this time. And even a fair amount of piercing eyes of brunets that sort of remind me of the Third? Ah, we must be getting close then. The foot traffic is picking up quite a bit, and I can only guess that these are the Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka and Sarutobi clansmen mulling about for whatever reason.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The restaurant turns out to be quite large. Spacious really. And brightly lit. There are cheerful colours everywhere, reds, yellows, purples, whites. It's a festival of colours. And Yamanaka-san was right, the wait staff is so polite and attentive. They immediately recognize Chouji-san, Nara-san and Yamanaka-san, greeting them like you'd expect from family. They then turn to me, asking who their 'little friend' is. The one waiting by the door to seat us did this, as did our waitress that came up to us. As did three other waitresses that aren't even waiting on our table. They all smile brightly, warmly, heartily. They all seem genuinely happy to see... well, not me per se, but the other three at least. Yamanaka-san has been kind enough to introduce me each time, explaining the other party that I don't talk much.

After our waitress comes back with our menus, and a requested pot of tea with proper cups to drink from, I come to an inevitable conclusion: I love this place. I skip the lunch menu, and the dinner menu, going straight for the desserts. I came here for my chocolate parfait, and that's _exactly_ what I am going to get!

"You should eat something first. Really, it's my treat!" Yamanaka-san offers. I don't even react. She wouldn't understand. I want my chocolate! Meals never include chocolate. That's why I only ever go for desserts! What's the point of eating if chocolate isn't somehow involved? Well, unless it's fruit, but even then it's for the sake of my beloved Chocolate-danna!

"I think I'll go for an order of spareribs and a side of beef." Chouji-san announces. I'm suddenly so glad I'm hidden behind my menu, because I'm blushing so hard that I almost feel like I'm going to pass out.

"That sounds lovely. I think I'll have the same." I offer, still hiding behind my menu. I don't want to know how they'll react. I don't want to know how they'll interpret my words. I just hope, though I don't dare look to confirm, that they don't think I'm doing it to impress Chouji-san. I'm not! I've just never had either dish! And if I'm allowed to eat them for free! It's a sin against Kami-sama to not go for broke!

"They have really big portions here, Aya-chan. I think you'd better order the kid's menu. Trust me, you'll never finish it by yourself." Yamanaka-san informs me. She isn't looking down on me, or trying to make me look small – at least, not that I can tell.

"Maybe we can share then?" I offer. "I mean, I know you aren't just going to order a salad." I watch her from the corner of my eye this time. Is that her actual plan? If her embarrassed blush is anything to go by, I'd say yes.

"Yamanaka-san, really. We're training to be kunoichi. We need the calories. You'll end up undernourished and in a coma if you eat like a civilian." I remind her of Umino-sensei's far too wordy lecture from... six months ago? Seven?

"But I'll get..." I can tell she wants to say the 'f' word, just from how she eye's Chouji-san. What a silly thought to have.

"I've never eaten just a salad in my life. And I've never put on any fat. In fact, I take in more calories in a day than you probably take in per week. Nothing happened to me." I point out. "That's probably why I outlast you in every spar we've had."

She blushes even deeper, looking down and away. She doesn't like where this is going. I shrug, figuring it's really her business if she wants to go down that road. So instead, I focus on desserts. Let's see. Three different styles of chocolate parfaits? Plain, creamy, and berry berry blast. Definitely going for that last one!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After a very comical meal –with Nara-san and Yamanaka-san both staring at me in awe, they must not have figured I could keep up with Chouji-san– I settle in for my well deserved dessert. I don't bother caring that Yamanaka-san barely ate an eighth of our shared plate. I politely guzzled down the rest, my salad, some of her salad, and still stole a few bites from Nara-san. Chouji-san was somewhat more protective of his plate, but I can understand that. He needs the calories; it's an Akimichi thing, I believe.

When the waitress arrives with our desserts, my face lights up like it's Christmas in November! ... Somehow that doesn't seem to sound right, in my head. Whatever! The biggest glass I've ever seen is placed in front of me. Seriously, I could fit both of my hands into it! And its contents?

Layers. Pure chocolate at the bottom, then milk chocolate, white chocolate, blueberries and raspberries, white chocolate, milk chocolate, pure chocolate. Then a gorgeous design of strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate cookie crumbles on top! I cry happy, happy tears. "Don't worry, Chocolate-danna, you were worth the wait." I rub my cheek against the glass, happy to finally be reunited with my second love.

I take my first mouthful, enjoying how the flavours swirl around in my mouth. The tartness of the strawberries, the fullness of the whipped cream, the crunchy sweetness of the cookie crumbles. "They need to call this dish 'paradise on earth'." I say, loving the every aspect of my new favourite form of chocolate.

I don't dare rush! No, I take my time, swirling the goodness around in my mouth, truly enjoying this most awesome of awesomes. Eventually, I reach the first layer: pure chocolate. The slight bitterness, the creaminess, the richness of the flavour, the puffiness they somehow managed to instil in it. I moan. This is not chocolate mousse, not as I've ever had it. This is the nectar Kami-sama has been searching for!

"That good?" Yamanaka-san asks. I nod, happy tears once again in my eyes. I take another spoonful, loving it so much that I suck on the spoon to remove every molecule of chocolaty goodness.

"I still can't believe how obese all of them are." I hear someone whispering behind me. My eyes pop open, mostly from shock. I take in Chouji-san, how he's so downtrodden, hurting, embarrassed. Is he embarrassed for his family? Embarrassed by them? Are the words striking the wrong chords with him?

Sorry, Chocolate-danna. I swear, I'll be right back!

Thinking fast, I cast the transformation jutsu on my spoon, stuff my glasses into my sleeve, and drop the spoon-turned-glasses on the floor. "Oh no! My glasses!" I immediately move to stand, shoving my chair back and into the speaker's chair. I hear a most undignified bump, glassware shifting about too suddenly. As I drop to the floor in search of my 'glasses' I finally hear it.

"Michi!" The woman that has been gossiping with her 'friend' notices my machinations. I don't smirk though! I'm 'too busy looking for my glasses'. I hear an embarrassed and very angry huff and half a shriek. Still not smirking, but I sooo want to!

I finally spot where my 'glasses' must have gotten to, just as I hear two chairs slide back, one almost hitting me in the head. I lean away from it though, making sure I don't actually get hit. I may be nearsighted, but that's close enough for me to spot with ease.

Two chairs are then tucked under their table once again, and I see two pairs of fuzzy kimono-clad legs near me. Still not smirking. I wonder if I can con them into buying me new glasses? They seem the type. I touch the side of my 'glasses', just as the woman I'd just antagonized steps on them. Oh yeah, Aya's getting new glasses! And just in time for graduation too!

"M-my glasses!" I cry, mindful enough to alter the transformation just enough to make the lenses appear cracked. She grinds her sandals a little more, so I add a crunching/cracking sound to the subtle illusion. Then as she removes her obviously pedicured and pampered foot from my 'glasses' I alter the transformation once again, having 'pieces of glass' stay put, and more pieces fall out as I handle it.

Okay, Aya, like we practiced! You're distraught, hurt, worried. You have exams next week, written and physical. You'd never manage without your glasses! Never mind that they're actually safe! They're broken, shattered, and you cannot afford new ones with your fixed income! Alright, girl, work it!

"Y-you... y-you broke my glasses!" I cry out again, allows tears to well up, then I think about the last Valentine's day I spent with papa, letting the feeling of hurt and loss fill me up and spill down my cheeks in earnest. "I... I can't see without my glasses!"

"Serves you right!" The blurry woman exclaims, feeling justified. No smiling, Aya! No smirking! You're distraught, remember!?

"But I have exams next week! And I can't even afford new glasses!" I think about the last time mama really hugged me, just before she left for her last mission. Okay... a bit too potent a memory. I hug myself, bawling my eyes out this time. "I'll never be a genin like this..."

"How's that-"

"Is there a problem here?" Akimichi-sama? I recognize the voice, it's Akimichi Chouza-sama, Chouji-san's father and the head of their clan. I didn't know he was here. Oh well, work the angle, Aya, work it!

"I'm s-sorry, Akimichi-sama. I dropped my glasses by accident, and I must have shoved my chair against hers. She seems really upset, which I can fully understand. I tried looking for my glasses before facing her, so that I can better assess the situation, but... I don my 'glasses', which is harder than it looks. I mean, it might look like glasses, but it's a spoon! Still, I manage to stick the item to my nose with careful chakra manipulation, grateful then it tilts to one side to show just how broken it really is.

"I know she's rightly upset." I offer, hugging myself a little tighter now. "I... I'm sorry, O'nee-sama." Oh yeah, I went there. I don't know her, but calling female strangers 'nee-san' is practically a rule here in Konoha. Calling her O'nee-sama, further honours her position, and makes me look even smaller, more humble. I'm not humble, not at all, but this would generate the most sympathy for my act.

"Am I to understand that you purposely stepped on this girl's glasses?" Akimichi-sama is carefully controlling his voice, but I can tell he's LIVID!

"O-of course not, Akimichi-sama! I would never!" She lies. Aya, no smiling, remember!? Hugging mama, hugging papa, our last shared hug together. I break down, letting the transformed spoon fall to the floor. Kami-sama, I'm grateful I'm used to this level of fluctuating emotion, or I'd never be able to maintain that transformation, or alter it one last time to let the last bits of the lenses break, and alter the illusion to include another half-hearted cracking sound and letting small pieces of shattered lens fly in different directions.

"She's lying!" Yamanaka-san defends me. "I saw her step on Aya-chan's glasses! Daddy, come on! Scan my memories, you'll see for yourself!" Ah, it would seem the elder Ino-Shika-Chou is all here.

"How-"

"I would think carefully about what you're about to say to my daughter." Yamanaka-sama warns, his tone dark. Kami-sama, thank you for this most auspicious scene. I might even make her choke up... cough up(?) enough to be able to buy that cute dagger I've been eyeing at the blacksmith's. "Now, I will ask you once. If I suspect you are lying to me, I will take you in for questioning. Did you purposely step on this girl's glasses?"

Hmm, Yamanaka Inoichi: jounin, age thirty-eight, head of Konoha's notorious Torture and Interrogation Division. Blond, long hair kept in a ponytail, like his daughter – I think it's a clan trait. Married to Yamanaka Mariko, jounin, age thirty-eight, housewife these days, but she still works part time at their flower shop in the Commercial Sector. Yamanaka-san is always talking about how 'awesome' her parents are during breaks, so gathering intel on them isn't too hard. I even happen to know that they met during their academy schooldays. Classmates, in fact. Aww, childhood sweethearts are so cute!

No! Aya, focus; crying, distraught, make the scene work for your new glasses! And hopefully that dagger too! I like that dagger!

"... I did." She admits, obviously not happy with the scene she finds herself in. I wish I could see her face. Kami-sama, her face must be a gorgeous doodle waiting to happen!

"And you are, of course, planning on reimbursing her for this." Yamanaka-sama continues, his tone just as dangerous. Good, Aya, it's your birthday, we're gonna spoil you up like it's your birthday! We're gonna buy you those new glasses, 'cause it's your birthday! And you know we don't give a fart 'cause it's your birthday!

Where... did that even come from?

"Of course." I can no longer follow what happens, it's all visual. Blurry, out of focus, and vividly visual. I hate being nearsighted! I want to know what she's doing!

"My sincerest apologies." I hear the woman say. I see a blurry, but delightfully colourful, thing move towards the table, then something else happens that I can't make out of the blurry haze.

"She's gone, Aya." Yamanaka-sama informs me. Finally! Fighting back an evil cackle for so long is bad for you! I grab my real glasses and don them, finally being able to take in the scene I find myself in. I was right. Nara-sama –tall, pineapple styled black hair and too many scars to not have an interesting tale to tell, looks intrigued– Yamanaka-sama –long blond ponytail, no scars, and a knowing smile– and Akimichi-sama –tall, broad, red and wild hair, and little squiggles on his cheeks, looks impressed– are all smiling at me. I turn to the table, a pile of bills rolled up and waiting for me to spoil myself at their expense.

"You were faking it!?" Yamanaka-san can't quite figure out if she's impressed or put on... put in... Upset. I shrug, sitting down and carefully counting the money. Forty-five-thousand Ryou. Hmm, that should easily cover the new glasses if I don't rush order them. I might be able to pay that outstanding water bill now too! And, with a little luck, I might actually be able to buy that dagger!

"Lucky!" I announce happily. "I didn't expect her to be this sorry!" Oh! My spoon! I've made Chocolate- _danna_ wait far too long for my undying love and affection! Shame on you, Aya! Shame. On. You!

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 1_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: 'Danna', as is used as an honorific that Aya only uses for her 'Chocolate-danna', has a somewhat long history. Pre World War II, Geishas would call their 'sugar daddy' by this honorific, but it can also be taken to mean 'beloved', 'husband' and quite a few other things. No matter the specific translation though, it's only used to refer to someone of higher social standing, and someone dear to the speaker's heart._**

 ** _Interestingly, Deidara often referred to Sasori as 'Sasori-danna'. I don't know exactly in which tone he's doing so. It could hint at something sexual, or just as marking Sasori as his superior; but I seriously doubt that last, given how often they fight._**


	3. Introvert blues

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 2 – Introvert blues_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Aya, really. You spent the afternoon with her and her friends. That's it! It's not like you're suddenly friends, or anything! She was curious, you answered her questions, and you got your promised chocolate. Case closed!

I sigh, deflating considerably. It isn't that I don't want to be friends with her. It's just that I'm completely exhausted, socially speaking. I don't even feel like telling myself good morning. And I always tell myself good morning! And to make matters worse, I went to talk to the medics at the hospital about my new glasses. More tests, more questions, more talking. I can pick up my new glasses next week, which is awesome... but I'm all talked out. Today's going to be a nightmare!

Resigning myself to my fate, I exit my bathroom and grab my book. I slip into my slippers and just leave. I sigh one last time though. Today's going to end up being a long day.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I groan. Actually groan! I've never groaned in public before! Sure, I moan if I get some really yummy chocolate, but that's something expectable! It's chocolate! No, I groan. Why? "How like you, to need a socially handicapped friend to make yourself seem bigger!" Haruno-san and Yamanaka-san are at it again, that's why. And guess what, yours truly is their current source or irkment... irony... annoyance! I'm their current source of annoyance! I groan, sigh and bury my face in my beloved book.

"Okay, WHOA! First of all, I can be friends with whomever I please!" Point. "Second of all, your view of her is not only wrong, it's stupid!" Another point. Hmm, interesting. "And third of all, just because you're jealous that I dare make a friend when you're too busy fawning over Sasuke-kun to even remember we used to be close, doesn't mean I have to!" I sigh. I'm going to get dragged into this, aren't I. I know I am. And just when I'm too socially drained to care too. I sigh again.

Here comes trouble. Haruno-san is stomping in my direction. She usually sits on the other side of the class – as far away from Yamanaka-san as possible. It's when she grabs for my book that I decide to nap this in the buns... nip it in the buns! Wow, Aya, really?

Anyway. I glare at her, warning her that I'm not in the mood. She ignores the warning. Suit yourself. Still reaching for my precious book are we? I grab my book and slam it on her hand. Hard. She cries out, of course, but I kick out her legs from under her and smack her upside the noggin –I said that right, didn't I(?)– pleased that she's now counting goats... sheep! She's counting sheep!

After checking my book to make sure nothing bad happened, and looking around to confirm none of my doodles flew out by accident, I place my book back on my desk and lay down on top of it. With my chin, of course! I'm not trusting that this will be the last annoyance sent my way!

Of course! I have to be proven right! The one time I wouldn't mind being wrong, Fate just **has** to go out of her way and prove me right. I sigh. Uzumaki Naruto comes to check on Haruno-san. That, in and of itself isn't too big a deal –I have nothing for or against the brash blond– it's his loudly asking her if she's alright, and asking her what happened that's annoying me.

"She picked a fight with the wrong girl, that's what!" Inuzuka barks with laughter. I'll just assume he's referring to me, and that he's indirectly complimenting me. He and I have had a... _altercation_?

"Oi! You know what happened!?" Uzumaki demands of me. I just glare at him, warning him that I'm not in the mood. "And since when have you even been in our class!?" I groan, rubbing my forehead in frustration.

Shouldn't class start or something? I mean, it's eight-thirty! But of course, now that I WANT class to start, it won't. Umino-sensei will end up being late, and he'll have some stupid excuse. And I'm paying for it all the while! I groan again, glaring daggers at Uzumaki-san.

I feel someone nudge my side. Without meaning to, my head snaps in their direction, my irritation already boiling up to the point that I'm unsure what I'll do to whoever's there. "Here." Chouji-san offers me something. I look down, my eyes narrowing at what is in his hand. My heart melts when I notice a chocolate bar – one of the smaller ones, but it _is_ pure chocolate!

I make an appreciative noise, grabbing the chocolate and tearing into it like it owes me many... money! Like it owes me money! Once I feel the chocolate in my mouth, melting slowly on my tongue... mmm. Yeah, Uzumaki-san isn't nearly as annoying anymore. I don't fight the goofy smile now firmly on my features.

"Naruto, just walk away. Chouji probably just saved your life." Nara-san offers, but I don't care enough to figure out if he's teasing or not. I had chocolate for breakfast, so it's not withdrawal. All he'd do is annoy me, which might make me smock him... smack him around a bit. I'm sure Haruno-san will be up and about soon...er or later.

I take another bite of my chocolate. Do I even want to know how they know to keep me in check? Do I care? No, not really. I have chocolate! "Chouji-san, than' you!" I offer, covering my mouth with my hand and still happily munching on my number one vice.

"Hey! How come he gets called by his first name!?" Yamanaka-san asks. I have no idea if she's put... out(?) or not, and I really just don't care right now. I look at my chocolate bar, the one he just offered me, then I look back at her and raise an eyebrow. It's a no-brainer, Yamanaka-san. Really, it is. "I bought you lunch yesterday! Including a chocolate parfait!" I take another bite, ignoring her. Really, I don't know what she expects. That was yesterday's chocolate. This is today's chocolate. World of difference!

"Hey, Shikamaru, what do you mean about that? How'd Chouji just save my life, huh? Huh!? Come on, tell me!" Uzumaki-san has his hands on my desk, leaning well over into my personal bubble. I glare at him again; he's lucky I have chocolate right now!

"Troublesome... you see the brunette next to you? The one eating chocolate? She's not a people person. And whatever patience she has for people she probably spent yesterday when she hung out with us. I'd take a few steps back if I were you." Nara-san always has been a bright one. I'd never have guessed he could figure out so much about me, but I can't really say I'm surprised either. I take another bite of my chocolate, enjoying it for all it's worth. Chocolate peace offerings just taste better, for some reason.

"Huh, you mean her?" He gazes at me curiously. If he doesn't even remember me, then I doubt he knows just what is going on here. I try hard to keep away from people, after all. Not that I want Uzumaki-san to know that, seeing as he'd try to get close to me just because he'd find it a challenge. I take another bite, hoping to soothe my social awkwardness –or is annoyance at being socially drained better– enough to remember that he's really just as socially awkward (or is he more socially unaware?) as I am, if for different reasons. "Hey, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage, 'ttebayo!"

"Nn." I noise, nod, and take another bite of chocolate.

"She's Namiki Aya. She doesn't like to talk much." Yamanaka-san informs her fellow blond. Hmm, interesting. Both blue-eyed blondes, but are totally different too. Yamanaka's more of a pale blonde, almost white, with lighter eyes and a black ring around her irises. Uzumaki's a more sun-kissed blonde, and his eyes are more like the sky on a clear day. Interesting. Very interesting. Not terribly interesting, or interesting enough to mention it. But interesting enough to note. I suppose.

"Namiki... Aya-chan?" He frowns, thinking about that... still thinking about that... I take another bite, hating that I'm already halfway through my chocolate bar **and** his still being in my personal bubble.

"Uzumaki-san..." I motion for him to back off a bit when he looks to me.

"Now I remember! Aya the nose-breaker! You're the only one that got into more trouble than I did!" I groan, hating that he brought that up, but hating even more that he doesn't take the hint to get out of my personal bubble. "Hmm, no wonder Sakura-chan went down like that. Hey, Aya-chan, it's been a while!"

I groan. Taking another bite of my chocolate. "I take it you two know each other?" Yamanaka, of course, smells an interesting story. So she's going to be pestering Naruto until she hears every detail. And when she's gotten all she can from him, she'll probably try to bribe me for more.

"We got kicked out of the orphanage about the same time, right Aya-chan?" He asks. If he remembers me, why is he still asking me things? Oh, right, he didn't figure it out back then either. I wonder if I should mention that we're also neighbours. Nah, he probably wouldn't ever figure it out, and I like it like that. The last thing I need is for him to come over and ask for a cup of sugar...

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Now **this** I can handle! Umino-sensei was apparently late because he needed to set up the 'range' for us to practice with our kunai and shuriken for graduation. No one to bug me, no one to ask stupid questions, and Haruno-san isn't stupid enough to bother me twice in one day! Twice a week, maybe, but it's Friday, so I'll be free from people for a WHOLE TWO DAYS!

So I do what I do best. I ignore everyone around me and play with sharp and dangerous things! I love being a kunoichi! But I really need to see if I can go get that dagger today! It'd be such an awesome graduation gift to myself!

I toss another kunai. It hits the target, if not the bullseye. Not that I care. I'm mostly doing this to shut Umino-sensei up. He tends to go on and on about how your aim is 'never good enough' and 'it can always get better'. I mutely sigh. The one thing he and papa have in common. Still, I shrug and toss another kunai.

There was a time when I would have gladly showed off, but that was before I figured out that it attracted too much attention. From Umino-sensei, from the more competitive of our classmates. Nope, not making _that_ mistake again!

So instead, I just make sure I'm somewhere in the middle of class expectations. Not too good – or Uchiha-san will need to outdo me, drawing his fanclub's attention to me. Not too bad – or I'll get lumped with Nara-san and Uzumaki-san, who are marked as the class slackers in pretty much everything. I sigh again. Being in the middle just brings less attention to me, and that's what I like. Who needs all those idiots fawning over me?

I mean, really? They're cool, I suppose, but I have absolutely NO desire to... I sigh again. Aya, stop lying. You wish you were less introverted, you wish you could just hang out with them, it's just that you trip up over your words when you're not focused, and any conversation longer than two minutes is enough to drain you and make you lose your focus.

I wish I had Hyuuga-san's problem. I mean, low self-confidence and terminal shyness? Psh, easy! Being so introverted that one 'social day' means a three days to recharge enough to go without sucking on chocolate every thirty seconds... that's bothersome. Very, very bothersome. And tiring. And annoying. And... I sooo wish I wasn't like this. But it isn't like I have a whole lot of choice in the matter.

You're either introvert, or extrovert, or some odd mix of the two; you can either work with it, or against it. But something so intricately true about a person doesn't change. Aya, stop. Just stop. Throw the kunai, and stop thinking.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hey, Aya-chan. We're going to hang out in Shikamaru's back yard, want to tag along?" Yamanaka-san offers. I gaze at her, unconvinced. What is her sudden fascination with me? I mean, we've been classmates for six years. We've been seated together for our senior year. We've taken all kunoichi required classes together. And now, a week before we graduate, she suddenly notices I'm alive? Yeah right. She's trying to play little Miss matchmaker.

"Ino, she's had to deal with Sakura and Naruto all day. She's not in the mood." Nara-san points out for me. I nod, agreeing with his analysis.

"Not in the mood to lie on the grass and watch the clouds? Really?" She points out. Hmm, that actually doesn't sound all that bad. "Look, you two are cool and all, but I'm tired of being the only girl! I need someone that can understand where I'm coming from!" That's a lie. Nara-san understands; he just doesn't care. Would that make it more of an inaccurate truth?

"Troublesome blondes." Nara-san mutters. I'm tempted to, really I am. But I'm tired, and I'm frustrated, and I'm just not in the mood for people right now. Nara-san grumbles some more, walking ahead, with Chouji-san following closely behind him.

I blush, looking away. I would like nothing more than to spend time with him. Really I would. But...

"It's settled then!" Yamanaka-san links her arm with mine and drags me –literally drags me– along. I can't tell if I groan, sigh, or grumble. My response seems to be a mix of all three.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

This isn't all that bad, actually. The grass here is nice and springy. There are some interesting clouds to watch. And no one is bugging me to talk! I think I like that last part best. Only Nara-san and I are actually watching the clouds, Chouji-san is munching on some chips again and Yamanaka-san is chatting away as she pleases – mostly about some cute clothes she saw the other day.

I can get used to this. Just laying here. I like it. This is the perfect place for someone like me. Absolutely perfect. "So Aya-chan, how long does it usually take you to get over a 'social day' like yesterday?" I mutely sigh. Of course. This is why Nara-san keeps calling her troublesome.

I make a noise, hoping she understands I mean to say I heard her but won't answer. Chouji-san finishes his bag of chips, so he folds it up and puts the empty bag back (wherever) he got the full bag from. I'll have to ask him about that one day; just not _to_ day.

"Aw, come on, Aya-chan! I've got another bar of _chocolate_?" She waves said bar around to prove her point. I move to grab the bar, but she keeps it just out of my reach. "Ah ah! First you have to promise to talk to me." I sigh. Chocolate- _danna_ , the things I do for you!

"Fine." I answer, holding out my hand and actually waiting for her to offer it. She looks at me expectantly. I sigh. Crap, she means I have to actually SAY 'I promise'. I groan this time, annoyed with how easy I am to manipulate. "I promise, Yamanaka-san."

She's not finished. "I'll make it two if you promise to call me 'Ino-chan' from now on." I glare at her. That's a bit much! That request weighs far more than even chocolate can counter!

"Don't push it." I intone, motioning with my hand that I'm still waiting on my chocolate. She's lucky this is a much bigger bar than Chouji-san offered me earlier. She probably saved it just so she can see how long of a conversation she can get out of me.

She gives in, gently placing the bar in my hand. I rip it partway open and take a bite. I sigh contently. This one has nuts. And it's quicker to melt on my tongue than the bar Chouji-san gave me before. "What's the deal with calling everyone by their family name?" The inquisition has begun. I sigh, grateful she at least knows to give me chocolate before she starts.

"... reasons." I answer vaguely. Not even giving me chocolate will loosen my tongue _that_ much.

"Ino, is this really needed?" Chouji-san comes to my rescue. He seems really uncomfortable that the girl would do this to me when she knows I'm not in the mood.

"Yes, Chouji, it is. Not that you'd even know why." She glares at him, shutting him down... up! Shutting him up!

"So there are things you won't talk about even for the sake of more chocolate." She doesn't ask, but she is hoping for confirmation.

"Nn." I take another bite looking up at the clouds. Though not my favourite pastime, clouds just... calm me. I'd still go for doodling if given the choice.

"Alright, how about what Naruto was talking about earlier? 'Aya the nosebreaker'?" She asks. I shrug, it's not really something I'm proud of, but I'm not ashamed of it either.

"I hate bullies. Orphanages always have a few." I offer. Uzumaki-san didn't tell much on our shared history, luckily, but that just means she'll want to know more. That means me talking more; so I guess 'unluckily' is the better word?

"So anyone that picked on you got pummelled?" She wonders. I can tell she isn't buying it, and yes there's more to it than just that... but do I really want to talk about it? Meh, it isn't exactly a secret or anything. I take another bite, mauling... mulling over what I want to say.

"No. It's mostly people that picked a fight at the wrong time. If you catch me on a good day, I don't care. Catch me when I'm not in the mood..." I offer. I take another bite... thinking about that a bit. "And I guess it matters what gets said or done too."

"Meaning?" I sigh, taking another bite.

"If they say something hurtful about me, I don't care. It's when they pick on others..." I take another bite, thinking about that some more. "Like when they called Uzumaki-san names." I know it hurts him when they do that. Even these days, I can see it in his eyes. He hides it better than he used to, but...

"So what do you think about Naruto? I mean, you obviously have nothing against him, but you seem to treat him no different than anyone else?" I wonder about that. Well, the question and the cloud that kind of looks like an ice cream cone.

"Ice cream cone." I point at the cloud, taking another bite. Nara-san makes a noise, amused. "I dunno. He's not a bad person, but his motifs annoy me." I say, mostly to show I'm not avoiding the question.

"How so?" She asks. Hmm, she'd be a foot-in... shoe-in! She'd be a shoe-in for Interrogation.

"Everything he does is for attention." I say, taking another bite. He's not the type of person an introvert could ever really look up on... to! Look up to! I sigh, hating that I still trip up on phrases and lingo and stupid crap that you can only ever really learn by chatting someone's ear off! Hey! I said that right! Well, 'thought', but still!

"True. I can imagine that would clash with your M.O." She sounds amused. "So why don't you ever try to make friends?" I snort, amused with her. She's rewording her earlier request, whether she knows it or not.

"Why do you ask questions you won't get an answer to." I intone, warning her that she's treading into dangerous territory. Chocolate or no, there's just some things I'm not talking about.

"Why won't you answer a simple question?" She presses. I growl, taking another bite, a much larger bite this time. Seriously, if she keeps this up all the chocolate in the world won't keep me here.

"Ino, drop it. She doesn't want to talk about it." Nara-san orders.

"If she thinks I'm going to let her-"

"Yamanaka-san. Thank you for the chocolate. I'm leaving." I carefully offer her the bar of chocolate, barely a fourth of which is eaten. I really want to throw it in her face and storm off, but... no. I'm not going to act like that kind of brat. Not that I don't want to, though.

I don't bother notice her reaction; I don't care. She's slow to take the item from me, so I simply drop it at her feet. I walk off, not looking back. Not even being fifty centimetres from Chouji-san for the last hour is enough to keep me there.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

KNOCK KNOCK!

I hear you. I've heard you every time you've knocked for the last hour. I'm still not opening my door. No one comes to visit me, so the only logical conclusion is that Yamanaka-san is here, for whatever reason. I'm already not in the mood for people, but for her? I snort. No. Just no.

"Aya-chan, I know you're home!" Yup, Yamanaka-san. "Come on, please open the door!"

"Ino!?" Crap. Uzumaki-san. Now he's going to find out I live here. Thanks, Yamanaka-san. Really. Thanks. I owe you for this. Not in a good way, but definitely something I'll repay your _kindness_ for.

"Oh, hey Naruto. I didn't know you lived here too." They go back and forth for a bit.

"I dunno who told you Aya-chan lives here, but that apartment's been empty for years." I smile. Leave it to that idiot to actually believe that in the first place.

"Naruto, I followed her. I know she lives here." I sigh. Well, that explains that. "AYA-CHAN! Come on!" She bangs on my door harder. Luckily for me, I have enough food to last until Monday. So she can make all the noise she pleases; it's not bothering me.

"And people call me an idiot? You've been banging on her door for over an hour and she still hasn't opened up. That means she's either not home, sleeping or doesn't want to talk to you." I snort, liking how he words that.

"Oh! **_That_** you'll respond to!?" She obviously heard me this time. I shrug anyway, knowing she can't see me. I head over to my fridge, deciding this deserves a snack. So I grab a muffin and two peaches, and a carton of milk to wash it down – muffins make you thirsty.

I hear a loud, annoyed, drawn-out sigh. "Aya-chan, please. I want to apologize for earlier." Oh, you mean for ignoring the warning signs and ignoring that you purposely made me uncomfortable on a day that you already knew I wasn't in the mood for people, before almost announcing my crush on Chouji-san right in front of him – which would only embarrass me even more. Is that what you're here to apologize about?

"You're wasting your time. You know that, right?" Hmm, Uzumaki-san seems insightful.

"How would you know!? She's been in our class for six years and you noticed her today!" Yamanaka-san is getting frustrated with the situation. Yeah, the same situation she created. I wipe my peach in my shirt, eyeing it to make sure it's good, then take my first bite. It's kind of a thing for me; first a peach, then the muffin, then the milk to wash it down, and finish with the second peach. I shrug. I seem to have a thing for most things, but not everything.

"Because you're screaming right in front of my door?" He points out. I snort again, amused. "You know what. Whatever, I'll go train or something. Do whatever you want."

I hear Uzumaki's annoyed footsteps as he stomps down the hall. He never did have much patience.

"Aya-chan, I'm sorry." I hear Yamanaka's words, I identify the sadness. Still don't care. I take another bite of my peach. "I was being stubborn, and pigheaded, and hurtful. And I'm sorry." I take another bite, thinking about her words. She sounds sincere, but should that matter? Tricking me, dragging me along when she knows I don't want to, bribing me, demanding things I clearly point out are unacceptable. I sigh. Not any worse than has been done in the past. Still, I'm just not in the mood to deal with her.

"You need to understand, though... Chouji is like a brother to me. I need to know the person who's interested in him." She tries. A convenient excuse. "How would you feel if I was interested in your brother? Wouldn't you want to protect him if you could?" How should I know what that's like? An only child and an orphan. Yeah. I have a lot to draw out... on! To draw on!

"Aya-chan, please... how can I make it up to you?" Easy, you can't. I take the final bite of my peach, sucking the juices off of my hand – it's a really small peach. She's quiet for a while, but I hear her breathing so I know she's still there. Yeah, low-income housing. I can hear everything that goes on around here.

"Come on, I already feel bad enough. You're just making me feel worse." Aww, poor thing. I switch to my muffin, taking the first bite and enjoying the chunks of chocolate along with the fluffy chocolate flavoured muffin itself.

"You know they won't even talk to me. Shikamaru and Chouji. They're pissed that I pushed you like that." She seems to just enjoy chatting away, which really is just like her. "Chouji especially. He's so grateful that you stood up for him yesterday, and he's kind of... well not kind of, he's **really** annoyed with me. He respects you, you know. Not just for that thing yesterday, but because you love food just as much as he does. I mean, watching you eat chocolate is like food porn, you know?"

I take another bite, wondering when she'll run out of steam. "That's part of the reason I feel so bad. I mean, when you gave me back that chocolate... I knew I went too far. But it's when I wouldn't take it... when you dropped it in the grass and walked off like that." I take another bite, tears welling up in my eyes. I can hear that she's close to tears as well, but it's what she's making me think about that's affecting me. There's a reason I don't want to talk about _those_ things.

"Aya, don't make me go through this again... you know how I feel about how things turned out between Sakura and me." She tries. I take another bite... glad I already grabbed something with chocolate. Comfort food... and a vice. Two birds, one stone.

"Come on. Talking to a door is not helping." Leaving is still an option. I mean, two days is nothing compared to the years you and Haruno-san were friends before Uchiha came in the picture. I hear her lean against my door –part of the reason there are six locks on it– and slowly slide to the floor. "You grabbed chocolate from your fridge, didn't you. So this is affecting you, but you still haven't taken so much as one step towards your door. So I guess that means I'm wasting my time."

I can almost imagine her, sitting there, hugging her knees or something. I take another bite. "You don't want to let people in. Not because you don't know how to, but because you're scared. You don't want to let people hu-"

"Go away, Ino!" I leave my half eaten muffin on the table, heading into my bathroom and turning on the water. I make sure to flush the toilet and slam the door as well, so she'll know I'm not going to be able to hear anything she says.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 2_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: A bit more to the drama side of things, but this is needed to round Aya out a bit. As well, I want to offer Ino some more depth as well. I mean, how often is she portrayed as actually seeing the consequences of her actions? I haven't read a lot of fics where her character is given the depth of someone that was raised by an top-notch interrogator and Mind specialist._**

 ** _It's going to be a few days before I update again._**


	4. Bothersome Blondes

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 3 – Bothersome blondes_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Monday's arrived. That means school. That means... Yamanaka-san. I'm not in the mood for her, but knowing Umino-sensei, if I try to sit anywhere else he'll draw attention to it and just make everything worse. I enter the classroom, really not looking forward to this. At all.

No one else is here, as usual. I walk to my seat, set my book down and sit down. I'm not in the mood for anything right now, not even to doodle. Still, I'd rather do something to pass the time. I can only imagine how bothersome today's going to be if the hours drag out. Seeing no real reason not to, I open my book and look over my old doodles.

Nope. Not a good idea. Not a good idea at all. The first five doodles in this book... I shake off that trail of thought. Not going there. Not here.

I'm too far from the window to gaze outside. That doesn't leave a whole lot of options. I sigh. I hate days like this so bad...

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Wow. Really? This is your plan? "Morning, neighbour!" Uzumaki-san can't read social cues to save his life. So even as I glare at him, warning him to just back off and go away, he takes another step towards me. "I was wondering about something..."

"U. Zu. Ma. Ki~iii..." I grind out his name, glaring even harder at him.

"It'll only take a second, I swear!" He says, ignoring that I don't want to give him that second to begin with. "Ino's been bugging me all weekend, because she wants to talk to you. Why?"

"Holy crap! The dead last is talking to Namiki-san!" I groan, hearing the rumour mill starting up for the morning. "This ought to be good!"

"Think she'll whoop him?" That'd be Inuzuka. Ever since I smacked him around for trying to flirt with me, he takes a twisted sort of pleasure from watching other guys make the same mistake.

"Considering what she did to Sakura, I'd say it's a possibility." Everyone's getting excited about what this could possibly become. Sure, the fangirl club clobbering Uzumaki-san is entertaining, but most of those girls are hopeless. Well, other than Yamanaka-san. She's probably the only girl in this class other than Hyuuga-san that is worth their salt... why do I feel like I worded that wrong? To be worth your salt. That's a thing right? Oh, whatever.

"Oi! Aya-chan, I asked you a question!?" Uzumaki-san's never had much patience. I groan again. "Ah, there you are. Why am I getting dragged into your thing with Ino? Usually I'm the one dragging people into things!" Sadly, he's right. As for why he's 'dragged into it'... not something I have an answer for. After all, I'm not even sure why I got dragged into it. I shrug, making a noncommittal grunt.

"Don't give me that! Something happened! If you don't want to talk about it, fine, but tell her to stop banging on your door or something!" He announces, clearly annoyed. I point at the blonde sitting beside me, raising an eyebrow. Why is he telling me this, when she's right there?

"Dude! She's not hitting him! D'ya think she likes him? I mean like, like-likes him?" I growl at that last one. This is why I hate the attention. People see a pretty face and all they think is: hey, go out with me? And if someone else is talking to me, they automatically think: are they dating? I feel my left eye twitch from annoyance.

"Hirota... I'd shut up if I was you. She's getting annoyed."

"Dude, so what!? Just 'cause she gave Kiba a concussion doesn't-" Kiba and Akamaru growl this time. Good, then I don't have to get invo- "Down, boy! If Namiki gets involved again, you know she's gonna..."

I get up, picking up my book to make sure no one gets any funny ideas. "Told you, man. Now you're gonna get it!" I walk towards the front of the class, take a left and stop right in front of Inuzuka-san. I can tell he's nervous, but he's not the issue. I slam my book on his desk and reach forward, grabbing Kanesaka-san by his collar, pulling him to me. I stop just as his knees reach the edge of his desk.

"Aya-cha~aaaan." Umino-sensei arrives a minute too late to stop this from happening.

"Aw, come on, sensei! She was just about to give me a kiss." He lies easily. Too easily. And he's puckering his lips, almost as if he's actually expecting that kiss. Really? I let go of him, pleased that he's caught off guard and lands face first in Inuzuka-san's desk next to my book. I make sure to grab my book though, just in case he gets any funny ideas.

"Heh. I guess that plan fell flat on its face." Inuzuka-san jokes. I hear some grumbling, but I just walk towards Umino-sensei, awaiting whatever punishment he has in mind. Although I didn't exactly go against his orders, I would welcome anything that sends me out of the class.

"Seriously, Hirota. Just quit while you can. Kiba's better than you are, and even he-"

"Shut it, Datou!"

"That's enough!" Umino-sensei tries to butt in, before this gets out of hand.

"Ah, no it ain't! No little slut is-"

"Uzumaki-san... hold this." I thrust my book into his chest. I ignore the slight 'oof', turning towards Kanesaka-san once again. I don't care what this will cost me, but-

"Aya-chan. If you issue an official challenge, there's nothing I can do to punish you. And seeing as I have the field booked today, you won't even have to wait." Umino-sensei offers. I feel my whole body glow from how happy that statement makes me.

"You. Me. **Now**."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes less than five minutes to get everyone outside. Luckily, they're looking forward to this as much as I am, so everyone quickly lines up. But I just walk straight for the sparring ring. I make sure to spy Uzumaki-san, seeing as he's still holding my book, but otherwise it just isn't worth the trouble.

Not a minute later, the dirty blonde mug of Kanesaka Hirota is seen walking to me. He already has an angry red mark on his forehead, from where his face _kissed_ Inuzuka-san's desk. I tilt my head to one side, motioning him to come join me in the ring. I ignore the 'oooooooh' from our classmates. This isn't about them. This isn't about entertaining them, this isn't even about him calling me names. This is about **respect**. Calling a girl a slut just for the sake of making yourself look big? I feel my eye twitch again.

I hear a few comments here and there about Kanesaka being a dead man... mostly from guys I've had an altercation with. Not that I care. The idiot steps into the ring, does a few stretches and starts shadowboxing to make himself look even tougher. I feel my eye twitch again, and a little smirk works its way onto my lips.

"Namiki Aya has issued a martial challenge to Kanesaka Hirota! This will be hand-to-hand only! Are the combatants ready!?" Umino-sensei does his usual thing. He goes over the rules; no weapons, no killing, no unnecessary force. I listen with half an ear. I'm too busy trying to contain my anger just long enough to let this be legal.

"Begin!" He immediately rushes me, trying to overwhelm me with speed. Hmm. I wait for the last moment, when it's too late for him to react. Still waiting. Still standing completely still, my head tilted to him, eyes trained on his chest area to allow me full vision of everything he does. I start focusing my chakra on my glasses, to make sure they don't slip from where they're needed.

He comes at me with a simple punch, thinking I'm just one of the fangirls, or something. I twirl around three times, building up the momentum and moving just out of his effective range and to his left. Then, using the momentum, I do a half somersault and do an upside-down sweep mid air, above his punch. I can't say how pleased I am to feel my heel make contact with his nose. Or seeing him flip backwards and land face first in the dirt. From the crunching sound, I broke another nose; it's not a sound you easily forget after all.

I hear Uzumaki-san laughing, joking about 'the nose-breaker strikes again'. But I mostly ignore him. Instead, I turn to sensei, wondering if the match will be called. If the boy's smart, he'll stay down. If not, I have more than enough anger and annoyance to spare.

"Winner! Namiki Aya!" Yup it gets called. I start moving off... but of course, getting attention and then showing skill means:

"Namiki. Fight me." My eye twitches again. Boy, you picked the wrong day, the wrong time, and the **wrong** kunoichi. I snarl at him, warning him this isn't the sanest time to fight me. "Sensei?"

"Aya-chan, do you accept the challenge?" My eye twitches again, glaring at Yamanaka-san. If she'd just left me alone, if she'd just accepted that I'm better off without her 'help', none of this would be happening.

"Nn." I walk back to the ring.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes a minute for that last idiot to leave, heading for the school medic, being my guess. Now I'm stuck with this idiot. A skilled idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. I feel my eye twitching again. This isn't something I want to deal with, but I'm sure he won't care. The last time I showed skill like that, he challenged me too. And he didn't shut up until we fought, three days later. I let him win, just for the sake of shutting him up – can you imagine how much worse it'd be if I'd won?

This time... this time I want to see just what I can do. I want to see how this will play out.

"The rules are the same as last time. Begin!" Uchiha is smarter than Kanesaka, so he stays put. So do I. I may still have fight left in me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be a complete idiot and take the fight to him. Not the way he wants me to.

I remember his style; he's a reactionary fighter. He likes to use my attacks against me. Lucky me, I'm sort of the same, but that complicates things somewhat. Two reactionary fighters means someone needs to step out of their comfort zone and throw the first blow.

Luckily, I also remember that he isn't the most patient person around. So I just tilt my head, watching him intently. "Something on my face?" I ask, after realising he really is staring at me and not just my stance.

"Hnn." He noises, almost like he's scoffing at something. I feel my eye twitch again. You go and challenge me, then don't even take the fight to me? I take a deep breath, not taking my eyes off him. He's not getting under my skin. Not now, not ever.

I sigh. He seems to be waiting on me to do something. I'm not going to be that stupid. So in other words, this will go nowhere. I turn and walk to the line-up. I can feel his irritation wash over me as I turn my back on him – he doesn't like that I'm walking away.

"Sensei, I f-" He's on me in the blink of an eye, throwing punches and lightning fast kicks at me. But I've already lost interest. I just grab his pants leg and hold him tight, forcing him to stop long enough to think about the situation – unless he wants me to pull or push him off balance and **really** start this fight. "Uchiha..." I warn, feeling my eye twitch again. There aren't a lot of people that can say I lost interest in hurting them. Please accept the luck fate tosses your way and let this dissolve peacefully.

He tries to pull his leg from my grip, but I hold steady. He tries to jump and kick over his leg to hit me in the face. He's even tucking in the leg I'm holding to pull me in closer. Why don't people use common sense? This just isn't what it should have been.

Seeing as he's twisting so his back will be on my right in a moment, I duck under his attack, plant my hand on the ground and flip both my legs into the air and at him. Mind you, I'm still holding his leg. So I tug him off balance, his head now higher than his legs and very much still airborne. I know I won't hurt him much, that isn't the point. I want to mess with his head, keep him off balance.

We both land on the ground. Or well, he lands on the ground, I land on him knees first – one on the back of his left thigh, the other on the small of his back, right over his spine. In the small of his back? And why would they say 'small of his back'? Sure, it's narrower than the shoulders but...

I'm still holding him by his ankle too. No real reason for it, I just like knowing I can mess with him this way. "This seems embarrassing, Uchiha-san. Please don't do such things with your fanclub watching." I drone, glaring at said fanclub and daring them to start a problem with me. Honestly, I'd only have to worry about Yamanaka-san, but still. I really don't need any more attention from this. "Sensei." I say, but don't release the boy. If I do, he'll never accept his loss and just keep attacking me. However, once Umino-sensei calls the match, he'd get in trouble for it, not me.

"Winner, Namiki Aya!" Sensei calls it. Everyone has their own reaction. Either they cheer –the guys that I've already beaten at some point– or they shriek –i.e. Uchiha's fanclub– and demand a rematch. I don't care. I really don't. This is all, to quote Nara-san, far too troublesome.

I get up, leaving him there in the dirt. His pride wouldn't let me help him up anyway; not that I'm tempted to. Just as I'm leaving the ring, I hear two kunai whizzing towards me. I turn, in time to see Umino-sensei grab the items midflight. Good, then this really is no longer my problem.

"Book." I demand of Uzumaki-san. He offers me his trademark grin, happily returning my book.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I snarl. I growl. Do they heed my warning? No! I've already fought his whole fanclub! Every single airheaded bimbo in our class has challenged me. You see what I get? You see why I should never show skill?

"You seem to be quite popular today, Aya-chan." I groan, hating how right Umino-sensei is. I should have turned Uchiha down. So who's the latest dieting and therefore undernourished bimbo that thinks the others were all beneath them?

"Haruno Sakura versus Namiki Aya! Begin!" She, just like all the others, charges blindly. She, just like all the others, deserves a _warm_ greeting. Hmm, I kicked the last one in the ankle as she was running. Sprained her ankle and she landed on her face in the dirt. Nope, not in the mood this time. I dash to her, kneeing her in the gut.

She flies back, but lands on her feet, clutching her gut in pain. I tilt my head to one side. I'm actually impressed with her; she's the first to not pass out immediately or otherwise be declared the loser. Still, she's in no state to fight properly. Not that that's likely to stop her. She eyes her precious 'Sasuke-kun', and forcefully wills herself to stand ready. Did she already forget about Friday? Or is this in reaction to smacking her around? I don't know.

"Haruno-san. Think. You're in no state to fight." I warn her; actually, verbally warn her. I admire her passion, I really do, but that stupid diet she and the other airheads are on is not doing them any favours. She charges me anyway.

"DON'T YOU DARE UNDERESTIMATE ME, SHANNERO!" She comes at me, trying to punch me again. I twist around her, grabbing her punch by the wrist and wrapping her arm around her neck... then I pull, hard. She flips sideways, landing on her side and tumbling in the dirt. When will they learn? I'm not even taking any of these fights seriously. I mean, come on! Uchiha I took seriously at least, if for no reason other than to embarrass him. But the fact remains: I've done nothing but train with mama's scrolls ever since her death.

"Winner, Namiki Aya!" Sensei calls it. Again. I sigh, frustrated with these idiots.

"Aya-chan! I want a match!" Yamanaka calls out.

"Forget it, Yamanaka-san." I glare at her, trying not to snarl. I have ACTUAL reason to hurt her. I don't want to do that to Chouji-san. If she'd just left me the hell alone, I wouldn't have had to fight... pretty much everyone! I'm actually surprised I didn't get challenged by more idiots, but there's still time, I suppose.

"What's the matter, scared?" She gloats. She thinks I'm too tired to fight her. She literally waited for the whole fanclub to challenge me first. I snort. I motion for her to bring it. She'll regret this, I promise that.

The match is started a moment later, but I don't wait on her this time. I dash for her, both fists held in the air above and slightly in front of me. I jump at her, knee first aiming for her chin. She ducks, but I lean back, grabbing her by her collar and pulling her along anyway. As I land, I pull her harder, jab my hip into her middle and throw her over my shoulder, offering her all of my momentum. She's skilled enough to somewhat control her flight and lands on her feet.

The second she catches herself she dashes for me. I dive towards her, curl myself up into a ball and do a mini somersault, then continue my flight foot first. She tries to jump over me, but she already knows that isn't the end. I grab her by her ankle and pull her along again. I twist slightly, giving myself the room for a three-point landing, using her as an anchor to slow me down quicker – thanks to a _little_ downwards whip-like tug. She tries kicking me, but I pull her ankle, jump over her kick, do a sideways mini-somersault and land bum first on her back – with my feet firmly planted on her biceps, digging into her flesh with my nails. And once again still firmly holding onto her ankle.

Unlike the others though, I immediately climb off of her. I don't want Umino-sensei to call this match. I back up quickly, giving her the room to catch her breath. Oh no, precious. You're the reason I'm in this stupid situation. You aren't getting out of it so easily.

She takes a moment, but eventually comes at me with a kick, left-legged. I counter with a kick of my own, only, my leg is kept bent. My knee meets hers, only... my knee is trained for these kinds of attacks. And before the momentum is lost, I launch my foot at her side. I connect, hearing a slight grunt from her. I then grab her ankle once again and tug her to me. I'm tempted to headbutt her, but that will surely give her a concussion. She'd deserve it, but... at the same time, she doesn't. Other than that scene before, that she's clearly sorry about, and annoying Uzumaki enough to get him to speak up... she really hasn't done anything. Not really. I sigh. This is what I get for thinking. Or maybe I'm just running out of steam?

"Forfeit." I demand, once she's close enough to hear my whisper. Before she can react, I shove her back and hook my foot behind hers. She flies back slightly, landing on her backside. She still manages to roll back to nullify the extra momentum. She still wants more? Fine. I look at Chouji-san, but he doesn't seem upset. Worried, but not upset. That's a relief.

She comes at me again, this time sliding in for a low attack. I do a sideway somersault, out of her effective range, then side flip back with the backs of both of my heels flying down at her. If I connect, there's no way I won't knock her out.

At the last moment, I tuck my legs up, shift my weight and land butt first on the dirt, barely tapping her with my heels. She slides past, too shocked to react. I'm quickly on my feet again, so is she. "Is that your way of saying I'm forgiven?"

I huff, not looking away from her. "Thank you. Sensei, I forfeit." She still bows to me though. I sigh, looking away and blushing. After sensei calls the match, she walks up to me, links her arm with mine and drags me along and back to the line-up. "Seriously though, what's it going to take to get you to call me 'Ino-chan'?"

I roll my eyes. "Don't push it."

"Come on, guys! That's nine back-to-back wins! Who thinks they can beat Aya-chan's record?" After I take back my book from Uzumaki-san, he runs up asking who would dare challenge him. I roll my eyes, glad I can just not care for a while.

I wonder if he knows just how much trust I showed him though... nah. That idiot doesn't have a clue.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 _Have you ever felt your own heartbeat?_ What an odd question. I read it over and over again, wondering if I'm just seeing wrong. _Have you ever felt your own heartbeat?_ The words don't change. I look over to my left, wondering what Yamanaka-san has been drinking, eating, smoking or snorting.

I carefully scribble back: _every time._ I hate that her handwriting is so much neater and nicer than mine, but it isn't something I can do anything about. I fold the note and hand it back to her. I get back the same note not a minute later.

 _Because of Chouji?_ I fight the blush. Subtle, Yamanaka-san, really subtle.

 _No._

She seems surprised when she reads that. I don't know why. _How do you know you like him then?_

I wonder about that. I could go into a whole longwinded explanation about how he and his father were the only ones to truly comfort me after mama died. I could tell her how Chouji-san was the one to offer me my first taste of chocolate, telling me how his mother liked the stuff whenever she started crying. I could explain how his namesake is why I started liking butterflies – 'Chou' means butterfly after all. None of that would explain it very well – after all, friends do that for each other all the time.

 _The butterflies whenever I hear his voice._ I scribble back. Still truthful, but not quite as complete.

 _Butterflies?_ She just really can't ever accept something I tell her as the whole story, can she? I sigh, mutely, thank Kami-sama. I know I worded that right. I ran it through my head a dozen times before writing it!

 _You know what I mean!_ I scribble with a silent huff. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. _It's that... bubbly feeling when I'm around him. He just makes me feel so big and so small at the same time. Like I could leap over mountains, but I just feel so..._ I think about that. _...soft._

And it's true. Just being around that boy makes my skin feel soft. I sometimes wonder if every inch of me wants to be touched. And the butterflies... and that superweird feeling of being suddenly able to do everything, but just wanting to stay near him... I sigh. I usually don't make a lot of sense, even in my own head, but the boy just turns my thoughts into a jumbled mess!

What's even weirder though... the other day... when I was just laying in the grass near him. I felt so... calm. At peace. I haven't felt like that in years! _He soothes me. He soothes me._ I write it the second time neater, hoping she can make out my scrawl; I don't really know why I underlined that word though. I'd never spent much time writing. I usually just remember what I need to. Otherwise, I'm usually just doodling.

I give her back the note. Umino-sensei is mostly reviewing geography and briefly highlighting what countries are allied to the Land of Fire, and what shinobi villages are allied to Konoha. Bo-ring.

 _Wow._ Okay, Yamanaka-san, _that_ **really** doesn't say anything.

 _What?_ I scribble back, wondering what's gotten into her all of a sudden.

 _I didn't think you had it that bad..._ When I read her words, I sigh. Better than blushing and giving myself away.

"Something you'd like to share with the class, Aya-chan?" Umino-sensei asks.

"Rain country allied with us in eighty-two, not eighty-three." I offer, glaring at him. Trying to embarrass me to shut me up and get me to pay attention? I've had nothing to do for years other than read and train!

"A common misconception. Yes, the treaty was made in eighty-two, but wasn't officially signed until a year later." He doesn't seem bothered. I should probably just drop it. He won't listen.

"Umino-sensei, a treaty is worth less than the paper it's written on. So long as there is a standing agreement between two villages to ensure the bloodshed doesn't continue, it counts." I hear my voice say the words. I feel my tongue forming them. I notice my jaw and lips dancing to allow it. I still can't figure out what possessed me to do so. I blame Yamanaka-san. She's a horrible influence on me.

I feel everyone's eyes on me instantly. I shrink in on myself... I blink... 'shrink in on myself'? How would that even work? I sigh. Why do I have to be such a visual thinker?

Umino-sensei clears his throat. "As true as that may be. Eighty-three will be counted as correct on the test."

 _I blame you. Just so you know._ I give back the note, very carefully ignoring the giggling that greets my ears.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Having made it home, I sigh explosively. Today was a total nightmare. As bad, or worse, as I imagined it'd be. Getting into nonstop fights. Gossiping with Yamanaka-san. Uzumaki-san making that stupid scene, then asking me if I want to walk home with him before I left. And Chouji-san... the worry, the jealousy in his eyes when he heard Uzumaki-san asking me that...

Stupid butterflies! Even now, my breath's a bit hitched from seeing Chouji-san's reaction. And... seeing that knowing smile on Yamanaka-san's face didn't help much!

I lock my door, wondering why I end up in stupid situations like this. I could have solved the problem by pointing out to Chouji-san that I don't like Uzumaki – at all, really, let alone like _that_. But that would just beg the obvious: who do you like, then? And to add to that... I like knowing he's a bit jealous.

I blush so deep that it feels like my cheeks on fire. Stupid situation. Stupid, stupid situation.

I make my way over to my fridge, wondering what I'm going to snack on. Opening my fridge however... I sigh. Empty. I'd simply refused to leave the house this weekend thanks to a _certain stalker_. So that means I need to go to the market now. And I'd need to hurry too! If I don't make it to the market before they close, I'll have to go to the convenience store, which is twice as expensive!

I close my fridge, annoyed, and head right back out. I make sure to double lock my door, and turn around just in time... "Afternoon, neighbour!" Uzumaki-san greets me. I think he's just thrilled I don't ignore him, or something. No time. Need food. Need chocolate. Need take out.

"Nn." I noise, nodding to him.

"You need to go shopping too, huh?" He asks. How would he even know that? I turn to him, questions in my eyes. "You're carrying a shopping bag." He points out. I look down and blink. I guess I am.

"Coming?" I ask. I don't have the patience to explain why I'm in a rush. This is just more effective. I still blame Yamanaka-san though! If not for her, I'd not be put into so many social situations so often! He sputters, for some reason. I don't bother trying to understand, I just start walking. If he is, he'll catch up. If he isn't, he won't.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I make it to the market in record time. My first stop is the fruit vendor. A nice little old lady and her niece. They greet me, but I see their eyes harden for some reason. I turn, following their gaze. Ah, Uzumaki-san did tag along. I turn back to the two; usually such an agreeable pair. I glare at them, warning them not to make a scene. The niece gets nervous, but the old lady decides she needs to do something _over there_. I make an annoyed noise, showing just what I think about that.

I pick up my usual; cherries, peaches and lychees. I make sure to pick up some extra of each though, which the woman clearly notices but doesn't say anything about. I pay her, putting my purchases into my bag and walking along. Uzumaki-san follows quietly. That isn't like him at all.

"Something wrong?" I don't know why I ask. I'm quite enjoying the silence... well, relative silence. We're in the market for crying out loud! He sputters some stupid excuse, but nothing that makes sense. I roll my eyes and sigh. This is just not something I'm going to figure out. I'll leave that to Yamanaka-san, seeing as this is entirely **her** fault!

Making it to my second stop, I look at the man carefully. He seems nervous, but he doesn't make a scene. I nod, going about my business as usual. I pick up my chocolate bars, muffins and the largest pack of mousses his cooler has. I offer them to him and pay, then stash the items in my back with the others.

I quickly make my way to the last stall I'll need here. "Ah, Aya-chan! It's good to see you again!" The middle-aged woman greets me warmly. "And I see you have Naruto-kun with you too! Welcome, welcome!" I smile this time.

I peruse her wares, as I tend to. Nothing too spectacular, as usual, but I just love stopping here. She runs a bookstand. "You know, Aya-chan. You've been coming here for years and you never seem to find what you're looking for."

"Nn." I agree with her. I've never found a single book or scroll I find interesting enough to buy. Still, I keep coming back to check.

"Are you by chance looking for shinobi books and scrolls?" She asks. I nod, but shrug anyway. "My, my, aren't we being vague. What are you looking for, child?"

"Something I haven't read." I say, going through the books. Novels, mostly fantasy or historically correct. I've read them all.

"Ah, still the little bookworm that used to devour her parents' library I see." She sounds amused. I just sigh. I don't like thinking about those days without good reason; like making myself cry. "Why don't you pass by my son's bookstore then? He should still be open. And there's a section for shinobi literature as well."

"Nn." I nod, deciding to do just that. "Coming?" I turn to my rather silent shadow. He shrugs, clearly not caring. Oh well.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

On entering the store, the first thing I do is walk up to the counter. I want to know if there'll be an issue with the company I keep before offering so much as a single Ryou of my pouch! "Look who we have here! Little Aya-chan! My you've grown. The last time I saw you, you were still crawling around in diapers!" The man seems agreeable enough, towards me at least.

"And you brought Naruto-kun as well! I take it you stopped by Ka-san's stall at the market then?" I smile this time. There won't be an issue at all. "You know, I don't think I'll ever forget how much the two of you used to play together. Your mother was pretty adamant about you getting to know him, you know."

Uzumaki-san and I share a look. That's news to both of us. I really don't remember that at all. "Why do you seem so shocked? Miwako-chan wouldn't ever shut up about how well you two got along!" I sigh, wondering about the man's words.

"How are your parents these days? I swear, running this shop makes it impossible to keep in contact with people." I don't even know how to respond to that. Should I cry? Should I get upset? Should I scream at him for his heartlessly never having a clue?

"Dead." I intone. Having had quite enough of this little chat, I turn away from him and walk towards a random bookshelf. Novels. No thanks. No longer in the mood. I walk to another bookshelf, this one with non-fiction works. Cookbooks, history, geography, autobiographies. Interesting, but not something I have any need for. Well, I do need to learn to cook eventually, but I'd rather wait until I figure out how not to get myself killed with that stupid gas burner in my apartment.

Next bookshelf. Ah, shinobi stuff. Let's see. _Introduction to chakra_? Yeah, no. I've already reread it twenty times. Just no. _Genjutsu made easy_ , by Yuuhi Kurei? Hmm, could be interesting. I make a mental note where it's located and move on. _The magic of the elements_ , by Sarutobi Sakurai. Hmm, an introduction to all things element about the jutsus you wish you could do? And it's on sale! Only five-hundred Ryou! Interesting, interesting. I put it back, making a mental note once again.

Unfortunately, the books are all sealed with some funny plastic, so I won't be able to read them without ripping through that, and therefore forcing me to buy it. Sad, but not unexpected.

Hmm, a booklet? _Unusual jutsu styles_ , by Uchiha Sadana. Three-hundred Ryou, a steal really. I pick it up, grateful I can read a few pages. Hmm. Each page has an explanation of an unusual style of jutsu the author encountered. No reference on how to replicate it, no reference on what can help me study it. Still, it'll be handy to know what I can encounter. I keep the booklet.

 _The sound of silence_ , by... author unknown? That's interesting. I pick up the rather large book, wondering about it. It's also plastic covered, so I can't read its contents. I turn to the back, wondering what it's about. _Though an unusual style, Sound-release is rather handy. Like it, or don't. I like it._ What kind of blurb is that!? There's only one of it too! And... there's nothing else to go on! No pictures, no explanations, nothing! And it's eight-hundred Ryou... printing this thing probably cost more! Why would...

For some reason, I find this book interesting. Something about it... I don't know. I'm just too curious not to buy it now. And I have a week after graduation before team placement anyway. Something to keep me busy won't be a bad thing.

I take it. And the genjutsu book too. And the elemental book. They're cheap! I don't know why they're so cheap, but they are! I mean, I spent fifteen-hundred Ryou on the fruits I just picked up! Hmm, I wonder if there's a book on daggers as well? If these books are so cheap, I see no reason not to splurge a little and spoil a very deserving Aya.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 3_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Poor Aya! She seems to get dragged into the strangest situations! And imagine, this is BEFORE team placement! I wonder how she'd going to take it, the news of who her teammates are fated to be. Find out next time ^_^_**

 ** _And by the way, I was tempted to really make you guys wait! But... what can I say, Aya's just more fun to write than Danzo... heh heh. (I swear I'm trying to work on that other chapter!)_**


	5. Graduating

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 4 – Graduating_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I sigh. Why do I feel everyone's eyes on me? What did I do this time? I mean, really... what did I do? "It's because you're currently top kunoichi." Yamanaka-san informs me. I groan. The written exam was laughably easy. I know Hyuuga-san, Yamanaka-san and Haruno-san raced it... aced it too! So that means it's the taijutsu and the kunai and shuriken throwing thing.

I don't get it. The test wasn't any different than the training we've been going through! I sigh again. "I blame you, you know that." I whisper. A week ago, people hadn't heard me purposely speak. Now, they're openly staring at me all the time. How bothersome.

"Akimichi Chouji." Chouji-san gets called into the next room for the final portion of the exams. The jutsu demonstration. I mean, come on. These are things everyone should pass with flying colours! Umino-sensei's been drilling them into us for months! At least!

Yamanaka-san and Nara-san wish him luck, telling him how he won't need it. When he smiles and gives a thumbs up, I blush and look away. I'm still blushing a minute later when the next student gets called in. They were called in alphabetically, so I don't doubt I'll be called soon... sooner than Yamanaka-san, at least.

"Inuzuka Kiba." I hear some barking, but not from him or his puppy. So I assume that's his friends' way of encouraging him. I don't care.

"He passed... right?" I hate how unsure I sound. I don't turn to Yamanaka-san, hoping to keep what I'm feeling hidden.

"Who, Chouji? For sure! Nothing to worry about." I hate how amused she sounds. I doubly hate that she isn't talking softly.

"You have a thing for him, huh." Uzumaki-san, when did you become insightful? Hyuuga-san's been plainly showing she has a crush on you for years. I glare at him, daring him to say one more word. He wisely shuts up.

"Does he know?" I slam my head in my desk. I guess he didn't shut up.

"We're not sure." Yamanaka-san answers. "And no, we're not going to tell him." Why do I need to listen to this?

"Namiki Aya." Thank you, Kami-sama! I follow the silver haired teacher... Kanatsu Mizuki. I never liked him. At all. He just... rubs me the wrong way. Umino-sensei is much better a person.

I'm lead into a large room with five teachers all seated behind a long desk. I stand where I'm instructed to. Umino-sensei greets me, so I make a noise and nod. "Aya-chan. Your task is to do the transformation jutsu." He tells me. "Please transform into one of the instructors you see here." I nod, looking at them for a moment. The only one I even know at all is Umino-sensei, but that makes little difference. I transform into the kind-looking, short haired brunette next to him.

"... very good." Why are they surprised? I mean, it's not a hard jutsu to cast. "A sealless transformation. Clearly worthy of a Genin, wouldn't you agree?" I wonder what to even make of that. I stop myself from sighing and rubbing my forehead in frustration. Really. I mean, no wonder Yamanaka-san thinks Chouji-san got his headband. This is just... sad.

"I second that." Umino-sensei looks proud. "Come claim your headband, Aya-chan." I shrug. Who am I to complain if this is easier than I feared? I walk up to him, accept my headband and walk out the room. I make sure to tie it snugly around my neck, with the metal part covering my throat.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once in the... crap, I hate this... courtyard? Playground? Open space where everyone's waiting. Once outside, I notice how everyone that went into the room before me is all wearing a headband. Even _that moron_... Kanesaka-san is NOT shinobi material. Choosing to ignore something I can do nothing about, I walk... want to walk over to Chouji-san. I want to congratulate him. I want to... do so many things. Like... no! Aya, you are not doing this to yourself.

I take a step towards him. Then another. Why are my feet suddenly so heavy? Why do I feel like I can't breathe?

...

Is he walking over to me? Oh, Kami-sama! Now I REALLY can't breathe! "Hey, congrats, Aya-chan! To both of us, I guess." He smiles brightly, but he rubs the back of his head in embarrassment anyway.

"N-nn." I look down and away. Aya, breathe. Breathe! You'll pass out if you don't!

"You okay? You look..." Oh... Kami-sama... what do I do? I... I want to do so many, many things... none of them I want to do.

Okay, that makes no sense! How can I want to do things I don't... okay, no, it does make sense. I want to hug him, but I'd just embarrass myself. My lips are aching to kiss him, but I'm pretty sure I'd pass out if I do. My skin craves to touch him... but that's just weird... isn't it? Wanting to touch someone so bad that your skin is crying out for it? Is that weird? I don't know! Why don't I know!?

"Hey, Shikamaru! Congrats!" Now I just want to cry. I had his full attention. I want his full attention back! Crap... he's looking at me! Ummmm... Yamanaka-san! HELP!

"Not passing would be too troublesome." Nara-san says. Chouji-san turns his full attention back to his friend. I guess I'm just too weird to talk to right now... "Hey, Aya... congrats."

"N-nn." I feel really uncomfortable now. Even more than before. More than I've ever felt. I...

"I know it's troublesome, but you mind getting us some snacks? I'll wait here in case Ino gets out before you get back." I hate this. I hate this so bad. "He's gone, Aya. Relax." I don't turn to him. I don't know what to say, what to do. I... I... I hate myself right now.

Face Uchiha in combat, easy. Face his fanclub back to back afterwards, easy. Hold a conversation with Chouji-san...

I turn towards the gate. I can't... I can't be here right now. "If you leave, he'll think it's his fault." Aya, no! Don't cry. Don't you dare cry! Not here! Not Now! I hear him sigh, muttering about wishing Yamanaka-san would hurry up already.

"Hey, you guys passed too?" Haruno-san, too huh... Makes sense. 'H' comes before 'n'. But this only cements that I can't be here right now. I... no. "I wonder if everyone will pass. I hope so, I mean the test was really easy, don't you think?"

"Aya... here." I don't turn to him, I don't want to. I just feel stuck. If I stay, I'm just going to embarrass myself again. If I leave, I'll embarrass _him_. I can't win, can I. I feel something tap against my arm. I grab at it, wondering what it is. "It's white chocolate." It _does_ feel like a little bar of chocolate.

I look at the thing now in my hand. White chocolate, with bits of cookie – cookies and cream, they called it. "You really need to carry it with you, seeing how much you seem to need the stuff." I don't even care that he sounds annoyed. I tear the wrapping open, taking a bite.

Hmm. Odd. I love it, just as I always do. But... whatever. "Th-thanks."

Chouji-san comes back not ten minutes later. I meet his gaze briefly, offer a little smile, but try to focus on my chocolate. I keep a subtle eye on him though, I see how he offers his best friend a bag of chips, and how he tears one open for himself. Then... "Hey, Aya-chan. They didn't have any of the fancy stuff, but I got you this." I look to what he's offering me.

A little tub of ice cream. The one that comes with the little wooden spoon. I stutter out a thank you, blushing as I take it from him.

As I take it though... my hands graze his. His skin feels so rough; his hands calloused from his training. Aya...! Don't! Whatever you're thinking, just don't! You thanked him for the treat, just open it, take the wooden spoon and enjoy it! Aya... it doesn't matter if you're blushing! Just don't-

"S-sorry..." Don't do stupid crap like that. Aya! SERIOUSLY!?

"Huh... for what? It's chocolate chip cookies, you like that flavour right?" He asks, confused. I figured he wouldn't make sense of it. Now if only my logical brain could connect to my mouth and tell him that it's a good choice, and say that I'm just sorry for being so weird right now. And for imagining what his hands would feel like... NO! NO! AYA! SERIOUSLY! No!

"N-nn." I nod, cradling the little tub. I try opening it... but I can't feel my stupid fingers. And the butterflies are simply going nuts right now! And... these things aren't usually so hard to open are they?

"Hold on... the lady did say these are a little tricky to open." Chouji-san carefully takes the tub back, popping it open and offering it back... it shouldn't be such a big deal. Really, it shouldn't. But... he **touched** me...! It felt like lightning just fried my every circuit.

I fight the blush, the unwanted heat in my face, neck, ears. I... He's staring at me. Why is he staring at me? I snatch the ice cream out of his hands, unwilling to find out the answer to that. I grab the little spoon and I di... there's another little cover to make sure the spoon isn't dipped in ice cream. And, of course, I just have to stab into it with said spoon. Well, that second cover just bent right down the middle, so I'll just play it off like I did that on purpose. Yes, that's what I'll do! I stick the spoon in my mouth and rip the... ( _grumble_ )... thing(!) out and... crap. Two hands. Mouth full. Want to lick the cover. It has chocolate!

HA! I stab the spoon into the ice cream, making sure to bite down on it so I don't stab myself or something. Then I li... Chouji-san's staring... he's staring... he's staring and I'm here, frozen mid lick, staring back at him.

Doesn't everyone usually lick the cover? Does it matter? Aya! Stop freezing up! You're just going to draw att... crap... Now Haruno-san is staring at me... only she's also staring at... no she's looking from Chouji-san to me, trying to... CRAP! She's piecing this together! She knows I like him, and she's going to... no she doesn't look like she's going to say anything, she just blushes a little and looks away to not draw attention to it. GREAT! That means I'm the only one drawing attention to this! AND YOU'RE STILL MID LICK, AYA!

Deep breaths. Dee~eeeeeep breaths. Just breathe. Just breathe...

I finish the lick, noticing that my nose is a bit cold. I rub the back of my hand against it, trying to wipe off the ice cream I just know is there. I then lick my hand to capture the ice cream. Then... then... then what!?

This is why, Aya. This is why you avoid people. You simply have no idea how to handle this! This is ice cream. You've eaten ice cream three times a week all your life. You can handle ice cream, Aya. Stop. Freezing. UP!

I lick the cover again, trying to focus on the taste of my beloved chocolate. Trying to study the textures against my tongue. How I feel the little chunks of chocolate cookie (or chocolate, or whatever) against my tongue. But all I really notice is how his eyes take me in.

I blush deeper, deciding not to do that anymore. I place the cover under the tub, and hold it there. I rip out the spoon, taking some ice cream with it. I then stick it in my mouth and... he's... he's still staring at me...

' _I mean, watching you eat chocolate is like food porn, you know?_ ' Yamanaka-san's words come back to haunt me. Food porn. Does that mean he's imagining what **_that_** would be like because of how I eat chocolate? Or is it that he really likes how I enjoy it...? I... **hate** not knowing what that means!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

A VERY grumpy fifteen minutes later, Yamanaka-san shows... in? Arrives. Thank Kami-sama, I've finished my ice cream, so Chouji-san isn't staring at me anymore. But... I'm staring at Uzumaki-san.

He's the only one. The only one without a headband.

I might not like him, but... he'd make a far better shinobi than at least a third of the morons now bragging about being a ninja. I still don't know if I buy the whole I'm-the-next-Hokage-'ttebayo thing though.

I wish I could walk over to him. He looks like he needs a friend right now. Realistically though? Me? What good could I do? I'm so busy sucking down chocolate to not freak out around people I'm comfortable(ish) with... and I'm not comfortable around him.

"We should... probably get going." Yamanaka-san announces. It's hard to argue with her, their parents are here and I've already been invited to have lunch with them – a small celebration of sorts. Hmm... Maybe I can do that...?

I walk up to Uzumaki-san, keeping well in his field of vision to not startle him. He sees me coming; his eyes show just how deep this newest wound was cut. I offer the mostly uneaten chocolate bar Nara-san gave me earlier. He eyes it, then looks at me with unshed tears. "It helps me..." I say, mostly for the sake of reminding him... just in case.

He smiles, but there's no life in it and it doesn't reach his eyes. "Thanks, Aya-chan." He gets up off the swing he's been sitting on sideways, and he leaves. No more words, not that I'd be able to respond properly. My heart goes out to him. Being a ninja means more to him than anyone, me included.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I still can't believe she said that to Sasuke." Chouji-san is still chuckling about that scene. Is it important that it's an I'm-so-relieved chuckle? I'm not sure.

"She's right though! Being a kunoichi is much harder!" Yamanaka-san backs me up. I'm too busy giggling about the look on Uchiha-san's face when I told him that.

"How so?" Nara-san drawls.

"Do you know how much more we need to know, need to study, need to perfect!?" Yamanaka-san announces her irritation with her friend.

"What'd she say, anyway?" Yamanaka-sama asks, curious. He must have not been paying attention, or he just wants to change the subject. I think it's 'change the subject', because Chouji-san and Nara-san are chuckling again, and Yamanaka-san is giggling right alongside me.

"You remember how Sasuke walked up to us and just stood there waiting to be congratulated?" Yeah, mostly by me. "Well, Aya-chan told him: maybe if you were top kunoichi!" I don't really find any humour in my words. I was being honest after all. No, it's the look on his face. The annoyance, the... 'how dare you' that was there for barely a second before his usual stoic mask was back up. I grin. I enjoyed that!

"So anyway, what are you planning until team placement next week?" Nara-san changes the subject. He's enjoying it, but lingering must be troublesome, or something. I shrug, taking another bite of the yummy shrimps Yamanaka-san suggested I order.

"Reading?" I say after swallowing. I still cover my mouth though. Why is everyone looking at me weird? "What?"

"Nothing." Yamanaka-san offers a bit too quickly. I glare at her dully, trying to tell her I don't buy it. "We were mostly planning on hanging out..." Ah. Back to this, are we? More 'so I won't be the only girl' excuses? I like my reading, thank you.

"Ino, you could try reminding her that you won't be interrogating her anymore, and that she can just as easily read while Shikamaru watches clouds." Chouji-san says. My heart skips a beat. I blush, looking down at my plate of stir-fry noodles – with plenty of veggies and shrimps. Not the most graceful meal, but yummy all the same.

"N-nn." I noise, hoping they understand I mean I wouldn't mind that at all. It's a bit of a stretch though.

"Is that 'I heard you' or 'that sounds lovely'?" Yamanaka-san wonders, playfully nudging my side with her elbow. I turn to her, smiling a bit. I nod, noising a bit more confidently this time. "Great! We usually meet up at Shikamaru's house around ten, where we went on Friday?" I nod again, turning back to my food. This place just makes the yummiest yums I've ever yummed!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next day, showing up at Nara-san's house, I'm not sure what I was expecting. After knocking on the front door, I'm not sure what scene, what person, I expected to greet me. Chouji-san's mother with a welcoming smile isn't it though. Why is she answering the door in the Nara home?

"Hello there. Welcome, welcome. Yoshino-chan thought it might be you, won't you come in?" I hear her; the warmth in her voice, the amusement just barely noticeable. I see her motioning for me to enter, how her hair sways slightly as she moves just out of the way to make more room for me to enter. I see how her meaty arms wave me in one more time. How her Chinese shirt shows just how comfortable she is in her skin – it shows her curves quite nicely. But it's her smile –her warm, welcoming and completely disarming smile– that really captivated me. I make a noise, blush and enter as I'm asked.

"You remind me so much of your mother, Aya-chan." She says, trying to sound friendly I suppose. Not the best subject though. "I'm Akimichi Remi, by the way. Chouji's mother."

"N-nn." I knew that, of course. It wasn't hard to figure out, really. What's really taking my brains for a ride though: how much does she know?

"Chouji tells me you graduated top kunoichi! That's quite an honour!" She doesn't seem fazed by my quietness. There's simply no way I'm going to be sticking my foot in my mouth the first time I meet Chouji-san's mother for crying out loud! A mother's word is **_sacrosanct_**! If she finds me unfitting for her son, no one... and I mean **NO ONE** (!) can do anything about it.

"I-it's nothing." I blush, looking away. Shouldn't I try to play that up? Show that I'm a good match? Okay... Aya... stop thinking, because now you're blushing so deep that your heels are probably pink!

"And so humble! You have your father's way with words." She seems amused for some reason. Part of me suspects she can read my mind or something. Another part is ready to pass out because of it. Not a good 'two camps' situation to be in; freak out, or pass out. "But enough of that... they're out back waiting on you. Please tell them lunch should be ready in about two hours for me, will you."

"N-nn." I clutch my book a little closer, half afraid I'll end up dropping it from how numb my fingers feel. I make it to the back porch, slide the door closed behind me... and curse that I don't have any pockets to stash some chocolates in! I could really use one right about now!

I find the trio under a tree, so I make my way to them. Still blushing.

"You met _her_ , then." Yamanaka-san is amused. I'm not. I nod anyway, knowing who she means. Both boys seem curious, but don't press. I stutter out the woman's message, but none of them seem surprised by the news. So I just sit down near Yamanaka-san and open my book.

Stupid blush isn't going anywhere either.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

That's pretty much how the entire week went. Show up, Akimichi-sama welcomes me, I blush for an hour, I read my book, Yamanaka-san chats away, and join them for lunch. Somehow, I always get seated beside Akimichi-sama... always. On the third day I decided that sitting and reading wasn't comfortable anymore, so I lay my head in Yamanaka's lap. She seemed surprised at first, but not upset – she kept chatting away anyway.

On the fourth day I remembered that I still hadn't gone to the blacksmith's, but I don't say anything about it. Mentioning 'shopping' around Yamanaka-san is just asking for trouble, and I don't doubt she'd 'just happen to mention it' around Chouji-san's mother for good measure too.

Now? Now there's only team placement. So I'm walking to school, wondering who I'm getting teamed up with. I idly notice the shops opening up for the day – the slackers. The market was open at seven! And their prices are better!

I think back on Uzumaki-san. How he didn't graduate. The look on his face, the shattered fragments of his heart in pain.

And yet, when I make it to class, he's already there. With a headband? I groan. Of course he is. Why wouldn't he be. Silly things like rules and failed exams won't hold him down. Stubborn. He tries to be subtle, but I feel his eyes on me. I raise an eyebrow: what are you doing here?

"Heh. I passed, of course." He smirks. Of course he did. Did he pretend to fail just to see how we'd react? I wouldn't put it pa... yes, put it passed him. I roll my eyes, taking my usual seat. Still, I wonder why he's behind me all of a sudden, but seeing as we're technically no longer students of this class the previous seating arrangement is... pointless? Is that a thing? Sitting wherever you like? How would anyone know who to sit next to? "Thanks, by the way."

I turn around, questions in my eyes. He doesn't meet my gaze though. He must mean the chocolate thing. I shrug. I'd want someone to comfort me too, if I'd been in his shoes. That's a normal thing to do, right? Comfort someone? I wouldn't know. As good as I am at reading social cues, I usually have no clue how to handle things like that; anything social, really. Mostly I just imagine what someone else might do and go with that... but that isn't always the best idea either.

I mean, trying to imagine a scene in which I ask 'what would Uzumaki-san do'? That's trouble waiting to happen! Pure and simple.

It takes a little more than twenty minutes, but the entire class is gathered. There's some gossip flying about –Uzumaki's being here, of course– and some more gossip about who's teaming up with whom. I ignore all of it. It's pretty much pointless. No, it's flatly pointless. We'll be assigned to the teams Hokage-dono believes are best. All else is static, and pointless.

Eventually Umino-sensei enters, and everyone settles down. I sigh, wondering why they feel the need to be so loud to begin with. I mean, even Haruno-san and Yamanaka-san aren't fighting – for once. I blink. That's actually... kind of odd, now that I think about it. I mean... when did _that_ happen? Those two are like fire and oil... or is that water and oil? Either way, their either won't mix, or just simply shouldn't be given the chance to!

Teams start getting called. I really don't care. I'm listening for names I'm interested in – mine, mostly. But... I won't complain if I know where the Ino-Shika-Chou trio are going to be placed – likely together, but... meh. You never know.

Team Six has Haruno-san. Team Seven has Uchiha-san, Uzumaki-san –disaster waiting to happen– and...

"Namiki Aya. Under Hatake Kakashi." I groan. I seriously just groan. Of all the people to put me with. Those two? Don't get me wrong, Uzumaki is tolerable so long as he's controllable – which is really hard to do. It's that _other one_. Mr I'm-too-important-to-follow-rules. Not that Uzumaki-san follows the rules much either, but his motifs are totally different! And he is therefore far easier to manipulate to get what I might need out of him. The _other one_... I groan again. Dealing with him is always migraine-worthy.

Team Eight has Hyuuga-san, Inuzuka-san and Aburame-san. Obviously a tracking team. Team Nine is 'still in rotation'... whatever. "Team Ten: Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino and Akimichi Chouji under Sarutobi Asuma." Together, as I figured. Well, at least I have an easy in to hang out with them. There will come a day when I don't need an 'in'... but not _to_ day.

Umino-sensei continues on with a clearly rehearsed speech about how proud he is, and about how the work is only now beginning... Yeah, he's being wordy again. I don't groan this time though – I don't need to. Or... I see no point to. This isn't something I didn't see coming.

"Mom wanted me to remind you about that thing tomorrow, by the way." Yamanaka-san whispers to me. I nod. Another 'thing' I was invited to without me actually having a choice in the matter. Why they'd want to plan a thing the day after team placement, though... I don't try to understand. At all.

The other eight senseis swoop in quickly to claim their teams. I only bother to notice the tall woman that is Hyuuga-san's sensei, and the obviously Sarutobi that's Chouji-san's sensei. I don't know why I bother to notice that. All I know, is that they're all gone now. It's just the emo, the blonde and me. Even Umino-sensei is off to deal with something else. I sigh. How long could this possibly take a jounin to come and collect their team?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Two hours, thirty-two minutes, fifty-three seconds. You wanted to know, right Aya? Now you know. In that time, Uzumaki-san got into two one-sided arguments with Uchiha-san, set up two pranks, wrote foul words on the blackboard, unscrewed the screws keeping Umino-sensei's chair together (but leaving it just enough in so it won't fall apart under its own weight)... would that count as three pranks?

Uchiha pretty much just glared out the window, ignoring us. I like it better that way; we've never really gotten on... gotten along? Umm... why do they both kind of sound correct? I sigh.

Now that Hatake-sensei is here, and I get a good look at him... I'm not impressed. Besides being late. Besides falling for the more than obvious prank that landed a blackboard eraser on his head turning him white as a ghost. Besides the dull look in his gaze. Besides the obviously lazy and laconic way he carries himself and offers his words.

There's the simple fact that he's reading smut. _Smut_. Icha Icha. Literary trash. No plot, no character depth, no character development. Nothing other than shameless 'oh, Hero-sama, take me!' And usually said by airheads with at least H-cup breasts and IQs in the low twenties. How they even coordinate an outfit astounds me, let alone tying their obi without six other airheads there to combine their IQ with. That probably explains why only three of the female (supposedly leading) roles wore a kimono at all. The others were 'more city girls' – lacking in etiquette in other words, let alone morals... or standards for that matter. I mean... if he treats you like crap, but is cute... he's STILL WORTHLESS!

"My first impression of you... I hate you already." I offer a dull glare. The feeling's mutual, Smut-lover.

"On the roof, five minutes. Be there." And he's gone. Could be make himself any less likeable? I mean, not showing more than a fourth of his face, the I'm-so-hip hairstyle, the lazy drawl he speaks with... the SMUT!

Icha Icha Dynamic. The worst of the bunch to boot! Guy tries to balance having three relationships at once, and gets caught. Do you think the women being cheated on mind? No, of course not! They just ask for a foursome! They don't chop off his manhood, they don't bathe him in acid, they don't stab him until he's little more than minced meat. They want an open and loving relationship with him and his other lovers. Uh huh. _That_ happens in reality. Sure it does, right next to flying pigs, swimming pigeons and shrimp that just want some fresh air.

Unapologetic smut. I swear, I wonder each and every time why I read that stupid series. It's not in any way interesting! Informative, yeah sort of. It shows you a lot about how 'men' think. But I'm pretty sure most guys don't have nine inch 'junk'. The average size in the Elemental Nations is barely a third of that – I read the research papers on it to be sure! But hey, it's probably proportional to the breast sizes in those 'stories'. Hopefully, that doesn't include the IQs of the women though... if their already dismal intelligence needs to be divided for it to be realistic...

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Up on the roof, I take a seat next to Uzumaki-san. He's unlucky enough to be between Uchiha-san and myself. Not my problem though. I've been getting a weird vibe off _him_ ever since I saw him enter the classroom this morning! I wouldn't sit beside him if I was poisoned and he breathes out the antidote.

We're asked to introduce ourselves. Uzumaki-san asks Hatake-sensei to go first, but he only really reveals his name. So many words, no point to them.

Not that Uchiha-san is a better example. He sounds dark, dangerous and obsessed with 'a certain man'. I didn't know he swings that way. Well, to each their own.

Uzumaki-san is far more predictable, and bubbly. He talks about his love of ramen, and how much he hates the time it takes the water to boil – or something stupid like that. At least he has energy and life in his voice. I wouldn't want to engage him in a conversation, but listening to him babble on wouldn't be too horrid.

Then it's my turn. "Namiki Aya. Introvert." Hatake-sensei waits for more, but he's not getting more. He read my file. What else will he need?

"So, she does speak." Hatake-sensei teases, his eye crinkling up in amusement. I glare at him.

"When needed, Ecchi-sensei." He doesn't look impressed. Especially when Uzumaki-san starts cackling at his new nickname.

"Anyway, you're not genin yet." He goes on to explain there's a secondary exam, thank Kami-sama. I hate to think what would happen if _some people_ become actual ninjas. "Meet me tomorrow in training ground seven at six. And don't eat, or you'll throw up." My eyes go wide with... well shock, to be sure. But, it's more worry than shock! Is he _**CRAZY**_!?

Me? Skip chocolate for breakfast!?

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 4_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: 'Ecchi' is something girls would typically call a pervert. Yes, 'hentai' is more fitting, but we're talking about a group that won't even say 'pee' when they need to go to the bathroom and refer to their genitals as 'there', virtually regardless of topic. Google it if you don't believe :P_**

 ** _As well, the whole Icha Icha rant is kind of a tip of the hat to a review written by scarletstrong, who obviously shares my dislike for certain styles of writing and choices made by authors. Not bashing or flaming anyone with that though! I love me some shameless smut if it's well written, but sometimes a (realistic and sometimes uncomfortable) fluffy romance is nice too, you know? Some of you may notice that I, unlike many authors here, do not respond to reviews in-chapter. If I can, I'll send you a PM, if I can't, I'll assume you don't want me to. Sorry, but what's said to my reviewers is typically for their eyes only. *shrugs* It's only fair that I take the time to thank them, since they take the time to tell me what they think. Isn't it?_**

 ** _Before the questions come. No, there will not be Kakashi or Sasuke bashing. Yes, there will be sparring and sometimes fairly senseless violence, but I'll keep it realistic. So that means: a concussion will lead to a least a week of no training, other than for Naruto simply because of how fast he heals. However, I will not portray Aya as anything other than herself. She'll have an opinion on people, and she'll have reasons for her opinions. Some will be explained in depth, some will not. These opinions may or may not lead to friction (even if that opinion is baseless) just as it would in reality. I'm trying to bring a person to life, not a caricature._**

 ** _Oh, while we're at it! I really do need to focus on that other chapter, for Broken, and therefore not for Butterflies. But really, I've been giggling to myself for days about the scenes in this, and the scenes yet to come. I blame Aya for that one! Keeping me up after binge-watching Angel Beats with silly things like chocolate withdrawal and a natural dislike for perverts ;)_**


	6. Withdrawal, retreat!

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _Beta'd by: Setokaiva_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 5 – Withdrawal, retreat...!_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

To live. Why does that sound like a burden? Is it not enough that I wake up every morning? I get up, do as I'm supposed to, as I'm expected to. Isn't that enough? What more could anyone ask of me? I study hard, I train hard, I fight hard. I do everything Konoha expects me to do.

So why are people suddenly expecting me to live?

Yamanaka-san started something bigger than she knows... bigger than I know. People are looking at me now, expecting things of me. Talking to me. I'm not socially anxious, thank Kami-sama, so it's not too bothersome. But... it's the little things that... that make this harder.

I wasn't supposed to do this. Make connections. It was supposed to be different, I was supposed to be different. This isn't supposed to happen. How did it happen? How...?

Spending time with I... Yamanaka-san, Nara-san... Chouji-san... what is that doing to me? Why do I wake up and think about them? This isn't supposed to happen. I can't let this happen!

It was alright when it was just Chouji-kun! It was scary, for sure! But... it was just him. He's kind enough, considerate enough to not have to worry too much. But... then In... then Yamanaka-san...

I was so careful. I was so careful... I kept away from people, I kept them away from me. I was so careful. I was polite, distant, and if anyone tried to get too close violent and rude. My defence was perfect. Perfect. No one got close to me since the day mama died. No one.

I wasn't lonely, even if I was alone all the time. I had my books. I had the heroes and heroines, their story, their adventure. I could lose myself in a world crafted by words, take those letters and let them create something within me. Even though there were troubles in those stories too, there was always a solution. There was always some way to make it work at just the right time. No problem was too big, no scheme too farfetched. Everything would work out, in the end. The hero would make sure it did.

Unlike life.

In life, in reality, nothing ever turns out the way you want it to. It turns out the way 'it was meant to', whatever that even means. I've had the psychologists try to explain what that means, but I never got an answer. I've had the holy men try to explain it through philosophy and spiritual learning, but they only ever talk in circles.

'The problem isn't the problem, it's your attitude about the problem that's the problem.' That's what I take from their wordy talks about my problems. Still, try say that five times fast, Aya. Bet you can't!

Change your perspective and the problem solves itself. Che, yeah. I tried. I still came home to an empty house. I still had to visit my parents' graves to talk to them. And the only thing that ever seems to make waking up worth it was still chocolate. In other words, nothing changed.

So how'd you do it...? Ino...

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Arriving at exactly six AM. Being present where I am expected to be. It's costing me. Not just having to wake up earlier so I can go though my morning ritual, but... but... my eye twitches. I try to keep a neutral look on my face, try to keep my body language stoic-y... try to just be.

My eye twitches again. And this is without anyone saying anything to me. Uchiha-san arrives, says nothing, and sits against a tree. I don't know what he's doing, I don't care. Uzumaki-san arrives, but he's not like Uchiha-san at all. He walks up to me, happy and smiling even at this early hour. I glare at him, warning him to be on his best behaviour.

"Morning, Aya-chan." He begins, quickly strumming up a one-sided conversation. I noise grumpily. He doesn't seem to notice, or is at best not bothered by it. That boy is a complete mystery to me. I mean, he can't possibly be as stupid as they say. You don't survive on your own being that stupid; I should know. You need a system to survive an average day. And there's no one to make sure you stick to it either.

Stupid people don't survive being orphans. So, Uzumaki-san... who is hiding behind that mask of yours? Hmm?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Twitch.

...

Twitch, twitch.

...

Hatake... you're a dead man. I can't even say I'm glaring at him. Glaring is far too nice a word. Perhaps... or maybe... ... ... look, it's just worse than a glare! MUCH WORSE! He should be ash by now! Why isn't he ash!?

Four hours... fifteen minutes... twenty-two seconds... That's how late he is. Be here at six? For what? To **_starve_**?

"Something to say, Aya-chan?" He eye-smiles at me. I feel my hand itch to grab a kunai and speak in the only language I care to offer.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Uzumaki, predictably, gives Hatake piece of his mind. He goes on and on about the value of being on time, and how there's no way he could respect a jounin that couldn't 'show up on time to his own funeral'.

"What's done is done." Is the defence he offers.

Twitch.

"Anyway, you guys need to get one of these bells from me. And before noon, too. I have to give in my report after all."

Twitch. Twitch.

"Come at me with intent to kill. You won't achieve anything otherwise." Intent to kill, huh? You are literally giving me permission to kill you?

Smirk.

I grab two kunai from my pouch. One in my left hand. One in my right hand.

Smirk. Twitch, twitch.

Ignore Uzumaki-san's first attempt. Focus chakra on contact points for glasses. Ignore his getting floored and his own kunai is behind held against his own neck. Ignore that he's told something stupid. Wait for it, Aya... wait for it...

"Go." I dash straight for Hatake, Uzumaki-san to my left and keeping up just fine. It doesn't take a genius to know Uzumaki was going to attack straight away. Seeing me take the first step just egged him on to act faster. I speed up a little so I'll reach Hatake first, then I dive feet first at him. Uzumaki-san will take him head on, knowing him. That means he'll have to jump, likely forwards and towards Uzumaki-san's approach; him being a brawler-type fighter will want this.

As expected, he jumps forward and over my attack. I grab his left ankle, finding myself being tugged along – as expected. And we're flying towards Uzumaki-san. I had to ditch one of my kunai for this to work, but this way he wouldn't have seen this coming! Well... to be fair, I'm holding that kunai between my sandal and my foot, so it's pointing in the same direction as my toes.

It takes me a second to orient myself with the sudden momentum change, but I flip my legs up and towards the bells at his waist and aim to stab him in his right leg for good measure.

I hadn't planned on the substitution, though. I should have... but chocolate withdrawal and planning don't go hand in hand.

So me, the log, and Uzumaki-san take an unplanned tumble together. I end up having to toss both kunai to not stab him by accident. I can plan _that_ much at least.

I should have thrown the kunai. Give him a new hole to... _go_ from.

I end up on top of Uzumaki-san, so I shove the log out of the way. I get up and offer the blonde a hand up. He looks at me all teary eyed, but that's getting ignored. He grabs my hand and I pull him up enough to he can stand on his own. I nod to him.

"We almost had him there. You ready for round two?" Uzumaki-san glows... beams at me. I nod again. "Good. He's stronger and fast than us. But I think I can even the odds." He makes a funny handseal, and POOF! There are eight of him. Hmm. That's new.

"We need Uchiha-san." I remind him. He looks... depressed about that. This isn't about doubting your skills, Uzumaki-san. "The only thing better than more allies, is more allies than that." He perks up immediately.

"Good luck convincing him, though." He smirks. Hmm, good point. "How about we try without him first, and go look for him if that doesn't work?"

"Nn."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I don't know how it happened, but we got separated in that last attack. So now, I'm stuck looking for him. Technically I wouldn't mind finding Uchiha-san... technically. Convincing him to work with us will be hard. Convincing him with talking to him will be impossible.

"You weren't half bad." I turn on my heel, now facing the voice. Hatake, with his smut. Why'd he take that thing out?

"Icha Icha Paradise. At least you've upgraded." I try to take in the whole scene around us at once. Plan for a substitution, plan for a quick getaway, plan how to use-

 ** _WRRRRRRR!_**

SHUT IT! Plan how to use the surroundings against him. Yeah... planning isn't working. I guess I've only got one option left... Aya, it's time.

Chocolate sundae. Chocolate cake. Chocolate fudge. Chocolate brownies. Chocolate cookies. Cho...co...late...

I can almost smell it. I can almost touch it. I can... almost... taste... it...

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _~3rd person view~_**

Aya stands there, completely still. Her eyes slowly widen, as does her grin. Her eyes start reddening slightly, her pupils dilate. Kakashi notices, of course, but his reaction: flip the page. He giggles pervertedly too.

She dashes at him without warning, but he dodges. She does a roundhouse kick, he leans out of the way. She punch-punch-kicks, he lean-lean-sidesteps. She grins even wider, if that's even possible at this point. She looks like someone that should be locked in a padded room.

Idly she reaches into her legpouch, tossing five kunai with explosive tags. She then dual-wields another pair, also with explosive tags attached. The first kunai flies over the scarecrow's shoulder – he didn't even have to move to dodge it, but he pays MUCH closer attention now. Crazy-looking people with sharp things and explosives will do that to you.

The one behind him explodes much closer than he anticipated – she'd shortened the fuse? He stays put though. The only trouble is, the other four go off as well. None of them are close enough to hurt him, but the combined smoke and the noise – the others will be here soon.

"Hey, Ecchi. Ever played pin the tail on the jounin?" Her voice seems to come from every direction at once. Hmm, not just throwing her voice either, this is actually being projected from every direction.

Hatake puts away his book. The first kunai flies at him from where she was standing, but he leans his head slightly and lets it fly past. No explosive tag this time. The second kunai comes from behind him. He has to step out of the way this time. The third kunai comes from his right. He steps back. Then one comes from his left. He steps forward.

Kunai after kunai keep flying at him. She shouldn't have this many kunai. Acting on a hunch, he grabs one, but he checks there's no... he blinks... why is this kunai smoking? _A TRANSFORMATION!?_

He tosses the transformed explosive tag up into the air – no longer sure he knows where the girl is.

 **BOOM!**

He doesn't even see the tackle coming, flooring him. He rolls with the attack, tossing the girl away from him with the extra momentum. To think she managed to get in a hit. A solid hit. She had to go berserk for it, but he won't complain too much. She flies at him again, flailing with twin kunais – now smoking explosive tags included.

He takes out a kunai of his own, deflecting and parrying her attacks as they grow wilder and wilder. The longer this continues, the less predictable she gets – and yes, those tags are still smoking. If those are standard fuses they should explode in three... two... one...

She tosses both of them behind him at the last moment. He was still forced to do a substitution, taking her with him. He mutely grumbles about suicidal students. Before she can gain her bearings, he knocks her out with a simple jutsu, and leaves her tied to a high branch. He'll check her mental state before releasing her.

 ** _~End POV~_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"SERIOUSLY! THAT. WAS. **_AWESOME_**!" U. Zu. Ma. Ki~iiiiii! Trying to sleep here! I huff. I never can get any sleep when I want... to...?

Why do I feel sunlight on my skin? I don't sleep outside. Ever.

Opening my eyes, I take in the odd scene before me. Uzumaki-san –loud and annoying– to my left. Uchiha-san over there, brooding. Both the blond and myself are tied to a log. Interestingly, Uzumaki-san and I are tied to separate logs.

And Hatake? "Ah, sleep well?" Is crouching in front of me, an inch from my face. I glare dully.

"Like a log." I drone.

"Hmm. Well you don't seem to be a homicidal maniac anymore. Think I can trust you to not slit my throat?" He must mean that as a joke – the way he says it seems to suggest that much.

"Orders are orders. You said: intent to kill." I remind him. And believe you me, I fully intended to kill him.

"Are you a threat to me or the others?" He speaks much more seriously this time. There's also very noticeable killing intent in the air now. I snort, but shake my head, no. My rope falls apart of its own accord... I think. "What the hell was that back there?"

"Plan B." I smirk. It's an almost impossible thing to achieve, but... it's what you get for the chocolate withdrawal orders. Moron.

"And what's 'Plan B' exactly?" He presses. He's still an inch from my face, by the way.

"Using the lack of chocolate in my system to induce a frenzied state of mind brought on by chemical withdrawal. I'm still sort of in control, and I've never attacked anyone I didn't already intend to attack. It just... deafens me to silly things like reasoning and caution." Yup, officially the most I've ever spoken in the last six years, seven months, two weeks and a day.

"Then care to explain why you nearly blew both of us up with that last explosion?" He doesn't sound convinced. I reach into my leg pouch and retrieve a bell.

"Your priority was keeping us alive, not defending the bells. I might be crazy, but I'm not stupid." He doesn't look comforted. I shrug. "Hey, Uzumaki-san, hold on to this. I'm going to get something to eat." I place the bell at his lips and start getting up.

"Ah ah." He pokes me just hard enough to stop me from standing up. "don't think so. The test isn't over." He claims. I snort.

"Test: to get a bell." I remind him. "That: a bell." I point at Uzumaki-san and the bell he's quite happily dangling about to make more noise. Moron. He's really entertained right now.

"... and I thought I hated you yesterday." And like I thought yesterday, the feeling's mutual, Ecchi-sensei. I start getting up again. "Stay here. I'll get something for you. I'm much faster. You want something with chocolate, right?" I nod.

"Fine. There's another bento there, but make sure you and Sasuke don't feed Naruto. He's the only one that didn't get a-" I point at the bell Uzumaki-san's still happily dangling about. "Just don't feed him. That's an order." And he's gone. Good, now I can actually look around! It's called a personal bubble, Ecchi...

Hmm. Not much to be said about where we are. There's trees over that way, water behind me, and springy-looking grass everywhere. Well, there's the memorial stone as well. Uchiha-san is eating from his bento, about five metres in front of me and slightly to my right. The other bento Hatake is talking about is on a stone. It even has chopsticks on top of it. I think about the order I was given. I shrug.

I take a kunai out of my pouch, slice through Uzumaki-san's rope, and return the kunai to where it belongs. "Hurry up and eat. He'll be grouchy when he gets back."

Uzumaki-san takes a second to realise what I did. "Heh heh, you bet 'ttebayo!" He gets up and rushes for the bento, happily digging in.

"You do realise you just went against orders." Uchiha-san seems amused.

"Hey, he just said not to feed me! Freeing me and letting me feed myself wasn't ever brought up!" Uzumaki points out loudly, his mouth still full of... is that chicken? I shrug. Who cares. I was promised chocolate!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"..." Ecchi-sensei looks to me, then to the ropes where Uzumaki-san should be, then to the stone where the bento is happily being emptied by the same Uzumaki-san. Ecchi-sensei sighs. This is going to be a long day for him. I guess it's a good thing he showed up four hours, fifteen minutes and twenty-two seconds late, huh? "I'd ask, but I already know the answer." He tosses a bag to me. Plain brown bag, looks about half full. Hmm...

I catch it, open it and look inside. Blueberry muffins... individually wrapped. I swear if I wasn't aching for something to eat I'd throw this back in his face. And I'm sure Uzumaki-san... no, no need to be sure. That bento's done. I huff, annoyed. Still, I take out a muffin, open the packaging, take a... bite...

"Mmmm!" I moan loudly. It's chocolate. I don't know why it looks like a vanilla and blueberry muffin, but I know chocolate when I taste it. I look down again. Still looks bl... that's a genjutsu?

I set the muffin down, make a Tiger sign, and focus to stop the chakra to my head for a second, then overflood my head with... well... 'overflood'... I let my chakra flow to my head spike. I look down again. Chocolate muffin. Yum!

I dig in with feeling this time! Both muffins are done in less than a minute – I was REALLY hungry, seeing as it's lunch time.

I carefully wipe the crumbs from my lip into my mouth, suck stray crumbs from the muffin wrappers and toss them into the paper bag. I turn to Ecchi-sensei, wondering what the plan is now. "I'm starting to wonder if you just disobey orders for the hell of it, or if there's an actual motive. Care to share?"

I think about that for a second. "No." He doesn't look impressed. He seems to have that a lot today.

"Let's try this again." He rubs the bridge of his masked nose. Masked nose... heh... that's kind of funny. Masked... This is what I get for hanging around Uzumaki-san. The fun dies the second a far more potent killing intent nearly drowns me. "Namiki Aya. What is the purpose of defying my order?"

I start sweating. "I didn't. Orders were not to feed him. You said nothing about not freeing him. I worked with what I had." He sighs, but the overwhelming sense of doom in the air doesn't go away.

"You are smart enough to know what I meant. Why did you free him?" He presses. "You could have eaten the food if you were hungry."

"Orphans don't abandon each other." I stand... stand my ground? That's how you say that, right? Whatever. Ecchi-sensei. "If we won't stick together, who will?"

"Yeah, Ecchi-sensei!" Uzumaki-san is suddenly next to me, sounding **really** amused. I take a step away from him though. Personal bubble, people... personal bubble. He doesn't even react to me.

"What about the Uchiha, then? Would he stand with the two of you?" Ecchi-sensei looks annoyed, but curious.

"Hnn. Normally, no..." Uchiha-san admits. "But..." He walks over to us, standing to my right. Why is he so close to me? I tug Uzumaki-san to where I'm standing, then inch over to where Uzumaki-san was standing a second ago. Much better. Stay on THAT side of the blonde, please.

Ecchi-sensei sighs. A long, drawn-out sigh that shows just how annoyed he is right now. He shakes his head. "Of all the dysfunctional teams I've tested... _this_ one passes?" He sounds incrad... incrudu... he just can't believe it! (I know that word, darn it!)

I smirk. Uzumaki-san grins, rubbing the back of his head. I don't care what Uchiha-san does. "Meet here tomorrow at eight..." He walks off. He's so caught off guard that he doesn't even poof away. "I must be out of my mind..." I still hear him murmuring to himself.

I start walking off as well. Ino said she'd be in training ground three with her team. That's... this way, right? "Oi, Aya-chan, where you off to!?" Uzumaki-san asks.

"Ino?" I turn to him, wondering why he'd... right. He wouldn't know I've been hanging out with them. "Coming?"

"Sure, I wonder where they are, though." He runs to catch up quickly.

"Tee gee three." I shorten it. I've used up most of my words for the week!

"Training ground three?" He asks. I nod, grateful he catches on quick. "Then why are we heading this way!? It's over that way!" He points in the opposite direction I started walking in. Well, EXCUSE ME! Poor sense of direction here! I glare dully at him, motioning for him to lead the way. We walk past Uchiha-san, who's just staring at us and obviously sweating. I really don't want to know what he's thinking.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hey, Ino." I greet the clearly worn out blonde... crap... I just called her 'Ino' out loud, didn't I? For the second time too! It's just shorter than 'Yamanaka-san'! Yes... shorter. Purely based on laziness with words.

Still, Ino, Chouji-san and Nara-san look like they got into a fight with a wet hairdryer... and lost. Well, they're all smiling, so I guess they didn't lose the fight... but from how it looks...

"We sooooooo passed the test!" Ino happily announces. Then she looks around. "No Sasuke-kun?" I offer a dull glare. "Alright, alright, no Sasuke-kun." She soothes, but I can tell she's teasing me.

"How'd you guys do, Naruto?" Ino turns to the only person that will tell the whole story – if you keep in mind he tends to exaggerate everything. Still, she knows she won't get much out of me.

"We did awesome! Aya-chan totally did this berserker thing against Ecchi-sensei!" I grin when I hear that last part. Ino can't quite decide if she wants to ask about the berserker thing, or the nickname. Of course Uzumaki-san just keeps babbling on; either not knowing what the look she has means, or not caring. I hear a few interesting details here and there. Uchiha-san being able to use fire-release attacks. Uzumaki-san using the 'shadow clone'... haven't heard of it, but it must be a clone of some sort – maybe the name of that jutsu he used at the beginning where he makes solid clones? Meh...

"Anyway, we need to get going. We've got that thing to get to! Did you want to head home? You can always freshen up by my house?" She offers. I noise and nod, smiling a little. Then... I remember Uzumaki-san. I scrunch my face a little, flick my eyes to the other blonde and make an almost begging face at Ino. "Naruto, you wanna tag along? We're going to hang out in Shikamaru's backyard again." I beam at her, grateful she doesn't have an issue with him coming along – and that she even understood what I did means 'help' too.

"Sounds like fun! I'm in!" He jumps up excitedly. I just roll my eyes playfully at him. "Aw, come on, Aya-chan! Don't be like that! We all know hanging out with me is always a party waiting to happen!" Ino and I share a look, then we both giggle at how that's clearly exaggerated.

Ino marches the troops onward, after linking arms with me and dragging me along, of course. I shake my head. She isn't going to change anytime soon, is she...

"Don't think I didn't notice you calling me 'Ino', by the way." She's all smiles. "Just a few more doses of my irresistible charm and you'll be calling me 'Ino-chan' in no time!" I roll my eyes and shake my head, but find that I'm smiling anyway.

I find myself hoping that she won't change. Not sure what to think about that...

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hey, mom! You remember Aya-chan, right?" The tall, stuffy-looking brunette wearing what looks like a dress, just not one I've seen anywhere, eyes me. She looks very... posh? But she has a very kind smile, and she simply loves doting on Ino and Yamanaka-sama.

"But of course I do. Hello, Aya-chan. It's a pleasure to see you again." She bows slightly to me, a warm smile never leaving her eyes. "I assume you're both here to freshen up before going to the Nara's?"

"It's alright, isn't it?" Ino seems almost nervous about that.

"Why, of course it is! Come now, hurry up or we'll be late!" She shoos us up the stairs. I don't fight the smile plastered on my face. Ino motions for me to follow her, smiling a bit herself. We go up the stairs and to the right, second... no third door on the left. Once inside, she asks me to close the door behind me.

It takes us just over a half hour... considering Ino decided to try on my jacket while I was washing my face... wanted to do my makeup (I usually only wear lip balm) and decided to give me a crash course on all things girly... She also insisted on making me try on a few things in her closet. I fought it... until she mentioned that Chouji-san might like the new look more; I've been blushing ever since.

"All right, let me look at you." Yamanaka-sama demands kindly. "Yes, yes this will do just fine. Just make sure to go easy on her makeup next time, sweetie. Her darker hair needs bright colours to counter it, this is true, but that doesn't mean she needs to look like she's wearing makeup. Subtlety is the key. And way too much blush..."

I blush even deeper. "She doesn't need blush, mom. That's all her." Yeah. Blushing even more now!

"I take it you bribed her with something regarding Chouji-kun, then." She sounds amused. What is this? 'Make Aya blush' day!? I huff, folding my arms in front of me. "Now, now. We'll have none of that, young lady. It isn't proper to pout. And I see nothing wrong with you liking Chouji-kun. He's a true gentleman at heart. Truly a fine young man."

I'm tempted to rub my forehead, but I'll just mess up the foundation Ino decided I needed to wear. Is it a good thing that we're more or less the same tint of pale, or a bad thing? Tint of pale... why does that sound so wrong? But it's true! We're the same shade of... paleness!

Whatever. Aya. Stop trying to figure out things you're clueless about. You'll jus...t... I can't eat properly with lipstick on, can I... There's no way I'm going to sit idly by and watch everyone eat while I'm stuck being prim and proper!

I huff, glaring dully at Ino. "Would you relax? I'm bringing the same shade of pink you're wearing. So you can reapply after we eat." I smile brightly, perking up quite a bit... 'Perking up'? That sounds **way** too 'proper' for me...

Still, whatever! I'm just glad Ino understands... how does Ino even know that's... Aya. Stop. Just stop. If we hurry a bit we can get there and I can start munching on all the yummies Akimichi-sama cooked up with her two best friends – I've only been hearing, tasting and smelling all week how good a combination it is to have all three mothers in the kitchen at the same time!

I turn to Ino, begging with my eyes. "Alright, alright! We're going already!" She rolls her eyes, acting annoyed. I glow just a little brighter. Food, here we come!

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 5_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Fear not! This is actually after finishing 'that other chapter' I've only been griping about for like three chapters. Yes, Aya seems to draw me in; she's fun to write!_**

 ** _Next up is kind of an interlude to show why Kakashi is so different for this exam. Yes... there's a reason for it... and I'm quite amused with it myself ^_^ Honestly, nothing happens without a reason. Sometimes it's a subconscious one, but this one I REALLY like ^_^_**

 ** _For those who are worried that I'm overpowering Aya. Don't. You've pretty much seen the extent of her skills. And she's going to be REALLY annoyed when she has a chance to reboot and realise she just spent so much money because of trying to blow up a certain loveable pervert ;-)_**

 ** _And, just because I'm an out and proud nerd, it really is possible to have withdrawal symptoms for abstaining from chocolate if you eat it regularly. Just google 'effects of chocolate on the brain' and you'll see just how much chocolate can affect you if the dosage is large enough. Aya just happens to tap into this and combine it with a sort of self-hypnosis._**


	7. Interlude 1 – Troublesome

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _Beta'd by: Setokaiva_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Interlude 1 – Troublesome_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"What seems to be the problem, Yoshino-san?" The aged Hokage asks amicably. It isn't often he gets his Jounin Commander's wife in his office, let alone dragging a clearly unwilling Hatake Kakashi with her.

"Your intentions to make this man a sensei. It's illogical, unsafe, and unwise." She doesn't beat around the bush. Sarutobi Hiruzen can't help but chuckle at those words. "This isn't a laughing matter, Hokage-sama. You intend to put his as the sensei for Team Seven, correct? To ensure that Uchiha Sasuke can learn from a Sharingan user once he activates his bloodline?"

"That is a safe bet, yes." He narrows his eyes at her. She shouldn't know what team he's on.

"Don't give me that look. Team Seven has been a heavy hitter team since your genin days, Hokage-sama." She points out. Ah, that would explain that. "I'll bet I can even tell you who the other two teammates are. Which is why Kakashi is the worst possible sensei for that team. They are Uzumaki Naruto and Namiki Aya. Aren't they." She doesn't wait, and she doesn't ask. The Third makes a 'get on with it' motion with his hand. It is after all tradition to put the two top ranking of the class together with the lowest ranking. It isn't surprising she'd know that.

"Three orphans, two of which carry deep emotional wounds. What does this man know of healing those wounds?" Yoshino starts the verbal assault. "He still hasn't gotten over his genin teammates' deaths and this is at least as long ago as these kids have been alive."

Kakashi looks defiant. He's going to try to defend his case. He never gets the chance. "Furthermore, Naruto and Sasuke will need a positive father figure in their lives. Can Kakashi say he even knows what that looks like anymore?"

Any other man would have blown a gasket. Kakashi just looks annoyed, but for him this speaks just as loudly. "And if that isn't enough, there's Namiki Aya. She's been spending a lot of time in my home recently. So I believe I can speak from experience. Kakashi is not equipped to handle a girl like her. She'll wrap him around her little finger, manipulate him into doing anything she pleases, and she'll do it with a smile on her face. She needs a far stronger hand to guide her."

That brings Kakashi up short. Fine, he can admit (if only to himself) that he's never been good at dealing with girls. "Their team will need a far more emotionally and mentally sound sensei than Kakashi. His skills should not be the reason he's picked." Nara Yoshino rounds off her verbal lashing.

"What do you suggest?" The Third doesn't refute any of the claims; it would only fall on deaf ears. And that's ignoring the fact that she's probably right.

"Make me their sensei." She all but demands. "I would still ask Kakashi to train Sasuke once his Sharingan is awakened. But I am far better equipped to guide these three. Furthermore, I owe it to their mothers."

"Ah. Still an unpaid debt to Aya's parents, I see." The Third looks intrigued.

"Yes, I owe Miwako-chan. But I also owe Mikoto-chan... and Kushina-chan." Both Hiruzen and Kakashi stare at the woman disbelievingly. "Do you really think I wouldn't figure out who that boy really is? He looks just like _him_ , doesn't he?"

The Third Hokage. The Professor. The God of Shinobi. The worried old man that can't seem to predict his people any more... hmm... sounds far less impressive. "Kakashi-kun. Something to say?"

Emotionally, Yoshino's right. Logically, Yoshino's right. Ethically, Yoshino is right. But... "Good luck convincing the council?" Kakashi knows just how to fight dirty.

"Hokage-sama..." Yoshino sings sweetly... too sweetly... "If you ignore everything I've said and just pass me over for something like this... I promise you I'll be far worse of a headache than the council."

The worried old man that can't seem to predict his people any more... sweats from the clear-cut threat. Being married for over fifty years, having a daughter, he knows just how thoroughly (and legally) a woman can make your life a living hell if she's motivated enough. And judging from the fact that she's here, had thought about this enough to figure it out before Hiruzen even had the time to actually do the team placements; with all the paperwork he has...

She's more than just motivated: she's invested. The same kind of investment that would make a woman yearn for a man she knows doesn't want her ( ***cough*** fangirls ***cough*** ).

"How about a compromise, Yoshino." Hiruzen has navigated these situations before. Let's see if he can manage it again. "I won't make you the official sensei. I'll make you a shadow sensei. So if Kakashi is late, and we know he always is, you can take them for the day and he can't do a thing about it."

"You do realise that I can see through you... right?" Yoshino isn't impressed. The old man coughs into his hand, trying to mask his discomfort.

"Alright. What if you be made full sensei if the genin file an official complaint against Kakashi? You could see it as a sort of wager...?"

Yoshino thinks about that. The odds would be stacked against her in this. After all, genin filing a complaint about their jounin-sensei? She thinks about it. "You can still use Aya's recent connection to your son and his friends to offer what you desire. There are no rules against this, after all."

"And if he fails them on principle alone? He's never passed a team, after all." She obviously isn't getting what she wants. She'll just have to find another way to... whip Kakashi into shape. She might as well deal with Asuma as well. Kami-sama knows he'll end up being her son's sensei.

"Then he can explain that to the council." Hiruzen offers with a smirk. Yoshino smirks as well. The others assume it's because she likes the thought of Kakashi explaining his actions to the more than irritating civilian council. But... no, it's planning on making her threat a reality. It's been a while since she'd spoken to Sarutobi Asami, after all... maybe she can make a lunch date and... _discuss_ her father's lack of spine?

 _ **8-8**_

 _ **End Interlude 1**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: I needed to have this explained now, otherwise everyone will miss the subtle hints entirely. This will also explain some far more hidden motives no one would guess, and far-reaching changes it will bring. But enough foreshadowing! Onward! To finding out what Ino's done to Aya!**_


	8. Chouji: A hunger for life

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _Beta'd by: Setokaiva_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 6 – Chouji: A hunger for life_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

They say that when you dream, your mind shows you the things you didn't want to deal with while you were awake. I'm not sure if I believe that. Not right now, at least. This isn't something I wouldn't want to deal with while I'm awake, but this is too much like a dream to be anything else.

Namiki. Aya. Is. Wearing. A. Dress! Little stringy, noodle-like straps. Hugging her curves. Flowing over her hips. Showing off her legs. Bright red. Dress.

And if I'm not mistaken... she's wearing perfume too. There's also something different about her... but I can't pin down exactly what. Something... Her arms are completely bare for the first time. I didn't know she has a scar on her right forearm! Roughly in the middle, lengthwise. It looks like a burn scar, about the size of an apple.

Well, I can say I know all that much about her anyway. But maybe this is a chance to ask... her...? Yeah, no. She gets annoyed quickly when people start asking her things. I'm still not really sure why that is, but I've seen just what happens to people that annoy her! I was there for almost every scene!

No. No. No! Not asking about that. At all.

"Hey, looking good, Aya-chan!" Naruto greets her. I wonder about that. I mean... what exactly is their relationship? They're teammates, I know that much. But, even before they were, Aya-chan didn't mind him around her... not as much as she did with pretty much every other person.

I mean... Kiba was openly flirting with her. He got a concussion. Hirota was simply talking about her liking Naruto and got a broken nose! But what does that mean?

I shake my head. It's pointless to think about things I can't figure out. Maybe I'll ask Shikamaru. He's good at understanding people. "Th-thanks." Aya stutters a bit, blushing too. Oh. I guess she does like him.

"What do you think, Shikamaru? Not bad, if I say so myself." Ino nudges Shika. That means she's the puppeteer behind this show. Figures, Ino's always been into fashion and that sort of stuff. Still, Ino'd never looked this good!

"Girls and compliments. How troublesome. She should know she looks good in that." Shika complains. I shake my head with a smile; that's just something to expect from him. She doesn't seem too phased this time though. Instead, I see her look to me. I see the question in her eyes, briefly, before she looks down and blushes deeper than before. Much deeper. And when she looks away, I can see that even her ears are somewhat pinker than usual.

"I think you look pretty." The words fly out before I can hope to stop them. My eyes widen in shock. I rub the back of my head, a bit embarrassed. Still, it's the truth. "Red... it really suits you." Her ear and cheek I can still see turn a bright red. I hope she knows I was talking about the dress and not her blushing! Why is she blushing so... completely?

Datou got kicked in the nuts for telling her she's pretty. Hard. Naruto tells her the same thing, and she blushes. I tell her the same thing and she looks almost like Hinata-chan when Naruto strays too close. Girls make no sense.

Still, I count myself blessed that she's not in a punching or kicking mood. "Should we head outside? The weather's really nice right now!" Ino suggests. I nod, wondering why they took so long to get here in the first place. I mean, I just washed my face. Maybe putting on a dress takes longer than pants?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once we're outside, I reach into my green haori jacket and pull out a bag of chips. Shikamaru suggests a spot on the hillside, to better see the clouds, but Ino prefers the shade of the tree. Aya rubs her arms when Ino says that though. Hmm... she might not be used to not wearing a jacket. "I think sitting in the sun is better. Aya-chan would feel cold in the shade."

Aya's eyes go wide with shock. Huh? Why would pointing out the obvious affect her like that? She slowly turns to me, blushing deeply. Girls are so weird. Then she smiles... it's little, and shy at first, but... I've... never seen her smile. Slowly, ever so slowly, the shyness to her smile fades. Her eyes soften. Her arms wrap themselves around her middle, almost like she wants to hug herself. Then... I'm not sure if she knows it or not... but she beams at me. Just at me. Her eyes lock onto mine. Her eyes dilate slightly, suddenly half lidded.

Then, almost as if her brain catches up with her, her entire face goes a deep crimson. She looks away, actually turns away, as if unwilling –unable– to face me any longer. Even the back of her neck is a bright pink. I just don't understand.

Still, everyone takes one look at Aya-chan and agrees with me. We move over to Shika's favourite spot and he lays down with a contented sigh. I sit next to him, as I always do. Then Ino, who usually sits next to me, sits Aya between us instead. I open the bag of chips, taking the first one and munch away.

I hate how I always feel hungry sometimes... well, that's not entirely true. I hate how people react to me always feeling hungry sometimes. Mom is always telling me how constant hunger pangs at my age are a sign I'll be a strong shinobi – she's always so kind to me, and not so kind to any she decides are unkind. She can be scary too, when she's upset... but I've never seen her upset at me.

"Hungry?" Aya asks, not looking to me. I noise, a bit nervous. She's never made fun of me, but she's never really said anything at all about it; I don't know where she stands. "May I...?" I hear her tummy growling like a lion. I smile, glad someone can understand – or, at least her stomach understands.

"Sure." I offer her a go. Her hand finds the bag without much effort, slowly tracing it up to the opening. I wonder why she wouldn't just turn to look, but she obviously still doesn't want to turn to me for some reason. She takes a handful of chips. A moment later I can hear her munching, but she doesn't seem too happy for some reason. Hmm. "Not your preferred flavour." I don't ask, I can tell just from how she's eating.

Let's see, so sour cream and onion isn't her thing. Maybe chives? It has a much lighter flavour, and is just barely not sweet, for some reason. I'm sure there is another ingredient in there I have yet to identify, but that's what I love about food; the subtlety, the delicate flavouring. I reach into my jacket and grab my other bag of chips and offer it to her, unopened.

She takes the bag from me. Her hand touches mine briefly. Hmm, her hands are always so soft. Even the calloused parts seem soft, compared to mine at least. Even mom tells me I have rough hands, but a gentle touch. I hear the bag open, it crinkles a bit as she reaches into it. The tension in her shoulders eases after I hear the first bite. Yup, she likes this one better. I'll try to remember that.

"Th-thanks." Her words come out soft, but I can hear something in them. Something I can't really identify. An emotion for sure, but...

"No problem." I rub the back of my head, embarrassed. If anyone knows the body's reaction to foods people like, it's me. I try to be around people that eat like I do... like Aya-chan, really. I mean, I've never met a non-Akimichi that could keep up with me! Other than Naruto, of course, but he only keeps up when it's ramen. She seems to not care, so long as the food's good and chocolate's for dessert.

I can respect that.

I turn my attention back to my chips. I don't mind the onion flavouring at all. It's not a favourite of mine, since it makes my breath smell a bit off after, but it's a flavour I like anyway. I offer Shika a go, but he's too busy cloud watching so he just shrugs.

"Shrimp." Aya announces, pointing at a funny looking cloud. Hmm, it kind of does look like a shrimp. I smile. Shika makes another amused noise – he does that a lot when Aya's cloud watching with us... or with him, really. I mostly just like relaxing and hanging out with my friends.

Soon, my bag is empty. So I fold it and return it to the pocket I took it out from. Not a second later, Aya hands me the other bag, practically empty. I... am not sure how to feel about that. Sure, it's a full sized bag, not the little ones. I don't carry the little ones. But... "You enjoy them?" I ask, wondering what the deal is.

"Nn." She noises. "You like the last chips, don't you?"

"Nn." I smile, emptying the bag.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I'm not sure how much time passes. What I do know is that I'm getting more and more nervous the more it passes.

Aya's been slowly inching towards me.

Not a world-shattering fact on its own. It's just that I'm scared I'll touch her by accident and she'll get mad and kill me. She and Ino seem to... hold on. Ino is chatting away and Aya's nodding every once in a while – let's be accurate here. I'm not really sure what they're talking about, I tend to blot Ino out as a habit.

Aya's getting tired, though; I can see it in how she's fidgeting. She does that while reading, right before she lays her head in Ino's lap. The only sign missing is tucking her legs to one sid... nope, not missing anymore. She just tucked her... legs... towards Ino? But that would... mean...

I feel a weight against the side of my arm. It's alright, Chouji. It's alright. Just don't move. She's probably just tired from whatever her test involved, and soaking up sunlight makes you tired as well. She probably doesn't even realise what she's doing – but she'll kill me if I touch her.

She shivers. Crap! She feels cold!

Without even thinking about it, I slither my left arm out of my haori jacket and flip it around my back. I carefully tuck it between us and slide my right arm out from under her weight. She doesn't seem to notice, but gravity isn't that cooperative. I support her, making sure not to let her fall, and carefully hook the armholes over her shoulders. That, unfortunately, means there's nothing supporting her, so she leans into me. I feel her warmth against my side, against my chest. Her head somehow finds its way to the left side of my chest. Crap! She'll end up laying in my lap at this rate!

I think quick, shift my weight and ease her between my legs. This helps, for some reason, and she stops sliding wherever gravity pleases. I'm careful to wrap her in my jacket, pleased that she's no longer shivering.

Then... my brain catches up with reality.

Aya-chan... is in my arms, laying against my chest, and snoring lightly. Because of the situation, her legs aren't tucked to one side anymore. I'm half afraid the hem of her dress will ride up, but luckily my jacket covers...

She shifts to the right, leaning the side of her face against my chest. Her legs tuck themselves up, like she usually would. One of her hands falls onto my leg, the other is rested on my chest. I can sort of see her face like this... she seems at peace.

I hear a pleased noise, finding it's coming from me.

For a long moment, all I can hear is Aya's breathing. Then that moment ends. "Got her in your arms already, Chouji? You work fast." Naruto teases. I know he's just teasing. She's just tired, this isn't a big deal... unless she wakes up, decides I'm a pervert and kills me... but Ino would vouch for me. She's been watching me carefully the whole time! Not that that would help... I mean, didn't Aya beat her too?

I motion for him to be quiet. I don't know if she's a light sleeper, but she obviously could use the rest.

For the first time, I notice that Aya's shorter than me. She's shorter than even Naruto, who's the second shortest in our class, but... that was never important before now. Sitting like this, her head leaning against my chin, I truly notice that she's shorter than me. And her hair smells like lavender.

I don't know why that seems important right now. I mean, shouldn't I be freaking out? This is Namiki Aya we're talking about!? The only girl in our class, or guy for that matter, that's ever beaten Sasuke one-on-one... or at all!

Somehow though... I can't connect that Aya –the distant, reserved, and, often enough, violent girl– with this Aya – soft, demure, shy. The duality is enough to make my head hurt. I just don't understand.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We're called in for food an hour later. As always, I sit with Shika. And, as seems to be the case more often than not, Aya is seated with mom, right across from me. The table is full of all the yummy dishes, full of aromas that just beg to be identified.

Naruto is seated next to auntie Mariko. I kind of feel bad for him; she tends to demand you eat properly. I can already see her correcting how he's holding his chopsticks. Auntie's a character.

Once everyone's seated, we chorus our usual 'Itatakimasu!', and everyone starts to dig in. Normally, I'm not one to care what people are doing while I'm eating, but... the atmosphere is weird right now. Mom and both aunties keep eyeing Aya for some reason, smiling the whole time. Is something weird about her? Sure, she's still wearing my jacket, but she was cold! It'd be cruel to ask for it back now!

"Here." My eyes flick to Aya, just as she leans forward and grabs my plate. No, wait she's placing it in front of me! And with a little of everything piled up too! I smile brightly. "Th-thanks." She blushes again, pulling my jacket around her a little closer. I rub the back of my head, unsure what to say. I'm sure I'm blushing a bit too, for some reason.

Whatever. I start eating, tasting everything, carefully trying to enjoy every bite. From the different meats, to the salmon, to noodles, even two different kinds of rice. Everything is delicious, as always, but being delicious isn't enough. I savour it all.

After everyone's had their fill, auntie Yoshino strums up a conversation with Aya-chan. Not the easiest thing to do, but she seems focused. I try not to shiver. When auntie Yoshino is focused on something, she gets what she wants... every time!

"I hear Hatake Kakashi is your sensei." Auntie has a look in her eyes. This is the topic she wanted to discuss from the start, I can tell.

"Nn." Aya-chan doesn't sound pleased.

"What do you think about him?" The derivative snort says more than it should. "That bad?"

"Late. Uncaring. Smut reading." How does she manage to stuff so much meaning into so little words? And judging from auntie's annoyed rolling of her eyes, I'm guessing Aya isn't wrong.

"Sounds about right. If he shows up late, or if he's being his usual _charming_ self, just come to me. I'm sure I can teach you as much or more." Auntie offers. She has a sharper than usual glint in her eyes. Something's going on here...

"... missions?" Aya seems worried. I'm not sure what about, but I can tell that she is.

"I'm a jounin. I can just as easily fill in as your sensei. Besides, the more missions you guys do, the better. Right?" Auntie sounds pleased with herself. I roll my eyes, but keep my opinion to myself. She can be scary sometimes.

"Nn!" Aya doesn't just agree, she's happy about that. I narrow my eyes at her, trying to understand her a bit. Nothing comes. "Thank you." She bows to auntie, obviously feeling grateful for the offer.

"That goes for you as well, Naruto-kun. And don't either of you dare show up for training here without Sasuke." I smile. Auntie's a character.

"R-really!?" Naruto's shocked. I don't know how to feel about that. I don't like it that so many people pick on him, but I'm glad auntie isn't one of them!

"Of course! What kind of person would I be to offer Aya-chan guidance, but leave you and Sasuke out to dry?" She sounds amused. I'm not sure what to make of her right now. She's usually so sneaky with things that I can't even figure out what she's getting at until it's too late. "The three of you are always welcome in our home. Never forget that."

"We won't, 'ttebayo!" Naruto promises. I guess we'll be seeing more of them around here. The more the merrier!

"By the way, Aya-chan... have you given any thought about... _that place_?" Auntie asks, vaguely.

"... n-nn..." Aya-chan noises. I'm not sure what to even make of that.

"Your mother and I were best friends. Please keep in mind that you can come to me for anything... okay? Even something like that."

"... n-nn..." The lack of eye contact, the slight frown, the tense posture; this isn't something she wants to talk about.

"Yeah, yeah, mom. She gets it." Shika intones.

"Nara Shikamaru. You should say 'yes'. And don't you use that tone with me." I shiver at auntie's tone. She's scary when she wants to be.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Ino drags me and Aya back to her place about an hour later. Aya needs to change again, and I kind of need my jacket back. I wait outside though. Auntie would have a fit if I entered the house while a girl is changing. Never mind that I'd just wait downstairs in the living room! The entire house is off limits!

Auntie's a character.

Fifteen minutes pass before Aya comes outside, once again wearing her usual black clothes and jacket. She hands me my haori jacket, stutteringly thanking me again. "Hey, Chouji, you should walk Aya-chan home. It's improper to let a girl walk home alone." Why does Ino sound so amused? And why is Aya-chan blushing again? She just managed her first word to me without blushing, and you go and do that?

"True. Auntie wouldn't forgive me if I let that happen." I admit. I remember letting Ino walk home from Shikamaru's once, alone... I got grounded for three weeks! She lives down the street!

What would auntie do if I let Aya-chan walk home, to the other side of the village, alone...? I shiver at the very thought.

"You coming, Aya-chan?"

"... n-nn..." She's blushing again. Deeper this time.

Not much is said en route. Not that I'm surprised really. I don't think Aya-chan talks much to anyone. The silence is kind of comfortable, I find. Just like with Shikamaru.

"It's from a cooking accident." I turn to her, unsure what she's even talking about. "The burn." Ah. She noticed I saw the mark.

We keep walking for a bit. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to ask, but she brought it up. "What happened?"

"Soup. Nearly a year ago." She explains. I nod, not sure what to say. I mean, 'soup' could mean anything. But at the same time, I'm so shocked she's talking to me. "I'm still learning to work with it."

"Your fine motor skills?" I ask.

"Nn." She nods. "It affects my index, middle, and my thumb."

"So that's why you suddenly become left-handed." The timing fits. At the beginning of the year she suddenly started wearing this jacket of hers, covering her hands, and writing with the wrong hand. One girl asked, and Iruka-sensei set them up for a spar that same day... That was the first time I'd seen Aya fight. Really fight. She was embarrassed?

"... n-nn..." She's blushing, looking away and frowning slightly. Yup, she's embarrassed. Anything that she sees as reflecting poorly on her embarrasses her. Good to know.

"It happens to the best of us." I shake my head with a smile. "I got a scar on my back from my training. I ended up needing physical therapy to learn how to use my left arm again. I don't remember the details, but I do remember there being a nerve issue. If it wasn't for the medics, I'd never have been able to use that arm ever again."

"What happened?" She asks, worried for me. Wow, who'd ever have thought I'd be trading scar-stories with Namiki Aya.

"Clan training. I did the jutsu wrong and paid the price." I explain vaguely. I was the youngest to be shown the partial expansion jutsu; dad said I showed promise considering how easily I learned the Human Bullet Tank jutsu. "I've had to take it easy with training ever since, especially with my left arm."

"Nn." Silence returns, but I find myself liking it more now. As little as she talks, she's easy to talk to. "A-about earlier... Th-thanks..."

"Huh... oh _that_? I'm just glad you didn't kill me for it." I rub the back of my head, a bit embarrassed. Still, I'm being completely honest.

"Anyone else... and I would have." She blushes and looks away again. I narrow my eyes at her, trying to figure out what that even means. If it was anyone else, she'd have killed them? Why me then? Why am I the exception to the rule? And why is her neck turning pink again? That means she's blushing really deep.

Whatever her reason is, she finds it embarrassing... but not in a frowning/grumpy way.

The rest of our walk is silent. Only now, it's an uncomfortable silence. I want to ask what she means, but she won't talk about it. I'm still reeling from her talking to me at all. Today is just... one of those days, it seems.

"Thank you..." She tells me, just as we stop in front her door.

"No problem. Auntie Mariko would have my head if I let you walk alone." I tell her honestly. And really, I'm sure she would. Clan women are kind of crazy sometimes.

"Oh…" Huh, why does she sound sad? That doesn't make sense. She might now know how auntie is, but… wouldn't she prefer the truth? Or does she have a reason in her head why I should have walked her home? "Still… it was very sweet of you." She perks up a bit, but now she's blushing again. From one extreme to the next, it seems. It makes no sense.

I want to ask, I want to know. She seems pretty chatty, so maybe now's a good time? "Aya…"

What just happened? My hand touches the cheek she just…

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Don't you know how troublesome it is to kiss and tell?" Shikamaru teases the second he sees me. I narrow my eyes at him, wondering how he even knows what happened. He rolls his eyes. "Your cheek has the imprint of someone's lips in the exact shade of pink lipstick Aya was wearing."

"Shika…?" I feel… conflicted. It's not the thought of a girl liking me. This isn't just a girl. This is Namiki Aya. The prettiest girl in the village. The most likely to kill you if you do stupid crap around her – well, if she feels it's stupid crap involving her at least. "Am I supposed to feel threatened by a girl that likes me?"

"Usually it's the girl's father, brothers and male cousins and teammates doing the threatening. But yeah, a certain level of fear is always involved." Shika drones. So what, she doesn't have any of that, so she's doing all the fear-mongering herself? "The question isn't if she scares you. The question is whether you like her more than she scares you."

"Shika! She isn't even actively trying to scare me! She's being nice, and sweet, and soft, and…" I ramble before my brain even catches up to what my mouth is doing. I blush.

"This is me we're talking about here. You think I don't know you like her?" My eyes widen in shock. "You didn't even know you like her… troublesome. Why were you getting jealous with Sasuke around her, then?"

"Because Sasuke would never treat her… right…" Not like… not like I could…

Crap… I like her… I like the scariest girl in our class. And likely the scariest girl in the village! At least she's the scariest one I know!

"Ino knows… she'd never miss something like this." I mumble.

"Nn. Why do you think she started dragging Aya everywhere with us?" Shika confirms. Not that I need him to. It's kind of obvious… well, now it is.

"Who else knows?" Why am I asking? I know I'm not going to like the answer!

"Naruto, your mom, my mom, Ino's mom. I'm sure Sakura figured it out too. Aya isn't exactly very stealthy about this…" He complains. I knew I wasn't going to like the answer. If mom knows, and of course she knows, she's been purposely sitting Aya beside her every chance she gets to get to know the girl...

Is this the reason behind aunty Yoshino's things with Aya and her team? I wouldn't put it past her. Just what have I been missing? I mean, I thought Naruto was oblivious with Hinata… but it would seem I'm just as bad.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 6_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Okay... I can't believe I did this to myself again, wanting a male perspective chapter. BUT! I really like how it came out. And there'd be no better way to really show the changing dynamic. I'm not sure if Chouji PoV chapters will be a regular thing, but I needed to this for this chapter. We'll see if I'm feeling crazy enough to do this more often :P  
_**


	9. The choices we make

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _Beta'd by: Setokaiva_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 7 – The choices we make_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Aya… you didn't. I know you didn't. Why did you just kiss him!? Who cares if it was just on the cheek!

Do you really think he's going to look at this the way you do? Do you really think he's going to see that as a thank you? Do you really think he'll…

Stop. Just stop. You know you're just going to get yourself all worked up and depressed over nothing. He doesn't know you like him. Guys are clueless like that. And even if he does know you like him, you are both supposed… to focus… on training…

' _I've had to take it easy with training ever since, especially with my left arm._ ' Of course… NOW you think about that. Now that it's too late, now that you've already followed through with Ino's STUPID bet! "If I can make Chouji notice you, you've gotta kiss him." I repeat those words. Those… bothersome words. Is that why she wanted me to wear lipstick? Why she made sure to bring the same shade of number two glossy pink so I could reapply after the planned meal? So that Chouji would wear the evidence?

Not that it matters, Aya! **_You_** kissed him! No one forced you to! No one grabbed your lips and… and…

I blush, and I flush, and I want so badly to tear a whole through my wall and-

KNOCK KNOCK knock-knock knock… KNOCK KNOCK!

Uzumaki-san. He's the only one other than Ino that ever knocks on my door… well, the only one that'd dare. Ino doesn't knock like that, and I seriously doubt Chouji-san would have stayed in the hallway too long.

"Yo, Aya-chan!" Yup, Uzumaki-san. Am I in the mood to deal with him? No… but being alone and driving myself up a wall with this 'Chouji thing' isn't a better option.

"N-nn?" Wow. Stutteringly making a noise. Is that what we've come to?

"Can I come in? I kind of want to talk to you." He sounds annoyed the door isn't open so he can talk to me face to face. He never did have much patience.

"Oh?" Something seems off. He's never knocked before, he's never started a conversation without some social cue between us first – even if it's just my being annoyed and warning him I'm not in the mood.

"Come on! I brought ramen with me! You know I wouldn't bring ramen without good reason!" I snort. That sounds just like him.

"You still have space after all that junk food by Chouji's parents' house?" I test him. If it really is Uzumaki-san, he'll know that's two straight out lies. We were by the Nara's, and only I ate junk food, he mostly just pigged out on the healthy and yummy meal we were offered.

"There's always space for ramen!"

"Oi. Stop being an idiot, will you?" That would be the real Uzumaki-san. "Aya-chan's already onto you. We didn't eat by Chouji's. And I didn't touch any junk food. Buzz off!" I didn't hear a door open, so I can tell he's just shouting this from his apartment.

"What do you think, Uzumaki-san. Uchiha-san, or Ecchi-sensei?" I ask, more amused with the situation than I should be.

"Sasuke. If Kakashi wanted to talk to you, he'd either wait until tomorrow, or he'd just admit it's him from the start and tell you what he wants." A door opens, after three locks are un…done? What do you do with locks? Unlock them?

"Hmm… decent transformation. Good voice impersonation. You got my public speech patterns down perfect. Your problem isn't your technique. It's your lack of intel. Aya-chan saw through that crap and she knows better. She knows I'm not just some clown that acts out all the time. And to boot, you didn't bet on me living across the hall or hearing every word. Do yourself a favour. Leave and don't come back. Because I promise, next time I won't be coming at you with words." I smile sadly at the souring and darkening tone that greets my ears. I'm grateful Uzumaki-san would do this for me… but it's the fact that it's needed. "And I swear if I become any more suspicious of you, Sasuke… I won't be coming at you alone. We may be orphans, but we aren't idiots and we certainly aren't alone. You hear me?"

The door closes, the locks are… latched? I don't know. I hear the two deadbolts, and the stupid chain thingy that everyone has but wouldn't ever do much against a ninja, or even a halfway decent burglar, really. "Oh, and Aya-chan. If it's cool with you, I'll be walking you to and from wherever you need to go. Just holler and I'm there, okay?"

"Nn." I noise, finding myself nodding anyway. I know he can't see me, but it's just so grained in… ingrained! "Thank you…"

There's no response, but I know he heard me. Hmm, maybe now's a good time to wash up for the night? It's not like I'm going anywhere. And it'll let my stalker know that I'm not bothered by this? Hmm, I should probably check my window and set a few traps to keep him out just in case.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Three hours later. The sun's set, the moon's out, and the stars twinkle. However, I can't seem to find any comfort in them right now. Instead, all I can think about is the situations I find myself in.

Chouji-san is, surprisingly, the least 'dangerous' of these situations, so he's currently set aside. Uchiha-san's sudden interest in me, for whatever purpose, is by far the most troubling. What does he want with me? I mean, what if I was less aware of the situation? What if I'd let him in? What would he want?

One of the more… _unpleasant truths_ of being an orphan… is that you don't have backup. You only have other orphans, if you choose to band together in order to survive. It's why orphans are easy targets for things. Unpleasant things. Illegal things. Kidnapping an orphan is frowned upon, seeing as kidnapping is by definition illegal, but who'd report it? Who's to say they didn't just run off never to return? After all, nothing keeps us in Konoha, and most of us have more than enough reason to leave; bad memories and the like.

So… what is the situation? What am I risking? What am I at risk of? Rape is always a very unpleasant possibility. Though it's not the most heard of situation… studies have shown that ninety percent doesn't even get reported. Stupid psychological studies. Those are scary numbers! I mean… how do we even know any numbers at all then!?

Stop. Stop thinking about this. Stop trying to understand things beyond your understanding and/or control.

So… Uchiha-san a first-class creep. Fine. Who cares. What's… what's the deal with Uzumaki-san? He didn't have to stand up for me. He didn't have to step in. And he certainly didn't have to pull back the mask. But he did.

All he had to do was start an argument with 'himself'. I'd pick up on the subtle cue and I'd never open my door. But… would I have figured out who was behind this? Well, technically I don't know who's behind it. I only suspect. But would I even have that?

Uzumaki-san… you are a mystery to me. And I don't think I can deal with mysteries so close to me in so many ways; teammate, neighbour, someone my mother wanted me to know – even if I forgot it at all, is not unimportant.

So, how do I want to do that? What can I do to make you remove that mask around me entirely so I can see who it is that I'm dealing with?

I snort. The only way is to go against all I've done to keep me sane. Not that fate hasn't pretty much made a joke of my so-called perfect defences by now.

"Uzumaki-san…?" I call out loud enough to hope I can get his attention. I hear him make a noise – he isn't in the mood to talk. I know the feeling. "We need to talk."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

As hard as it is to force myself so far out of my comfort zone, convincing him to do the same is likely to be even harder. It took some doing to even get him to come over so we can talk. "Look…" I sigh, already annoyed that I'm dealing with this. "We both know I'm not a people person or one to talk much. But this needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later." I tell him.

He nods seriously. His eyes are hollow, his face completely emotionless. This is the person I'd expect behind an orphan's mask: broken by life. "You're not an idiot. I'm not shy. Can we agree to that up front and leave the mask we show the world out of this?"

"Everything depends on the reason." He eyes me. He isn't suspicious of me; if he was, he wouldn't be here.

"I need to know what I'm dealing with. What are you? Who are you? Why are you helping me?" His eyes become haunted, not just empty. He looks away, refusing to look me in the eyes.

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does. Because if I cannot say for a fact the person that is most willing to help me is actually trying to help me, then I can say nothing about anything else in my life." I lay it out for him. "Look. I have nothing for you, I have nothing against you. But against a teammate, I need someone I can count on to watch my back at all times. Even if that means me watching theirs. Do you understand?"

"Heh… I figured you were like me when it comes to this… So are you playing Chouji? Are you 'working him over'?" I look at him like he grew a second head. "Don't give me that, Aya. I've seen you work. You're awesome! Conning the teachers to 'buy you new glasses', playing all hopeless and helpless to anyone with a chuunin vest, in hopes they knew your parents. Going to the hospital every time you get into 'trouble' and need 'a small favour' to get out of it? I see you. So don't come playing innocent with me. We both know what it means to survive as orphans."

I sigh, but don't look away. I was right about him. He's not the idiot he shows to the world. At all. "I'm not playing him." I tell him honestly.

"The whole story, please. I think I've dealt with enough 'Sasuke's and 'Sakura's to not want to deal with another." His tone, his eyes, the way he carries himself.

"So this is the true Uzumaki Naruto? Distrusting of the world. And a common thief." I intone.

"Hey! Thief, yes. Common? No. And coming from a con artist, I take offence to that." He sounds defensive, hurt pride and all that.

"Good." I nod seriously. He's being open and honest; he sees no reason not to be. "I'd planned on applying for Anbu the second I turn Chuunin."

"Meaning?"

"I wasn't planning on falling for Chouji-san." I tell him. "'Anbu' and 'relationships' don't go hand in hand. Just ask Ecchi-sensei."

"Alright. That still do…" The words sink in. I can tell just by the hurt in his eyes. "So he's your Hinata…"

"So you did notice." I smile sadly. I kind of feel bad for him in this. Rich guy picking a struggling girl, though not usual, isn't impossible. Rich girl picking a struggling guy… she'd become dependent on him financially… which means living his lifestyle and not hers…

Let's just say, I don't remember ever hearing of that happening.

Uzumaki-san grumbles, but doesn't answer me. "So what to do about it?" I ask.

"Aya… there's nothing I can do about it. Hiashi will…" He stops talking. His eyes are troubled.

"You really like her, huh…" He looks away from me. "How sure are you it was Uchiha-san earlier?" I change the subject; I don't want him closing himself off to me.

He looks at me like I'm some sort of idiot. "Because I know the idiot's chakra signature? Because I saw the entitlement in his eyes? Because I'm just awesome?"

A pride thing. He has a pride thing. "Good. Then I don't have to wonder." I shut him up. Hmm… "Are you going to give up on pick pocketing?"

"If I make enough money to survive on missions, yes. What about you?"

"… I don't know." I've technically never needed to con anyone. Mama and papa both left a lot of money, but… I've just never dared touching either bank account. The thought of people finding out about that, and my parents' library, and not being able to do anything to stop them if they try to overpower me? I feel my last meal threatening to work its way up my throat. "If I can make enough money, I won't need to. But…"

"You liked manipulating them?" He asks, a knowing smile on his face. I nod, blushing and looking away. "I get it, don't worry… hey, by the way. Why are you still so quiet? I mean, it's just me."

"…" I blush deeper, wondering if I can tell him _that_. "I… sound like an idiot when I talk."

He blinks. "The only lingo I understand well is in the books I study. If we're talking about psychology, or medicine, or stuff like that… I can talk for hours on edge… END! For hours on end! But… talking about day-by-day…" I groan, annoyed with myself. "Day-TO-day stuff, and I just don't know the right words… and I end up sounding like an idiot."

"…" I don't want to, but I still see his reaction playing out on his face. He's surprised at first, then as the proof shows itself (TWICE!) realization hits home. Then… comes the reaction I knew would come, but still hate that it's coming.

He laughs.

I look away with a huff, hating that I told him that. Why'd I tell him that? Hasn't life taught me often enough not to trust people? Papa promising he'll be back, that he'll read my favourite bedtime story when he does – it took me almost a month to realise he wasn't coming back, and mama never did explain what happened. Mama promising she wouldn't be gone more than a week… that was six years ago.

If I can't trust my parents to stick to their word… who can I trust?

"Namiki Aya, the most feared person the academy has ever seen…" I get up, not caring what words he'd use to describe my situation. I go to my fridge, grab a chocolate bar and tear into it without a word. "Sorry." I don't turn to him. I don't want to.

"Whatever." I drone, moving back to sit at my table. "Anyway, I need to kick you… out. Training's tomorrow at eight." I still don't look to him. He takes the hint.

"Yeah." He moves to the door, so I go with him and unlock it to let him out. I feel kind of stupid, sitting down just to get up and see him out. Shouldn't I have planned for that? I'm still not looking at him. "Sorry, Aya… really." I shoo him with a motion of my hand, shutting and locking the door behind him.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Closing my front door behind me and locking it properly, the first thing I need to see is Uzumaki-san. It's not that I didn't know this would happen, it's just annoying having to deal with him knowing I can't rightly break something on him for making fun of me – I still kind of want to though, but I don't have to fight too hard to keep it in check.

"Morning." He tries. I just nod to him. He locks his door properly and starts walking ahead. I'm hot on his heel… hot on his heels? Right behind him. I'm at least grateful he doesn't try to 'strum up' a conversation this time.

We make it to the training ground about ten minutes early, so I'm not too surprised to find we're the first ones here. I briefly wonder if Ecchi-sensei will be on time – he'd better be.

Just as the appointed time hits, Uchiha-san arrives but he keeps his distance. I'm grateful. But that means nothing is really going on at all. Whatever.

A half hour passes. This just really is his thing, isn't it. Being late.

An hour passes. I've pretty much already written him off. Three days back to back is no longer a test or a coincidence; it's a problem. "Where're you heading?" Uzumaki-san asks. I raise an eyebrow. I thought it'd be obvious. Ecchi-san isn't here, so I'm going to Nara-sama to see if that offer for training and missions is the real deal. "Oh right. Yoshino-san's offer. Shouldn't we give Kakashi a fair shot though? I mean, he might have been called away on a mission or something?"

My eyebrows are probably kissing my hairline right now. You honestly… oh right, Uchiha-san can hear you, you need to keep up the act. "Uzumaki-san… I-"

"Just today? Please?" He really wants to give Ecchi-san a chance? I huff, sitting down on the cool grass and hugging my knees. I want to know why Uzumaki-san believes Ecchi-san is worth a second chance, but really… it isn't worth opening my mouth over right now. So we wait.

And wait.

And wait.

…

And wait…

It's going on ten. He's two hours late. Still no sign of him. Uchiha-san is still waiting in the shade of a tree. I'm still hugging my knees in the sunlight. Uzumaki-san's mostly just grumbling and complaining out loud, his mask and his act perfect.

Going on eleven. Three hours late. Still no sign of him. Eleven-thirty… no sign of him…

"Yo." Eleven-forty-six. Three hours, forty-six minutes, eighteen seconds late. I don't even look in his direction; he isn't worth getting upset over.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Uzumaki points out the obvious. "WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!?"

"Well, you see there was this old lady that-" I ignore him. I've heard better excuses from stray cats. "Anyway, I'm here now. What do you say we start our training?" I hear him. I ignore him. In fact, I'm sure the only reason I picked up his words at all, was the inclusion of 'training'. I don't move. Still just hugging my knees. Uchiha-san gets up and moves towards Ecchi-san, and Uzumaki-san moves that way as well. I could have spent the morning training alone in my apartment. It would have been far more effective than this.

"Oi, Aya-chan! Training's starting!" Uzumaki-san announces. I still don't move. I stayed because he asked, not because I am willing to trust an idiot –that cannot even be on time– decides to finally show up.

I see dark blue pants and white bandages wrapped around their hems standing in front of me. "Aya-chan. Training is starting. Get up." I'm ordered. I snort.

"Training started at eight." I intone.

"Training starts when I show up." He claims.

"Then show up at eight." He crouches in front of me, trying to look me in the eyes. Might be a bit hard for him, since I doubt he can see both of my eyes at once.

"Is this how a kunoichi acts towards her sensei?" He tries. I snort again.

"Personal bubble, Ecchi-san." I inch back, glad to have more space between us. I then hug my legs again, and just keep staring blankly ahead. I briefly wonder if I saw him flinch at the new honorific, but I don't care.

"Genin Namiki Aya, you will stand up and follow me so we can begin our team training." He uses his best I'm-in-charge tone, with just enough killing intent to put some weight to it. I snort, but don't otherwise react.

"Hey, Aya-chan!" Uzumaki-san calls me. I lean to the right to look around Ecchi-san, seeing the blonde walking over to us. Once our eyes meet, he stops walking and, "Please?" I huff and roll my eyes, but I start getting up anyway. I don't even spare Ecchi-san a glance as I walk past him.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Ecchi-san's idea of training? A pathetic warm up. Fifty sit-ups, fifty push-ups, twenty laps around the training ground. After that, break for lunch. Really? I wait nearly four hours for this?

He takes us to some out of the way café that serves a little bit of everything. No ramen, so he's not winning any points with Uzumaki-san. We order. Our food is delivered. We eat. We head to the Hokage Tower, to the Missions Desk, we take a single D-rank mission. Uzumaki-san complains about having to track down a cat. I don't even react.

Ecchi-san tries to set up some kind of system, offers us headsets for long-distance communication, but I don't even look to him; let alone accept the headset from him. Uzumaki-san takes two, asking me to play nice for a third time. I huff, but don't fight him.

We eventually track the cat down to a section of… trees and shrubs? I don't care. I'm informed that we're going in with a three-pronged spear attack. I snort, making sure that gets sent through the headset too. It's a fricking cat. I could just walk up to it and pick it up. But… Ecchi-san wants this to be a 'training mission', so we'll do it the 'shinobi way'… pointlessly violent in other words.

I play my part, stalking the cat as prescribed. On Ecchi-san's mark, we dash towards it, Uzumaki-san catches it and gets clawed. I snort, through the headset once again. What did Ecchi-san expect to happen, exactly?

Walking up to Uzumaki-san, I shush the cat, picking her up and cradling her in my arms. We walk back to the Missions Desk just like this. I offer the cat to the full-bodied woman that claims to be the daimyo's wife – like I'll fall for that. We get paid on the spot; fifteen-hundred Ryou per person. Hmm, I'd need at least two missions per day to keep myself out of debt, and preferably more to make sure I can live comfortably.

Instead of asking for another mission, Ecchi-san leads us back to his training ground. My eye twitches, but I say nothing. We go through another round of warm ups. This time we're run through teamwork exercises. I snort; this won't end well.

Uchiha-san is told to stand behind me. I flatly refuse. "Aya. I'm not in the mood." Ecchi-san groans.

" _That's_ not coming near me." I warn, pointing at Uchiha-san, my tone dark. When Uchiha-san takes a step in my direction anyway, I draw two kunais. "Try me."

"Naruto?"

"Sorry, Ecchi-sensei. I agree with her this time. Sasuke came by her apartment last nigh-"

"I don't care what the reason is." He interrupts, rubbing the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "This is something that needs to happen. Just… talk to her!"

"U. Zu. Ma. Ki~iiii…" I warn.

"Sensei… I don't know what you think is going on here, but she's still here because I asked her. How long do-"

"In case it slipped your notice, I am your commanding officer. My word is law."

Oh really? How's this for 'law abiding citizen' then? I start walking towards my apartment.

If Uzumaki-san's serious about helping me, he'll leave with me. Otherwise, I'll know just where I stand. Today was a waste. All I've learned is that I need to take more missions than Ecchi-san has the patience for.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Home." I intone.

"If you leave, you'd better not plan on coming back." Empty threats.

"That's the plan." I keep walking at the same clip, not caring. In a flash, there's an annoyed-looking jounin in front of me.

"What's the problem _this time_?" He demands. I ignore him, walking along. What, he thinks this is some ploy to play him? Psh. He moves into my way again.

"Two options. One: I leave peacefully. Two: We fight, I lose, I report you for attempted sexual assault. Pick." I warn. I make sure to wave my kunai –the ones I'm still wielding– for good measure… I said that right… right? 'For good measure'? Whatever! Ecchi-san.

"So the manipulation starts." He drones, unimpressed. I keep walking to my destination. That he's currently in the way is not important. When I get close enough to risk bumping into him, I start walking slightly more to the right to walk around him. I still find him in front of me.

"One or two. Pick. **Now**." I grind out.

"Aya-chan, is this really needed?" Uzumaki-san is behind me. I don't turn to him. I don't need to. I sense a tingling at the base of my skull. I tilt my head to one side.

"My burn is on which leg?" I ask, just to be sure. He asks me what's wrong. Wrong answer.

Putting back both my kunai, I go through the whole genjutsu-release crap. The tingling dies immediately. "Uzumaki-san?"

"Nn?" He's much quieter now. The mask is slipping.

"Can you confirm that Ecchi-san just placed a genjutsu on me to force me to stay?"

"Nn."

"Good day, Ecchi-san." To think I spent nearly three-thousand Ryou on him… even if it was in trying to kill him, he certainly wasn't worth it. We swing by (why would they call it 'swing by'?) the Missions Desk, where I file my complaint and hand it to Hokage-dono himself. After that, I head home.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"That was quicker than expected." Nara-sama greets us at her front door. "No Sasuke?" I snort.

"Considering what happened with him, no. I don't trust him around her right now." Uzumaki-san offers.

"Come in." She motions us into her home. We're seated at the low table and asked to wait while she fixes us some tea. Once she's seated and the tea's poured, she turns to Uzumaki-san once again. "Tell me **everything**."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 7_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Well, that escalated quickly. Jeez, Kakashi really has no idea what to do with Aya, at all! Then again, he barely knew what to do with Sakura, and she's far more compliant. What's more though... this is going to have far deeper consequences than Kakashi planned for. Not because of the complaint; that'll end in little more than a slap on the wrist. Hmm, I guess, you guys'll just have to wait for the next chapter to see what I mean ^_^_**


	10. Say what?

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 8 – Say what!?_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Come again?" Nara-sama doesn't like the explanation she's offered. Uzumaki-san repeats the part she isn't sure she heard right; this is the fifth time such a thing has happened. "He did what…?" Uzumaki repeats again, sounding more and more exasb… exespe… annoyed; really, **really** annoyed.

By the end of Uzumaki-san's tale, Nara-sama looks like she's about to pop. "Naruto, you will make a shadow clone. No, make it two. Send one to the Hokage Tower and ask for Mitarashi Anko. Tell her I need her, and now. Don't take no for an answer."

"And the other?" Uzumaki-san asks, caught off guard with the reque… no, demand. This isn't something she will tolerate not happening, and now!

"Tell Sasuke to come here. Nothing else. Don't say you two are here. Don't stick around to hear his answer. And don't offer directions."

"Ummm… Yoshino-san-"

"'Sensei'. The second you came to me for training and the like, I became your sensei." She corrects him.

"Yoshino-sensei, I'm not sure if…"

"Relax. He won't be here long. Now come on, hop to! Laziness isn't rewarded in this house!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Not a minute after Uzumaki-san sends out two clones with the exact orders of Nara-sensei, we're guided outside to begin training. Real training. Four-hundred sit-ups, push-ups, squats and funny-little-dance sequences (squat, rising right kick, punch-punch, squat, rising left kick, punch-punch, spinning jump kick, bow, repeat).

I can't help but feel comforted by the unfair demands of her training. This is above and beyond what we should be capable of; what I'd expect of someone that wants us to become stronger.

Once we're done with the warm up, we're instructed to spar with her for five minutes straight. I get to go first too, even though I'm out of breath. I still offer her everything I've got, but I can tell my moves are horrid, my already laughable skills seem even worse.

"Good." She nods to me, a hand held up to wordlessly tell me to stop. "You've been training with your mother's scrolls. What level are you with your Muay Thai?" I ignore Uzumaki-san's curious look.

"Four out of ten." They have a weird ranking system; at least, as mama's scrolls explain them. Ten levels of skill. One being a complete beginner that's never thrown a punch in the style. Ten being a jounin level master. I'm at four, if I analyse my own skills right – high genin level.

"And in Capoeira?" She doesn't even react, just continues on without a care.

"Two out of ten." Low genin level. That two styles have the same ranking style makes me think it's more mama's ranking system than anything.

"Any other skills I need to know about?" She once again doesn't react. It's almost as if the information isn't worth anything, but she wouldn't ask if there was no value to it.

"Genjutsu-release?" I offer. I know I suck, okay! That's why I need a sensei that can help me not suck as badly!

"Is there anything else?" I shake my head, no. Everything else is still theory, untested, untried.

"Good, Naruto. You're turn. And no shadow clones. I've already seen that." I'm instructed to take a seat, so I do just that. Uzumaki-san attacks her the second the match is started. I shake my head – he never did have much patience. Still, I study him, study his sloppy form, his brawler-style attacks. He really didn't learn anything at the academy, not even the basic Konoha-style taijutsu. No wonder he was called the 'dead last'. I hope Nara-sensei can help correct this.

"Any other skills?" Nara-sense asks after ending their match and instructing Uzumaki-san to sit next to me.

"No." He sounds sad.

"Not going to mention pick pocketing?" She says with a teasing smile. He looks away. "I know. I also know about Aya-chans con artistry. I will tolerate none of that. If you are in need of money, you will let me know and we will take the appropriate amount of missions in order to get the money you need. Is that understood?" We nod dumbly, but only I blush and look away.

"Now, skill analysis. Naruto, I'll start with you. You taijutsu is horrible. The worst I've ever seen." He deflates. I'm nearly in tears for him; that's a mean way to word it. "But, you're unpredictable and improvise well. This makes up for a lot, but not everything. We'll get you straightened out, don't worry."

"Aya, you on the other hand are quite skilled with your fighting styles. I agree with your analysis, you are high genin with Muay Thai, and low genin with Capoeira. That you can do the genjutsu-release speaks highly of your chakra control. And both of you, your stamina is incredible for fresh out the academy genin! I'm impressed with both of you!"

I blush, pleased this time. "Now, let me explain how we'll do this. You are both to show up here every morning at six. You will have breakfast here, so do **not** eat at home." I nod, not liking this at all. "Aya, you will not be allowed to have any chocolate until after our first mission, so around ten AM. Naruto, same for you with ramen. You're both growing children! You should be eating far healthier!" I groan, having seen that coming.

"As well, both of you need a new wardrobe. Naruto, I don't care what your reasons are, orange is **not** a shinobi colour. You will change it, or I will change it for you. Aya, black is far more acceptable, but you need more pockets. You need to be able to hide things in places people won't expect." I nod, agreeing with her. Uzumaki-san looks far less impressed.

"As well, we're starting you both out on weapon's training. I will be taking you to get a beginner's weapon tomorrow, seeing as it's meant to be your day off. I expect you here at six anyway, is that understood?" We nod. "Good. Then let's get going for our first mission together. Naruto, you are to leave a shadow clone here in case Sasuke FINALLY decides to show up. If he does, tell him to wait outside. And make sure to sound annoyed with him."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

This is how I expected my days to flow after graduation. It's ten in the morning; we've done a good warm up, finished a simple D-rank mission (painting a fence) and are currently taking a break and getting something to eat. I smile as Nara-sensei offers me another riceball she just finished making when we first arrived.

"Nara-sensei…" I call her, hoping to not have to repeat myself too much. She turns to me, amused. "Thank you. For helping us."

"Aya-chan, you can drop the formalities. I'm not going anywhere. And stop being so quiet. I know why you do it." She's using her strict-tone again, waggling her right index finger at me. I look away from her, not wanting her to see the hollowness of my eyes. She doesn't even seem to notice, smiling brightly. "You're welcome."

"Huh… she does the whole 'family name thing' because she thinks we're gonna leave her or something?" Uzumaki-san… I sigh, groan… make an annoyed noise that I can't quite pin down in words. "Ah… makes sense. You knew your parents…"

We're sooooooo not talking about this!

"So how are we fixing Uzumaki-san's taijutsu?" I change the subject.

" _We're_ not. I am. I've also already filed an official complaint about the academy instructor that was supposed to teach you tai… why are you acting like that?" Nara-sensei notices Uzumaki-san's embarrassment.

"That'd be Mizuki, the idiot that went rogue. Or tried to. He's already locked up."

"Ah, that's how you learned the shadow clone jutsu then." I shrug. This just isn't something I'm meant to understand. "Curious, Aya-chan?"

"We all have things we'd rather not discuss." I say, offering Uzumaki-san an understanding smile. "If he wants me to know, he'll tell me." I take another bite, hating the bitterness of the pickle in the middle of the riceball. Still, I eat without complaint. Free food is still free.

"Alright. How many missions per mission day did you two need to do to have all your bills paid?" She changes the subject.

"Two." I offer without having to think about it. I did the calculation yesterday already.

"Two." Uzumaki-san agrees with me. It seems he lives a very minimal lifestyle as well.

"Good. Then we'll be aiming for four. Naruto, you'll be using your shadow clones to speed things up as best you can. I want to make sure you both have a healthy buffer just in case. And I assume you both have a bank account set up?" I shake my head. I have the access codes to my parents' accounts, and they're both in my name, but I don't have an account I'm willing to touch or even admit to having.

"We'll be dealing with that in the morning as well. I'll also want to see your apartments, to see if you have everything you need. That means it'd better be spotless!" Hey! My apartment is always spotless!

…

Why is… Is Uzumaki-san embarrassed? I groan, already having decided to help him clean his apartment to keep him from getting in trouble.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After a half hour rest, we're back in Nara-sensei's back yard, back to training. We go through the same warm up, only this time, she has a different idea of what she wants us to do: tree climbing. She goes through the explanation about focusing chakra to the bottom's of our feet, and she shows us how it's done. There's only one tree though, and it isn't very tall. She promises we're only here for today – she's expecting someone.

"And there he is. The man of the hour." I hear Nara-sensei welcoming someone. I don't turn to find out who, I'm too busy focusing on this chakra exercise! I mean, I'm decent with chakra control, but… this is something else!

I can almost, sort of, make it up six strides before falling back down. But that's with a running head start, long strides, and being careful enough to make sure I don't fall on my head and kill myself.

"I wonder if I should be surprised." Ecchi-san. I snort. I'm not going to lose my focus because of someone like that. I dash for the tree again. "You do realise you are still registered as chuunin?"

"I didn't care then, and I certainly don't care now." Nara-sensei sounds amused. I dash for the tree.

"Alright, you two. Fun time's over! We're leaving!" I snort, kicking off at the five stride mark. We're not allowed to mark the tree, so I just have to keep track based on how many steps I manage. I walk back to my starting line, drawn in the dirt. I run at the tree again, without a care in the world.

"Are you aware that they came to me of their own volition?" Nara-sensei's is enjoying this way too much and she wants him to know that.

"I'm their sen-"

"Kakashi, do you even know why there's an issue between them and Uchiha Sasuke? Who, might I add, isn't with you either. That means you showed up almost four hours late, again, and still left him alone in that training ground. Care to explain why?" I ignore whatever reaction he may or may not have shown. I just don't care enough about him or Uchiha-san to follow that.

"You are aware that Aya filed a complaint? You know what that means. And you know I won't let you or Hokage-sama back out."

"I don't care what you think will happen. I left Anbu so I can't train _him_." So this about Uchiha-san again, huh. It's always about the precious last of his clan.

"Then go to Sasuke. Train him to your heart's content." I hear an annoyed noise. Hmm, not Uchiha-san then? Uzumaki-san? What about Uzumaki-san? Crap! Now I really am interested.

"Oh, so you're here." I look over this time. A kunoichi of average height with a tan trench coat, and showing WAY too much skin… how can she legally walk around showing that much boob? Anyway, and a burnt orange miniskirt. I can seriously see that she isn't wearing a bra. Why can I see that she isn't wearing a bra!?

Aya. Stop. Focus. I sigh. And I wanted to reach the top soon too. "You needed me?"

"Yes. One of my genin has shown inappropriate conduct towards Namiki Aya. The last of the Uchiha, he should be in training ground seven. Three days in training ground forty-four should set him straight. Are you in?"

"…" All I heard were curse words. A string of curse words. "Try to mess with my goddaughter will you…" I blink. I blink again. 'Goddaughter'? I blink a third time, only this time, the odd woman is already gone. Purple hair? I don't remember anyone with purple hair. Shouldn't I remember someone that should be my… was it just a turn of phrase (whatever that means)? Was she just getting herself worked up? What… does… this… mean!?

"Anko-chan… please do-"

There's a wave of killing intent, but luckily I'm far enough away to not be affected too badly. "Kakashi. Finish that sentence, and I'll kill you." This 'Anko' person doesn't have Nara-sensei's patience, it seems. Then, the strange woman is gone. Just, poof. I want to learn to do that!

Whatever. "Aya! Focus!" I was just about to think that, Nara-sensei! Take it easy!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it back long after the sun sets. Uzumaki-san offers to let me rest and whatnot, but… I'd rather just get this over with. I motion for him to get it over with. Why am I thinking this twice? Shouldn't I be too tired to think this twice? I just thought that twice as well. Aya. Shut up.

When the door opens, the smell of the unholy hells greets me.

"U… Zu… Ma… Ki~iiii…!" I groan.

"I tried to warn you." He's embarrassed. I'm even more annoyed.

"Shadow clones. As many as you can make." I shove him into his own apartment, getting more and more annoyed by the second. There's instant ramen cups everywhere, all empty, thank Kami-sa… nope. Ramen free, but not empty. One has milk that looks like it's trying to walk away from this scene. There are also… things tossed any and everywhere.

"Where are those clones?" I demand. A moment later, the room is filled with twenty Uzumakis. "We don't have garbage sacks. So we'll do this the hard way. Make a human chain outside and to the garbage bin. Start handing the items one by one. I want all this trash out in less than thirty minutes. MOVE IT!"

I sigh, deciding to just focus on the cleaning mater…ials… his cupboards are empty. He doesn't have any dishes at all. And he doesn't have anything in his fridge other than instant ramen cups, chopsticks, and a pack of milk that spoiled last month. And nothing to clean with. Not even a cloth.

I sigh again. "I'm going to get my cleaning things." This is going to be a long night, isn't it.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next morning, we make it to Nara-sensei's house at ten to six. I like being a little early to everything. Uzumaki-san knocks, yawns, and apologies for coming so early. We're shown in not a minute later.

"I'm guessing you already checked his apartment and you both cleaned it last night." Nara-sensei seems amused. I glare at her. "Like I figured. Good, then I don't have to check. Did you make a mental list of the things he'll need?" I mutter under my breath, but eventually nod anyway.

"Good. We'll be dealing with that today as well. For now, just try to relax. I wanted the two of you here so I can get a few things out of the way. The stores don't open until eight, so we have two hours to deal with this. Naruto, you'll come with me to help me set the table. Aya, I want you to go wake up Shikamaru. Upstairs, first door on the right."

I start walking up the stairs, wondering why I have to go wake Nara-san. "I know… my question is, does she?" Okay… obviously there's a conversation that is meant to stay private. I walk more loudly, trying to drown out whatever words might reach me. I knock on the door, wondering how this will play out.

"…" I hear grumbling. Lots and lots of grumbling. He's a light sleeper, it seems. I knock again. "Five minutes!" I barely make out from the muffled words. He must be hiding in his pillow to drown out the noise. I open the door, looking around carefully. I'm almost afraid of what I'll see in there, but it's not nearly as bad as Uzumaki-san's apartment – or how it was before I exercised _those demons_.

Closet –must be nice to have one– bed –with a Nara-san-sized lump and a pillow over his head– and a desk with this and that scattered over it. I walk into the room, right up to the lumpy sheet and pillow trying to hide from me. I grab the pillow and rip it from his grip.

"Mom… seriously! It's too early!" I slap the back of his head with my right hand, hard. That gets his attention. He turns to me, halfway twisting himself into a cheese stick. "AYA!?" I glare at him, daring him to say or do something stupid.

"Great… mom sent you. Just tell-"

 **SLAP!**

I got him on the forehead this time, hard. I smirk, liking that his whole forehead is turning red, even in the low lighting. "I'm up! I'm up!"

He gets out of bed, walking to his closet for something. I clear my throat, pointing to his bed. He grumbles, but makes his bed without too much complaining. He obviously doesn't want another smack to the face. Once his bed is made, his desk is cleaned up, and he has clean clothes, I let him head off to wash up. I head back downstairs.

"Troublesome." I hear him muttering under his breath.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once everyone is downstairs –and Shikamaru grumbles to his mother about sending a troublesome brunette to wake him– we start eating breakfast together. Nara-sensei is really amused that her son's forehead is still slightly red.

"By the way, Shika-chan… did you already make up your bed and clean up your desk like I asked you to?" Nara-sensei asks sweetly… too sweetly. She threatens in a sweet tone, does she? Nara-san grumbles, but points at me. Nara-sensei seems even more amused. "My, my, Aya-chan, it would seem that I should send you up to wake him up more often." I beam at her, but I flat out grin when I notice how uncomfortable Nara-san is about that.

"You guys are free today, aren't you?" She asks her son. He grumbles some more, but eventually nods. He's obviously not a morning person. "Good, I want you to try to take it easy today. I've spoken to Asami-chan about Asuma's lax training attitude. He should be a lot more demanding tomorrow. And I wouldn't be too surprised if she shows up to monitor him as well."

I laugh at the annoyed, almost pained groan that escapes him. "Mom… why are you…?"

"Finish that sentence. I dare you." She almost sings to him this time. He shivers, wisely shutting up. "Oh, Naruto-kun, Aya-chan, I suspect we'll get called into Hokage-sama's office sometime today. When that happens, don't speak unless directly asked a question. I will handle Kakashi and his little temper tantrum. Is that understood?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Sit down, Aya-chan." I'm instructed. Nara-sensei motions to a chair in front of a desk she's walking to. I look around briefly, wondering at all the books lining the bookshelves, but sit down without a word. Nara-sensei sits as well, behind the desk. Behind her are three large windows meant for natural lighting.

"We'll start out small. Please call me Yoshino-sensei." She demands. I look away, not making a sound. "Aya-chan, this isn't a request. This is a demand. Call me Yoshino-sensei."

I stay silent. "Have I not kept to my word in everything? Have I not shown you that I'm here for you?" I nod. She's been simply amazing so far… but… "Will you tell me why this's still an issue?"

I shake my head slightly, no. This isn't something that I can just up and decide after a day or two! Uzumaki-san being let in was out of desperation, so he's still 'Uzumaki-san'. Ino snuck in, I'm still not sure how. And Chouji-san… he's been stealing pieces of my heart for years! Compared to them… you're nobody.

"You're still upset with your parents." She doesn't ask. I hug myself, refusing to cry. "Did you know that last word they both said was your name?" A tear falls before I can stop it. I'm glad it was from the eye she can't see from this angle.

"I can't help you if you won't let me in. You know that." I can't let you in if you don't prove yourself. You know that. She sighs. She starts asking me things, like how I like her training style (it's fine), if I like reading (I do), what I planned on doing for the future (stuff, I guess). She isn't giving up either.

"Where'd you learn the genjutsu-release?"

"A book."

"Which book?" She presses.

"Genjutsu made easy, by Yuuhi Kurei."

"Ah, so you read shinobi material as well then. What other books have you been studying?" I tell her about 'The magic of the elements', the book on sound release –which I still haven't really gotten very far with, I've only learned to project my voice– the unusual jutsu styles book, the medical books from papa I read from time to time, and the scrolls on Muay Thai and Capoeira from mama. That's pretty much it.

"I see. Quite varied. What would you like to focus on then? Are you going to be like your father and become a medic? Or do you want to be an Anbu operative like your mother?" I shrug, unsure if I should trust her with that information. "Anbu then. You wouldn't be so defensive if you wanted to be a medic." I still don't dare meet her gaze.

"I have no skill in sound release, nor do I know anyone who does. I'm sorry I cannot help you in this. I can, however, help you with your elemental training. But that won't start until after you've mastered quite a few chakra control exercises." I nod. What else is there to do? "Have you tested your primary element?" I shake my head, no.

"If I ask you to pursue medical training so that our team has a medic, would you fight me?" I shake my head, no. It's just one of the things I need to do. And besides, medics are always in high demand and short supply. "Good. I'm also going to need to figure out the best weap… hmm sound release… I'm curious. Have you ever played a musical instrument?" Again, I shake my head, no.

"I would like to read this book on sound release of yours. I want to confirm something. Would that be a problem?" I shake my head, no, for a third time. "Good. I would like to make an informed decision and not poke around in the dark. As well, I want to start teaching you some basic skills. Have you ever worked with storage seals?" I seem to be offering her a 'no' for a lot of questions, but I see no point in lying to her.

"Alright. I will show you how to seal and unseal things later. As well, I need to know what your element is, what weapon you prefer to work with. Do you have any idea what weapon you'd like?"

"A dagger?" I still haven't gone to the blacksmith's for that dagger I liked.

"Hmm, seeing how tiny you are, that might be a good bet. I wonder though. Why a dagger?"

"Taijutsu? I'm a close range fighter."

"Not anymore you're not. I don't train idiots. And only idiots focus on close range and nothing else. You will learn long range, mid range and close range. Your taijutsu will be less of a worry for me, so I'll just leave that to you for now. So that means we need to work on your mid and long range skills. I won't stop you from buying a dagger on your own, but I want to give you the skills you'll need to survive. Do you understand?" I nod. It seems pointless to argue with her.

"Good. Now about your fumbling with words. I have three books I want you to study in your spare time. One is on social interactions. One is on elocution, or voice usage. The last is on grammar and commonly used registers, or words used in different styles of talking. I trust there won't be an issue on studying them?" I shake my head, no. I love to read, and they sound like ideal subjects to help me in the long run. "Good. I will be testing you on these things regularly. That means as of next week, I will be demanding you talk more. If you want to only talk in private like this, that is acceptable, but you will be required to explain things to me using full sentences and proper grammar. Is that understood?" I nod.

"In addition to this, I'm going to start to teaching you how to cook. You will be joining me in preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner until I say otherwise. Naruto-kun as well, don't worry. I see no reason why a boy shouldn't be able to cook and clean and take care of himself. Especially someone who's living on their own." I nod. No point in arguing with her. And besides, now I don't have to beg her!

"You will start wearing light makeup. At all times. Once you learn to use storage seals, you will be expected to carry a small scroll with your things so that you can reapply as needed." I nod, not unhappy with this. "We will be getting you any and all items you need today. Do not even think of going against me in this, Aya-chan. Your mother wouldn't forgive me if I let you." Hey, I already wasn't going to! I'm-

"I will also be arranging supplementary lessons for you. In proper etiquette, in makeup applying skills, in cooking skills, in any and everything I feel you need extra help with. I will be handling your martial trainings and mostly cooking as well. But I will be asking Mariko-chan and Remi-chan to help turn you into a kunoichi I can be proud of." She'll be asking Ino and Chouji-san's moms to help me too? "I'll also be stalking you and making sure you're not hiding things from me. I'm sorry if my wording is a bit much, but I refuse to lie to you. I need to make sure you have everything you need. And I mean **_everything_**." I nod.

"… thank you… Y-yoshino-sensei."

"You're quite welcome, Aya-chan." She smiles this time. A very kind, motherly smile that does things to me. The last time I saw a smile like that… "Now about that burn. Does it affect your right hand at all?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

My head is spinning slightly. It's not that I'm dizzy or anything, but… this is so much so quickly. Yoshino-sensei really has been sticking to her word in everything – a blessing for someone like me – but… it's this latest thing that has me so…

"Aya-chan, I'll be taking you and Naruto shopping anyway. Is it a problem if I ask Ino to tag along?" Yoshino-sensei asks seriously. I shake my head, but that doesn't mean I'm swimming in my thoughts any less.

"You mind if I tag along as well, auntie? You guys will need someone to help with all the bags, right?" Cheeks flaming, butterflies going nuts, lightheadedness getting worse. "You don't mind, do you, Aya-chan?" I shake my head almost violently, and I regret it.

Luckily Uz… that's Chouji-san's meaty and calloused hand on my shoulder, steadying me. Aya… breathe. Breathe! You'll pass out! You know you will! AYA!

"Whoa, Aya-chan, you're really red."

"U. Zu. Ma. Ki~iiii!" Oh, I'm soooooooo figuring out a way to hang out with Hyuuga-san more, just to return the favour!

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 8_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: ^_^ I really like Yoshino as a character. She's kind of twisting things to her liking, telling Aya and Naruto that she's a jounin, when she's registered as a chuunin. What's that about? And still no sign of Sakura!? Honestly, she was supposed to be brought up in this chapter, but other things took priority. Things like Yoshino hammering through Aya's defence, introduing Anko as the girls godmother, Kakashi getting one-upped again._**

 ** _Really, someone like Yoshino is the better sensei for Aya. And there's still finding out what she's doing for Naruto ^_^ So many yummy details to work out. Well, ciao for now!_**


	11. The long way home

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 9 – The long way home_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

What am I thinking. What am I trying. This… this can't ever hope to end well. This can't. It never does. What… what are you thinking, Aya.

"Are you okay, Aya-chan?" Y-yoshino-sensei asks. My key is still hovering in front of the keyhole of my door, unmoving. Am I okay? How can I be okay? I left out my book, the book I doodle in. If Y-yoshino-sensei sees it, she'll get curious. If she gets curious, she'll want to look into it. If she looks into it, she'll see _those_ doodles. If she sees them… I don't even like seeing them most of the time. I love those doodles, don't get me wrong… but they are… everything wrong with my life.

"N-nn." I stuff the key into the slot, twist it, hear the lock open. I switch to the next key and do the same with the following lock. The last key goes into the doorknob, which opens into my little getaway; it isn't 'home' after all. I don't invite them in, but I'm not too surprised when they come in anyway.

"Hey, there's a sight for sore eyes. You used to have this book with you everywhere you went." Ino just has to draw attention to it. I hurry to my stack of books, quickly sort through them and take 'The sound of silence', careful to balance the other books.

"Aya… that's…" I turn, seeing Ino looking into my book. The first page too. I… hate being right. I walk over to her, before she even notices the line she just crossed. I slam the book shut, taking it out of her reach. As she looks up to me, tears in her eyes, I offer her an annoyed and hurt look.

"Hnn!" I turn away from her, placing that book next to my rolled up futon. Then I offer the requested book to sensei.

"What…?" She wants to know what Ino just did wrong. I look away from her.

"Anything else?" I ask, trying to sound annoyed; not depressed in other words.

"Aya-chan… I…"

"Let's go then." I demand, trying to get everyone out.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"This is troublesome beyond words." Nara-san complains, but I ignore him. "Ino goes and sticks her nose where it doesn't belong, and now everyone's acting stupid." Still ignoring you, Nara-san.

"I said I was sorry!" Ino shouts at him. I'm too busy hating this to care. I agree with Nara-san; this is troublesome. "Aya-chan, you know…" She trails off. I walk ahead, refusing to get into this. I shouldn't have left that book lying on my table. I should have known nothing good would come of it. I should have known better than to agree to everyone entering my apartment. I should have said something, stopped them, asked them to wait outside. Something!

"You know, Ino, curiosity killed the cat. So stop meowing so much." Uzumaki-san teases her. I can't even tell if he's being open and mask-free right now. This seems like a mix of him and his mask. I just don't want to understand this stupid situation.

"That's enough. I think we've drawn enough attention to this. Ino-chan, whatever you saw in that book is obviously not something meant for you. Keep it a secret and take that secret to your grave, understood?" Yoshino-sensei sets her foot… puts her foot down.

"I said I was sorry!" Ino sounds frustrated. I can't tell if it's with herself or everyone rubbing her nose in this.

"'Sorry' doesn't remove a kunai from your lung." Yoshino-sensei offers. "And it certainly does nothing for the bleeding."

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Slowly, as time passes, as we go from shop to shop, the ache eases. Yoshino-sensei makes sure we miss nothing. Sure, we're mostly buying things second hand, but I don't care. I'm getting an actual bed, a closet, a side table to go next to my bed… a nightstand? Whatever. It should all be delivered this afternoon around five.

I was also instructed to buy a new jacket; a warmer one given that fall has long since started. I also got to pick out some battle ready tops I kind of like. And four steel-thread-reinforced cargo pants with plenty of pockets. And a hip pouch!

I'm just… so grateful. I feel horrible that she's spending so much money on me! But she just waves me off every time I try to bring it up. I've already decided to pay her back with interest anyway.

When we finally make it to the blacksmith, I've calmed down enough to actually start paying attention to people again.

Uzumaki-san's no longer wearing his orange jumpsuit. Instead, he's wearing something Yoshino-sensei agreed suits him better: a standard jounin uniform without the flak jacket. Long sleeve dark blue shirt, loose fitting dark blue pants, with the hems tied with bandages. And he's wearing two hip pouches and two leg pouches. It seems sensei has quite a collection of hip and leg pouches sealed in that little scroll she keeps on her. Of different colours and styles as well! I mean, I got white pouches. Uzumaki-san got red ones!

Whatever.

Once in the blacksmith's, Yoshino-sensei asks that Chouji-san and Ino 'play nice' and she drags Uzumaki-san and myself deeper into the store.

"Naruto. Since you're a brawler-type, I think either dual daggers or dual trench knives would better suit you. However, we will see what we encounter. Keep your eyes open." Yoshino-sensei explains. I'm mostly just eyeing all the weapons we're passing. From the swords big enough to dwarf me, to the huge collection of needles of all sizes.

"Aya. You said you were interested in a dagger. As I told you, you may buy that from your own money, should you want it. However, I've gone through your book, and I believe I have two far better suited weapons in mind for you. Let's see if we find either here." I nod, unsure what else I could do.

I'm still looking around. I see katanas and a range of other curved swords. I see Fuma shuriken, windmill shuriken, and other unique three-, four-, or five-point stars. I can't afford any of them. I mean, the most beaten up windmill shuriken is like twenty-five-thousand Ryou!

I need to start making some serious cash if I'm going to survive in this business!

We make it into a section with shorter blades. Tantos, kodachis, trench knives, daggers, and other blades I can't really name. How odd, daggers are more expensive than tantos and kodachis. I mean, wouldn't it take longer to produce a proper tanto or kodachi? I sigh. So much I don't understand.

Hmm, kodachis seem to be the cheapest of the bunch? That's stupid! Five-thousand Ryou. Hmm, not badly priced either. Still, not something I can really afford right now.

"Hmm… I wonder. Aya-chan, would you consider yourself more offensive or defensive a fighter?" Yoshino-sensei asks.

"Defensive." I prefer not to fight, at all really. Just because I train so much in taijutsu doesn't mean I like fighting.

"Hmm, that means that tantos and kodachis are the better bet if you were to take up a sword. Good to know." She mumbles. I'm not sure why.

"These are just awesome!" Uzumaki-san shouts so loud that he draws the attention of the blacksmith. He walks over to us, asks if we need any assistance. Sensei seems to like that he's here.

"Actually yes. We need a good pair of trench knives for a beginner. And I need to know if you have either a flute or an ocarina that wouldn't break the second someone touches it." Sensei explains. Flute or ocarina? I shake the thought. It's got nothing to do with me.

"Trench knives, huh. Well, let's see. For the boy or the girl?" He asks. Sensei informs him that it's for Uzumaki-san. "These are all decent to begin with. I don't put the pricier ones on display like this. But, for someone short and scrawny I would still recommend twin kodachis. I mean, the sharper blade would serve him better. And if he really needs to, he can still punch someone while wielding them."

"I see."

"Yeah. Trench knives are better suited for people who can shatter stone with a single punch. Maybe in a few years, kiddo." I shrug, deciding this has nothing to do with me.

"And the girl? Do you think she'd be suited for kodachis?" Sensei asks. Okay, this definitely has something to do with me now!

"Hmm. Yeah, with her slight frame… and girls are naturally more flexible. Yes, she'd be better suited for kodachis. She might want to wear gloves though. Most females I know don't like… never mind. She's already got some impressive calluses." I huff, hiding my hands from him.

"What about if she can't use some of her fingers properly."

"Depends on what function she can't use. If it's fine motor skills, so long and she holds the grip she'll barely notice. But she'd have a lot more troubles with flute or the ocarina, if she's the one you'd want that for." I sigh, hating that they're talking about me like I'm not even here.

"I'll take my chances." Sensei says, patting my hair… or is that 'petting my hair'…? Stupid words. Stupid sayings… stupid stupidness that only stupids stupidly understand. "Alright, you two. A pair of twin kodachis each. Pick out a pair that has the same sheath, and make sure it's a style you like, okay?"

We both nod. There are a lot of different kodachis. Many of them are clearly meant to be 'single blades' seeing as they don't match any other. "Hey, Aya-chan, there's one here with a butterfly." Uzumaki-san points out. I look at it.

"Moth." I correct him.

"How can you even tell the difference?"

"She's right though. Those kodachis with a moth design have a little groove that allows you to store poisons in the blade." The blacksmith offers.

"THAT'S AWESOME! I'm so going with this pair then!" He grabs the pair with the moths, both having purple-white camouflage sheaths.

I roll my eyes, but quickly start looking at the collection again. Soon I really do find a pair with butterflies – the wings are totally different from a moth's. The sheaths are pink and red, which I don't mind at all. It's almost as if these were made for girls like me.

I pick up the pair I like, showing them to Sensei for her approval. "A fine pair." She smiles with a nod. "Now about _that other_ thing?"

"Of course. This way." He leads us over to a section with odd weapons. There are… scythes, kamas… okay, those aren't too weird. Then we pass an impressive collection of staffs, from the shorter bo staff, to the super long staffs that make me feel like a midget. "Here we go. Battle flute. I'd recommend a metal one, but avoid the silver. They offer a better sound quality, but silver is so soft a metal that one good hit would bend them beyond repair. As for the ocarina… well, honestly they're all decent enough, but I still doubt she'd like them. They need much longer fingers than she has." I'm a chibi! I GET IT!

"Hmm, not badly prices either." Yoshino-sensei nudges me forward to look at the selection. She's not wrong. The cheaper ones –wooden– are five-hundred Ryou. The metal ones are around the fifteen-thousand mark though…

"A wooden one?" I wonder. I can't ever explain it to myself… having sensei spend thousands of Ryou on something I can't even say if my injury will allow me to use. I look at the wooden ones; even they come in different types. There are some with the blowhole at the tip, some with the blowhole on the side. Others with the blowhole in the middle…? Okay, how would you even play that!?

I won't lie, I'm clueless which one to pick! In the end, I just go for the one that irks me less – a pail white one with the blowhole to the side, just below the head of it. "A fine choice. The shinobue, hayashi styled. It's best for festivals and such." I'm told. Interesting, but not very. "The price doesn't include the scroll on how to use it, I'm afraid. But you could just as easily figure it out on your own, if you want."

I turn to Sensei, unsure what to even think. "It's fine. My students are a worthy investment." I blush, looking away.

"Alright. Is there anything else you'd need?"

"No, I think we have enough to keep them entertained for a few months." She seems happy. "And just in time too. Looks like Hokage-sama wishes to speak with us?"

An Anbu operative, with a… cat mask(?) nods.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Well, this is definitely a first. I've never been in Hokage-dono's office before. Uzumaki-sama, seems perfectly at ease though.

Ecchi-san is, of course, here as well. I try not to react to his presence. Yoshino-sensei tells us where she wants us to stand. "You sent for use, Hokage-sama?" Sensei asks, her voice neutral. Thank, Kami-sama.

"I believe Team Seven is incomplete?" Hokage-dono points out. I fight the snort. Don't react Aya, Sensei wants to handle this. If you go and react to something, they'll start asking you questions, and then it'll all go pear-shaped!

"That is correct. Genin Uchiha Sasuke is currently on Day One of his disciplinary proceedings due to indecent conduct towards Genin Namiki Aya." Sensei sounds so… wow!

"I've received no report of such." Hokage-dono doesn't look convinced.

"Because said action happened during Jounin Hatake Kakashi's brief stretch as their sensei. He should have reported it. However, I doubt he has any idea about the details of said event." Sensei lays it all out.

"Ah, that would be the event leading up to her complaint filed yesterday afternoon, correct?" Hokage-dono asks.

"No, the event in question happened the afternoon prior. Jounin Hatake's lack of insight simply worsened his case." Okay… I can't follow any of this! And one look at Uzumaki-san tells me he isn't any better on… off! Any better off!

"And what is this 'event'?"

"Genin Uchiha attempted to gain entry to Genin Namiki's apartment by means of transforming into Genin Uzumaki, thereby using him as a scapegoat for whatever his plans were. Seeing as Genin Uchiha refused to submit himself to my questioning, I opted to skip it and simply discipline him based on a worst case scenario." Sigh… I can't follow any of this! Sure there are words I recognize, I'm not stupid! But all I can follow is that Sensei's explaining the situation. Why do we need to be here for this?

"Being?"

"Attempted rape. I've arranged three days survival training with Tokubetsu Jounin Mitarashi Anko, with her full knowledge of the situation."

"Is that wise?"

"It is needed." Hey! I can follow this again!

"How so?"

"Genin Uchiha is accustomed to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it. The entire Civilian Council caters to his every whim." And you lost me again. "Should I not set clear boundaries as to what is acceptable, what would stop him from trying again?" I'm trying to follow this. I really am. And a lot of it is starting to make sense. Sensei's basically saying that she needs to do this for my safety, and for Uchiha-san's own good or he'll just continue to be a spoiled brat. I get that. What I don't get, is why I need to hear it!

"Aya-chan. What do you have to say about all of this?" Hokage-dono asks me. I look away, unwilling to make a fool of myself.

"It's alright, Aya-chan. Just breathe. He needs to know." Sensei places a hand on my shoulder. I sigh.

"Once bitten, twice shy." I offer, hoping it'll be enough.

"True, but that doesn't really say anything." Hokage-dono presses.

"What do you want to know, exactly? 'All of this' is vague." I choose my words carefully, which makes me speak much slower than I usually would.

"Uchiha Sasuke. What do you think he wanted with you?" He asks me kindly.

"I don't know. But I've been noticing a weird vibe… He… makes me uncomfortable." Okay, Aya. Good. So far you haven't made yourself look like a complete idiot. Just one that isn't used to talking a lot. This isn't perfect, but it isn't bad either.

"Do you think he would want to hurt you?" I nod, grateful it's a simple 'yes or no' question.

"She embarrassed the idiot during a spar just before graduation." Uzumaki-san offers, probably seeing the 'why is that' coming.

"I see. And why did you file a complaint against Kakashi?"

That was in the complaint! Come on! I really don't want to make myself look stupid here! "Lead by example."

"Are you sure you weren't doing as Yoshino asked?" I raise an eyebrow. I turn to Ecchi-san. Though he didn't say the words, I know he's the one behind this.

"Is that what you think?" He doesn't look me in the eyes. I point to my headband, proudly worn on my neck. "This proves me an adult. Capable, **responsible**. You've forgotten what that means." I narrow my eyes at him, anger and frustration boiling up within me. A soft squeeze from Sensei helps me to remember she's supposed to handle this. I step back into the spot she wanted me to stand.

"Aya, what would happen if I were to return you to Kakashi's care?" I narrow my eyes at that. Then I snort.

"I won't go." Why in the flying fart is this about me!? Why? Why are people forcing… That's his game? Force me to talk, force me to back down? Fine, we'll play you're game, but by my rules.

I point to Yoshino-sensei. "Caring."

I point to Ecchi-san. "Uncaring."

I point to Sensei. "On time."

I point to Ecchi-san. "Late."

I point to Sensei. "Helps me."

I point to Ecchi-san. "Orders me around. Doesn't respect me. Demands respect. Doesn't care." I tilt my head to one side. "Questions?"

"And her taking you shopping doesn't hurt?" Ecchi-san tries. My only response is a glare.

"Yoshino-sensei…?" I warn her that I really will start acting out if this crap continues. I briefly wonder why Hokage-dono and Ecchi-san look shocked, but I just hate this situation too much to look too much into it.

"Gentlemen. I believe everything that needs to be said has been said. Will there be anything else, Hokage-sama?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Leaving the Tower. Walking back to the Commercial District where Sensei says we still have two things she wants done.

Well, that meeting was pointless. And frustrating. And pointless. Oh so very pointless. No point at all. "Oh, hey, Aya-chan, Naruto-kun. How've you guys been?" Haruno-san? Oh, I am sooo not getting into this conversation.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! You know us, we're living it up!" Uzumaki-san's mask is once again perfectly in place. He sounds like a clueless idiot that doesn't know Haruno-san doesn't like him.

"Where's Sasuke-kun?" Ah, the real reason she cares we're still alive.

Uzumaki-san makes a vague motion with his hands. "Some specialized training." I like how he words that.

"Already!? Of course, this **is** Sasuke-kun we're talking about!" Back at this are we? Why… Aya. Stop. You're already plotting bad things to do to her. Stop. "I'm actually planning on much the same! Even though I didn't pass the second exam, the hospital has an entrance exam next week for medical training!"

"Why, what a coincidence! Aya-chan is signing up as well!" Sensei jumps into the conversation. I sigh mutely. Why me? What have I done to deserve this? Ecchi-san isn't enough? Uchiha-san isn't enough? No, I have to deal with this too! Why cares if I agreed to not fight it! I never said I won't complain every step of the way!

"That's so cool! Our little Aya-chan is going to be a medic!" I glare at Uzumaki-san for his stupid words. "Aw, come on! You have to admit that you'd be totally awesome!"

I glare even harder. Taijutsu. Medic jutsu. Kodachis. Flute. "Too many things at once."

"It's better to be good at a dozen little things, than perfect at one big thing." Yoshino-sensei says. I'm not sure what to even make of it. Whatever.

"Anyway, Sakura-chan, right? Well, Sakura-chan, you'll see Aya-chan at the exam. For now, we really must be off. We have plenty other things to do today. Although it would be nice if you got over yourself and stopped letting Uchiha Sasuke get between you and Ino-chan. Just saying." I feel better. Now that Sensei said the exact things I wanted to tell Haruno-san to shut her up. I feel much better.

Still. Really. Four completely unrelated things to study? This is going to end up being a bit much! I hope I can handle it!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The day finally –FINALLY– comes to an end. I look around my little apartment, in shock. Over in the corner where once stood my rolled up futon, now stands a bed. Next to it, a nightstand where I can actually place my glasses – glasses! I still need to go pick up my new glasses! Whatever, tomorrow.

Across from my bed is my new closet. It's nothing special, just two doors and three drawers, but my clothes no longer have to sit in my dryer until I wear them! To the foot of my bed stands my new bookshelf. Yoshino-sensei even helped me to set up a little curtain hanging from the side of the bookshelf to the wall, offering me a little privacy if I should ever want it. All the books that were once stacked one on top the other, are now neatly organized on my bookshelf.

I look around my little apartment. It somehow feels warmer than it ever has. Sensei spent ten-thousand Ryou. She says it was almost nothing, but that money turned this… space… into somewhere I can be at ease.

I shiver, for some reason. Just thinking about how different my life is. Thinking about how different my life will be in the future.

Somehow… somehow I can't imagine my life going the way I used to think it would go. I don't know how it'll go anymore. I don't know if I'll want to join the Anbu. I don't know if I'll manage to keep people away from me anymore.

It's almost as if Ino changed me, as stupid as that sounds. Well, her and Uzumaki-san. And… now Yoshino-sensei. It's like a domino effect… but then, Chouji-san would be the first. Chouji-san's the reason for Ino. Ino's the reason for Uzumaki-san. Uzumaki-san… is going to end up being the reason for me trying to talk to Hyuuga-san. But then, Ino's also responsible for Yoshino-sensei, isn't she…? I don't know. I really don't know. I wouldn't put it past her.

I sigh. Aya. Shut up. Just check your nightstand drawer if your kodachi is still there, put your glasses on your nightstand, and go to sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day once again! And you **really** don't want to disappoint Yoshino-sensei, do you?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Right on time." Yoshino-sensei opens the door to greet us before Uzumaki-san even has the chance to knock. She eyes us, in our new uniforms. Uzumaki in his dark blue that almost makes him invisible in the low lighting. Me in my pink shirt, maroon kimono jacket and maroon cargo pants. He's wearing his kodachis on his lower back, one grip to each side. I'm wearing mine with my grips peeking up over my left shoulder. I smile a little at Sensei, nervous about her teaching me and Uzumaki-san to cook. I've… never been a very 'homely' type. "Naruto-kun. I want you to go wake up Shikamaru. I'll have Aya-chan help me with breakfast. You'll be helping me with lunch. Alright?"

"I'm on it, sensei!" And the blonde blunder is off. I roll my eyes, sliding the door shut behind me.

"Come on, Aya-chan. Breakfast won't cook itself." I smile… I find myself doing that more often these says; smiling. How odd.

Preparing breakfast is completely different from what I expected. Sensei takes her time to explain the preparations for each dish. Washing the rice. Cleaning, cutting, chopping, slicing and dicing the vegetables and meats; seasoning them. She explains combining seasonings with meats. Using vegetables as seasonings. Oils that mix with what. What needs salt. What needs sugar.

She doesn't spare any detail. She doesn't shy away from telling little secrets, like things she knows Chouji-san likes to eat. She doesn't treat me like an idiot when I ask something silly, or if I say it wrong. She doesn't sugar coat her words, telling me like it is. But she also doesn't say things just to make me feel bad.

She's… different. A good different.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After breakfast, Sensei sees Nara-san off. I hear Chouji-san at the door welcoming him – he even comes in to tell us good morning – very sweet of him.

After that… it's training. Real training. REAL training. Half hour warm up. An hour taijutsu katas so Uzumaki-san can teach his muscles the proper forms he needs to remember. Every time he messes up, I'm allowed to smack him. Not that Sensei suggested it, but I did it the first time and he's been learning far quicker every since. I think Sensei's amused with both of us because of it.

After that, we take a mission. Then we get a snack, which sensei drags both of us into the kitchen to help her prepare. Then we do another warm up, then training with a single kodachi.

Then another mission. Lunch, Uzumaki-san gets dragged into the kitchen this time. I'm allowed to study one of the books Sensei gave me while I wait. After lunch is eaten, and Uzumaki-san brings Chouji-san's team thei share of it, we go for another warm up. Sensei offers one private instruction on something – I don't know what she's making Uzumaki-san do, but I'm instructed to practice another sound-release jutsu from that book. This one is a D-rank genjutsu that I can toy with even after its cast – apparently that's not usually the case with genjutsus.

Then another mission. Our third for the day. We get another snack –which we once again both have to help her with– then we do something different: planning and tactics. She teaches Uzumaki-san and me how to play a game called Shogi. She takes her time to explain the rules, a few tactics, what to pay attention to. We're walked through the first game, allowed to think out loud, given pointers.

Then our last mission for the day. Sensei finally points out that she'd taken four this morning, to make sure we really do get four for the day. Sensei drags me into the kitchen this time, to help prepare dinner. Just like this morning, I'm explained the menu, the combinations, the little details. I'm allowed to chop vegetables without her looking over my shoulder this time – I didn't even notice she was doing that until I notice her _not_ doing it.

Chouji-san's team joins us, which Sensei seems to have planned for. Nara-sama also joins us, as he did for breakfast – he's really quiet during meals, so I didn't even know he was here this morning. I'm asked a few times to go prepare another bottle of sake – apparently, you need to warm it up first. Who knew. I manage without killing anyone! I did make it a bit too warm the first time, but he compliments that it's just right every time after.

I…

I…

I shouldn't enjoy this as much as I do. I don't know why I shouldn't, but I shouldn't. I mean… it's basically chores. All of it. The missions are all raking yards, weeding gardens, painting fences. Cooking is the most straight forward chore, and we are expected to help with every meal. We also take turns to help Sensei with the dishes, and setting the table and…

Why am I enjoying this?

"Why the long face?" Ino teases. 'Long face'? My face isn't any longer or shorter than any other time she's seen me. I turn to her, raising an eyebrow to show I have no idea what she means. "What are you thinking about?"

"Are you… enjoying yourself with your team?" I ask. She seems surprised, not having seen that coming.

"Well, I guess? I mean, I'm used to hanging out with those two anyway, so it's not like it's something new." She thinks about it some more. "But… I really hate the stupid missions we're doing, and it's so annoying to have to deal with Shikamaru's constant complaining!"

So I'm weird then. "I enjoy it." I admit, my cheeks burning up from a blush. "The missions, the training, the complaining, the… extra chores… the cooking, the washing up… spending pretty much every moment with Uzumaki-san and Yoshino-sensei… it's…" What's the word? 'Nice'? Not telling the whole story. 'Comfortable'? That just sounds like a new pair of slippers. 'Incredible'? That's too Uzumaki-flavoured for me.

"It's… home."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 9_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Sorry about the last two scene being so exposé-styled, but I really want to show what their days are slowly becoming. I want to show how Aya really does think of most of it as chores; this, then that, then the other. I wanted it to feel repetitive. This... kind of shows just how much Aya loves it, heedless of the repetition of it._**

 ** _As well... I'm starting to really feel like Aya's taking me over! I mean, I woke up at like 4 this morning, and I couldn't fall back asleep. So what do I do? Plan, plot and daydream about Aya._**

 ** _Just a warning before I go, though... Yoshino isn't going to permanently be Team 7's sensei. Not because she doesn't want to be, and certainly because she can't handle reasons will be made clear at some point, but I just wanted to point out now so that no one gripes too much when the switch takes place. If Yoshino was meant to be the sensei, she'd have been the sensei from the get-go ^_^ I prefer to think of her as... a catalyst._**


	12. Interlude 2 – Some wounds never heal

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Interlude 2 – Some wounds never heal_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

There are things that happen in this world. Things that no man, woman or child should ever be subjected to; things that keep happening to a (in his opinion) very undeserving Sarutobi Hiruzen. He holds up his hand to stall whatever is about to be said. He opens a drawer and reaches into it, taking out a bottle marked as 'Nara Yoshino'. He takes two pills from that bottle and swallows them, washing them down with some tea.

"How can I help you, Yoshino-chan?" The fact that she is, once again, here with Kakashi... that's why he needed to take those extra strength painkillers; easing the inevitable headache coming his way.

"I'm here to set a deadline for Kakashi. He has one month to convince me he's capable of leading Team Seven, or I will make the change permanent." That... is unexpected.

"I'm not sure I understand." The Third admits.

"My objections are all about his attitude and actions. Things that can be fixed. Should he fix these things, my objections would no longer be valid." True... very true... but Hiruzen didn't think she'd be so understanding about this.

"I agree with you, Yoshino-chan. However, I must admit this is... odd, coming from you." The Nara matriarch snorts, unamused.

"Whether Kakashi wants to admit it or not, he wants this team. And... unfortunately, Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun still respect him... for some reason." She sounds annoyed by that. Ah, so she's willing to bend for their sakes, not Kakashi's. That's a lot more like the Yoshino the aged shinobi remembers.

"And Aya-chan?" The deal-breaker, would be Hiruzen's guess, but he has to be sure. And he's sure Kakashi needs to hear this as well.

"She's the reason I stepped in in the first place. What do you think I'm going to tell you?" Yoshino says sweetly... too sweetly.

"So you expect me to earn back the trust of someone with trust issues, who'd taken an almost instant dislike to me. And do this in under a month?" Kakashi asks. He's been on easier S-ranked missions!

"That's the deal." She nods seriously.

"That's also impossible." Kakashi counters.

"As you are now, it would be." She smiles warmly. "That's exactly why I'm offering you the deal. Mess up, and they're mine."

Kakashi snorts. "Like you won't keep hovering this threat over my head until all three of them are chuunin."

"Oh no... if you somehow do manage to win Aya's trust. She'd still come to me with everything. She'd still keep me up to date on everything you say, everything you do. So I could easily keep the threat going until they're jounin. Or Hokage, if Naruto's serious about pursuing it." Kakashi groans at her words. How sad that he knows she's right. Aya would happily kill him, if Yoshino asks her to... or even suggests it really.

"So why would you let me?"

"Because they need you." There isn't even a pause in there, there isn't even a moment's hesitation. Yoshino truly believes her words to be true. That throws the ex-Anbu Captain for a loop. They _need_ him...? "Naruto wants to be Hokage. He'll need someone far stronger and more capable than me to take him the distance. Aya wants to be Anbu Captain by the time she's twenty. She'll need someone to show her the ropes and teach her to survive in that world. And Sasuke... Once he gets over himself, he'll need someone to teach him how to walk that razor's edge between depression and hatred."

Kakashi takes a moment to digest that. It sounds as if they need the Anbu Captain to train them, but the personality attached is the deal-breaker.

"You are capable of being exactly what all three of them need, for the sakes of their careers. It's the idiot, the staring-at-a-stone-dedicated-to-the-dead-while-ignoring-the-living moron... he's the one that needs to disappear. Do you understand?"

Kakashi nods, but he knows it to be a hopeless case. He could easily bribe Naruto and Sasuke with training. But Aya? You might as well ask him to gather dust from the moon.

"This is your only chance, Kakashi. If you want to be there for _him_... I suggest you take it." Yoshino hammers her message home.

"Would you help me to understand her?" If Yoshino didn't know any better, she might actually think he sounded vaguely desperate.

"If you cannot see through her mask, all the information I can give you is pointless. Use that supposed 'genius' brain of yours. Figure it out. And do not, under any circumstances attempt to enter her apartment without her permission. You'd only make her hate you more."

Kakashi nods. Making a mental note to nose around while she's with Yoshino. He'll just have to be overly cautious while doing so.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

So this is why...

Getting into Aya's apartment was laughably easy. She has no skills in the sealing arts after all, so the civilian locks barely even slowed him down. The traps by the window were easy enough to spot from the inside, but he's really happy he didn't try to enter that way. She doesn't even have enough things to take too long to peruse it all. The books and scrolls were all noted for him to go over later, so he'd know how to help her.

It's this one book. An unmarked book. The cover shows its age, and the scuff marks show just how often the book has been used, how often it's been handled. That's what drew his attention in the first place. So when he takes the book, carefully handling it in case it's fragile. When he turns to the first page of said book.

So this is why...

It's a doodle. Not a drawing, because drawings are cleaner, nicer, prettier. Though he can easily identify the three people in the doodle, it's only because he knows them well enough. On the left, Namiki Satsuma, Aya's father. On the right, Namiki Miwako, Aya's mother. In the middle, sandwiched in a loving cocoon, is Aya herself. The three of them are smiling, happy... together. He also notices the smudges in the ink... evidence of tears that have bathed this doodle over the years.

He turns the page. Children playing, chibi-styled children. Her classmates. He recognises certain traits on each of them. The Akimichi boy, with the swirls on his cheeks. The Nara boy, with his pineapple like hairstyle. The Inuzuka, with a pup and the fang-like tattoos. They're all playing, other than two in the centre of the doodle. One with whisker-like markings on his face, the other with long hair and tears in her eyes. Aya... and Naruto... She hates being alone. It doesn't take the Lone Wolf long to decide why she does it. He'd kept people away for the same reason: no one close to you, no one can hurt you.

He turns the page again. His one visible eye widens in shock. Her apartment... well, mostly. It's missing her bed, her closet, her nightstand, her bookshelf and the curtain. But, it's easily recognizable as her apartment. The low table, the couch, the kitchen... there's also a futon where the bed currently stands. But... it's empty. No one's home... Kakashi understands what it means... an empty house. She hates coming back to an empty house.

Another page is turned. The apartment again, only this time, Aya's obviously training. She's holding her balled fists up in the air, standing on the balls of her feet. Muay Thai, he recognizes Miwako's signature fighting style. There're barely noticeable beads of sweat on the girl's forehead; she's been at it for a while. What strikes him as odd... is the vague outline of another person. All the doodles are inked in. No trace of a pencil being used at all. So whatever that outline is, it's done on purpose. Like someone's supposed to be... there... She wants someone to see her. To see her train... to teach her...

That realization almost knocks the air out of the Hatake. He still turns the page.

The fifth doodle. The only thought that comes to mind at all: depression. Three graves at the bottom of the doodle. Aya's in the middle, her parents' to either side. Their names carefully etched into the headstones, in the same style Kakashi recognises as actually being used on headstones. In the middle are treetops, butterflies, birds singing; there are even little notes to show the birds really are singing. And at the top... a ghostly, grown-up-looking Aya being embraced by her parents. There's a straight line drawn from her parent's ghostly figures, leading to carefully scribbled dialogue. Her father telling her how proud he is for all the lives she'd saved. Her mother telling her how proud she is for all the enemies she'd ended.

This is why... why she's so carefully alone. She plans on fulfilling her parents wishes, and dying on a mission. She doesn't want to build bonds, not just because they can hurt her... but because she'd hurt them.

Another page turned. Then another. Happy doodles. It seems only the first five are depressing. The others are all... happy. Lively. And... there's a lot of the Akimichi boy. A lot of dancing, music being played. She seems to like the theatre, Kakashi recognizes a few of the plays she'd doodled scenes from.

One doodle in particular stands out though. Aya and the Akimichi boy dancing, surrounded by butterflies. Kakashi sees the love in the girl's eyes, as she gazes at the boy. But he's smiling and looking at the butterflies instead. How odd... that she'd drawn it like this. She wants him to be happy, just not with her. All the while admitting, even if only to herself, that she could only ever be happy if she's with him. She doesn't just like the boy... she loves him. So much that she can't consider being with him while she's not planning on living long enough to grow old with him.

Eventually, Kakashi comes to the last doodle. Yoshino has a strict look on her face, hands on her hips and shouting: Focus! Naruto is in the Muay Thai stance? And Aya is playing a flute? She plans on teaching him Muay Thai. She... doesn't wake up every morning for herself. She wakes up because someone needs her to...

She needs to be needed.

Kakashi briefly wonders if Aya even knows how much she speaks through her doodles. How much her heart bleeds into the ink.

He carefully puts the book back into its rightful place, almost hidden between the other books. He then carefully, VERY CAREFULLY, makes his way out of the little apartment. He locks the door the same way, refusing to leave any trace he'd been there at all.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Kakashi understands. He finally understands. Yoshino sees through people, their masks, their carefully constructed public persona. So, as Kakashi masks his presence, as he studies Naruto and Aya, he tries to do the same. He tries to see them as they are, not as they present themselves to be.

Naruto... Minato-sensei's legacy... isn't the happy-go-lucky idiot the village sees, that he shows the world. Sure, Kakashi knew the boy was ignored, and sometimes even abused; often emotionally, but if the person is drunk enough, physically. But... studying him, he sees the little things he'd always missed. The longing when Yoshino interacts with her son. The joy whenever Aya encourages him. The annoyance when Sasuke finally shows up, showing off his newly unlocked Sharingan. The protectiveness whenever Sasuke strays too close to Aya. The hope when Aya interacts with Ino.

Kakashi sees so much more than he ever thought was there.

Aya, on the other hand is... more predictable now. She's distant if she can help it, but the second someone shows they need something, she doesn't hesitate. If Naruto loses focus, she smacks him. If Naruto seems sad, she smiles at him. If the Yamanaka girl needs to chat, she listens. If the Akimichi boy seems troubled, she touches him. If the Nara looks unwilling when he needs to do something, she smacks him; which happens a lot. Kakashi can only guess that hitting is easier than saying things.

And Sasuke. He's... more complex than Kakashi'd hoped. He knows about the avenger thing, but... if you look close enough? There's a longing in his eyes whenever Aya and Naruto interact. No matter the interaction, no matter the reason for it, that barely noticeable longing is there. Does Sasuke think those two could understand him? All three are orphans. Aya'd lost her parents after truly getting to know them. The circumstances are different, but... Sasuke seems to think he could be understood. And he needs that.

Nara Yoshino... what are you _not_ capable of?

As Kakashi leaves, he wonders. Could these three... no. He refuses to think that! And yet... he can't help but wonder anyway. Could those three really worm their way into his heart? Naruto... Kakashi was mostly focused on him as a means to repay Minato-sensei, to thank him for saving him from himself. But... if Kakashi's really honest? He can see...

He can see himself playing the father figure... just like Minato-sensei had done for him. "Twenty-eight days left." Kakashi says to himself, en route to a café for an early lunch. "Make it count."

 _ **8-8**_

 _ **End Interlude 2**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry if this is a bit depressing. I kind of wanted to highlight Kakashi's inner turmoil, and why he's such an emotionally constipated idiot.**_

 _ **So anyway! I won't update for a few days again. I need to focus on Broken's next chapter. I hope you guys are enjoying the story ^_^**_


	13. A new tune

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 10 – A new tune_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's been a day since Uchiha-san has returned. And I can't wait for him to step out of line so he can go away again. If he was annoying before, he's unbearable now. Showing off his stupid new eyes, acting as if he's lord of the world.

Instead of focusing on him, though, I focus on my fingers. I cannot hope to learn the flute, if I cannot properly control my fingers. Sensei'd taught me some finger-stretches, to help me to relearn how to use them effectively. So I…

Crap. "Yes?" I can't believe I didn't notice Ecchi-san standing there.

"That exercise works best if someone helps you with it. I've had to relearn using body parts often enough to know." I'm informed. I wave him off, left-handed. "Naruto, help her out?"

"She doesn't want the help, Kakashi." Uzumaki learns quickly. I've got to give him that.

"Wanting and needing are not the same." I grumble, glaring holes into the Cyclops. I have no interest in hearing him, let alone hearing him out… HOLY CRAP! I thought that right! On the first go! Wow, Sensei's books really are working wonders!

…

That's going to take a while to get used to. Wording things right the first time around.

Anyway. Fingers. I bend them this way, tug them that way, stretch them the other way, and… pain, pain, pain, pain! OW!

"That's what I mean. It's going to hurt until your muscles grow used to it again." Ecchi-san… ignored. I push through the pain, biting my lip to ensure I don't lose focus, or pass out. Not that I'm sure why biting my lip helps, or if it even really does. It just helps me to focus. I'm going to be complaining about it for days, but… this is needed.

 **FLICK!**

Did Ecchi-san just…?

 **Twitch.**

"Do that again. I **dare** you." I warn, glaring so hard at him that he'd turn into a she if he's not careful. Aya… how…? Stop. Glaring. Ecchi-san.

"Stop being so stubborn. If it was Naruto, would you let him do this alone?"

"Tha…"

…

He shouldn't make so much sense. Since when does Ecchi-san make sense? Did I wake up in a different reality this morning? Is he actually some weird double that looks just like him but is actually someone else entirely?

"You do realise that when you're thinking weird things, you get a little wrinkle in the middle of your forehead?" Without even thinking about it, I swing at the pervert. Brilliant, Aya. He blocks my punch, and grabs my hand-

"#$#% #$ #$!" I can't tell what just flopped out of my mouth. All I know is that it sounds like a single, long, drawn out curse. He did the stretch for me. I'm pretty sure my brains are goo, liquid from the pain that just hit me.

"See what I mean? Doing it right isn't something you can do on your own. Your nervous system won't let you." I snarl at him.

He grabs for my thumb. I look away. It isn't as if I can stop him, or as if this is something that doesn't need to happen.

A blade is unsheathed. I know the sound well enough by now. "Try it." Uzumaki-san?

"Will you do the stretch for her then?" Ecchi-san. There's a long pause. Nothing gets said. "I didn't think so."

I hold back the words this time, but the tears are another story. I hear a raspy, drawn out, tired set of breaths back to back… only to find it's me doing it. Wow… that **_REALLY_** HURT!

"You should be able to do the other exercises in a bit. Take a minute to calm down first." Ecchi-san says, already standing and walking away. Jerk!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I'm really glad it's a 'missions day'. Even more so that Yoshino-sensei is keeping Uchiha-san in line, and away from me. Relaxing in the shade while Sensei was dealing with Uchiha-san turned out to be far less relaxing than I'd planned, but… that's life for you. So, after our second mission, lunch, a little rest, and Sensei dishing out orders of who's doing what, I'm told: "Aya, you're going to practice your flute."

Arguing with Sensei is pretty pointless. So I sit in under the tree once again, my flute in my hands. I've read through that scroll on how to play at least twice, so I know the 'how'… somehow that never quite helps when it comes to actually doing it.

I hold my lips to the blowhole… cover the first three holes with my left index, middle and ring fingers… cover the last four holes with my right index, middle, ring and pinkie fingers. I angle the flute so that when I blow, my air will flow with the curve of the wood… bamboo… the inside of the flute!

Then I blow.

The sound that greets me…

…

…

… … …

That sound did something to me, emotionally, mentally. It's so… happy, so…

I blow again, uncovering one of the holes after a second. The high-pitched note changes. I cover the hole again, lost in how I'm doing that. I… I'm playing music?

I go through each and every note I can make, testing what this wondrous little flute can do. I recognise the sound, the pitch, the notes. I've heard this flute being played over and over again, at festivals…I'd usually listen in from my apartment window. It reminds me of that songbird that used to sing by my window every morning.

Then… the notes turn calm… soothing… What would be seen as sad any other time, just…

I move the flute from my lips, staring at it. I just stare, in slack-jawed awe. Hugging my flute to my chest, I turn to Uzumaki-san. "I think I just fell in love." I say, a goofy grin on my face.

"Lucky you…" He grumbles, studying a scroll Sensei gave him. "Sensei seems to want to make me study all six years of academy crap in two weeks! I swear I'll never get this done!"

I shrug. Understanding the basics is important. I hold my flute properly again, bringing back to my lips, and I blow again. I don't think I'll ever get tired of doing this.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After dinner, after my day is officially done. I find myself wanting to go back in the Nara's yard to play for hours. But I can't. Uzumaki-san wants to head home, and I don't want to upset his plans – whatever they might be. So, I agree to go with him.

I thank Sensei for today, I ignore Uchiha's reaction –whatever it is this time– and I-

"Hey, Aya-chan, you want to walk with us? We're just going to the convenience store for some ice cream. You know how auntie is with too much sweets, so…" Chouji-san…

Breathing is a bit harder, and I know I'm blushing like an idiot again. I nod, not daring to look him in the eyes.

"Can I come?" Uchiha-san!? I'm so shocked that I can't stop myself from staring at him, eyes wide, jaw dropped.

"… Why do you want to?" Uzumaki-san asks, clearly not trusting him.

"It's on the way." I don't know if he's telling the truth, but I don't care either.

"No bragging. No getting too close to Aya-chan. And if you step out of line just once, we break you. Understood?" Uzumaki-san is… really becoming quite protective of me.

"Hnn." Uchiha-san doesn't look very threatened. He shrugs.

"Hey, Naruto-kun, you've been pretty… possessive of Aya-chan lately. Something you want to tell us?" Ino teases. We head out the door, Chouji-san sliding it shut behind him. I think he's… a bit jealous.

"Yeah. She's the only one here that…" He trails off. Obviously he doesn't want to finish that. He wanted to say 'gets it', I can tell. "Let's just go." We walk for a while, no one saying anything. In silence, that's how I could say that. We walk in silence.

"So what do you think of Aya-chan?" Ino presses, already tired of the silence. She's usually so chatty, but I think she's worried Chouji-san has competition or something.

"She might as well be my little sister." He says evenly, his hands on the back of his head as he walks. I smile at him, but roll my eyes to tease him anyway. "I mean, who else would help…" He's dropping his guard, but he doesn't notice it when he does. The only problem is Uchiha-san.

"Nn." I smile again, knowing he's talking about helping to clean up his apartment so he wouldn't get in trouble.

"Relax, Ino. Besides, you already know what the situation is. Stop meowing so much." I giggle at the annoyed look on Ino's face. I start hanging back a little, trying to move closer to Chouji-san. He notices, of course. When he smiles, I blush and look away, but I don't move away. I stay near him.

"So that's how it is, huh." Uchiha-san eyes are on me, but not in a pervy kind of way. I hope.

"Speaking of 'how it is'… care to explain your stupidity the other day?" Uzumaki-san is at it again. Now that we're far enough away from Sensei, he's going to start on Uchiha-san's case. He knows Chouji-san and his team will back him up if it comes to that; so will I.

"Hnn." Uchiha-san sounds like he doesn't want to answer, but… he sighs. "You wouldn't get it."

"You won't know if you don't try." O…kay… this is officially another reality. Ecchi-san helping me. Uchiha-san not being all emo – well, he kind of is, but in a totally different way now. And Uzumaki-san… well, him being a bit protective of me is becoming kind of normal. But his being insightful… that's going to take some getting used to. What's with him and dropping the mask though? He usually isn't like this when others can see him!

"I…" He wants to say it. What's stopping him? He's looking away, but his face is emotionless. Is he embarrassed? "Wanted to talk."

Uzumaki-san snorts. Not that I blame him; that has to be a flat on lie! … FLAT OUT LIE!

"Hnn." Uchiha-san walks ahead, obviously no longer wanting to 'hang out' with us. I…'m not sure how to feel about that.

"… Is it weird that I don't know how to feel about that?" I ask. I'm not sure who I'm asking, but…

No one answers me though.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the convenience store. I pick up the biggest tub of chocolate ice cream they have, craving chocolate like never before. Sensei's been pretty stingy with my chocolate intake; complaining about how too much chocolate will rot my teeth or something. That I still have teeth after pretty much living on chocolate for six years proves her wrong, but bringing that up won't change her mind.

Ino also decides to go with ice cream, but she's going with strawberry? Interesting to know. Uzumaki-san goes with an ice pop, the one with two sticks. Chouji-san's going with more chips – sweet and sour pork? O…kay… And Nara-san's going with… fried mackerel? On a stick too. And people think I'm weird?

"Aya, what's with the look?" Nara-san glares at me. Nothing! "Troublesome. Acting like I didn't see that."

"Heh, Aya-chan got in twouble!" Uzumaki-san teases childishly. When I glare at him, he sticks his tongue out at me. As much as I want to be annoyed, I find myself smiling at his stupidity.

"Moron." I smack him on the back of his head – lighter than any other time so far, so he'll know I'm teasing.

"Chouji-sa~aaan! Aya's abusing me again!" Na… Uzumaki-san acts like he's crying, covering his eyes with his forearm and all. I laugh. What else can I do? I laugh, covering my mouth with my right hand, trying not to drop my ice cream.

"Why am I getting dragged into this?" Chouji-san asks, munching on his chips. "If she's your sister, there's nothing I can do. Getting between siblings is like trying to mix chocolate with potato chips… it's just not gonna work."

Oh, Kami-sama… what am I going to do with these people? And why am I still grinning like an idiot? I mean… forget it. Chocolate. I open the tub… there's no spoon. I sigh, walking back into the convenience store. "Ah, I was wondering when you were going to figure that out." I glare at the idiot behind the counter. He rings up a plastic spoon, tells me the price, and gets annoyed when I decide to dig into my pouch for exact change. I just gave him a big enough bill last time, but if he wants to be a jerk…

Making my way back outside, happily sucking on the chocolate ice cream on my new spoon, I find Na… Uzumaki-san waving his popsicle and saying something to Chouji-san. "But seriously, if you like her, tell her. A girl's not supposed to make the first move."

"U. Zu. Ma. Ki~iiii!"

 **SLAP!**

I huff, sucking on the ice cream once again on my spoon and very much ignoring Uzumaki's angry-red forehead. Serves him right. Fix your own love life before meddling in mine! Hnn!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"We're doing something different today." Yoshino-sensei tells us after breakfast. It's an 'off day', but that's kind of pointless to bring up when Sensei's involved. "Aya, I've arranged a girls' day for you, Ino-chan, and two other kunoichi. I want you to **not** be your usual _charming self_. Am I understood?" How is this fair?

"Yes, Sensei." I say. Arguing with her, as usual, is pointless.

"Naruto, you and Sasuke are with me. I have something special planned for the two of you." It had better be **_REALLY uncomfortable_**! "We're going to talk about Sasuke's 'thing' with Aya." GOOD! Fairness didn't die in this world!

But… could we **not** say it like that? He **didn't** have a 'thing' with me. We **don't** have a 'thing'. And there will **never** be a 'thing' between us!

There's a knock on the door. "Auntie!? Are we too early!?" Ino announces her arrival, but doesn't open the door herself.

"Aya-chan, could you get that please?" I'm asked. I nod, already moving to stand up. "Properly, mind you. I won't have an unmannered young lady welcoming guests into my home." I grumble, complaining about the unfairness of this unholy world.

"Yes, Sensei!" I try to sound upbeat, but really I just feel like smacking someone. I hate being forced to do things, but Sensei won't see it like that. She'll just see it as 'training', and I should as well… ' _ **should**_ '…

Making it to the front door, I slide it open. "Good morning! Sorry for taking so long!" And… this is what I get for not seeing past the obvious trap. Ino. Haruno-san. Hyuuga-san. I sigh mutely. Sensei is **really** sneaky!

"A-aya-chan!?" Haruno-san is clearly shocked at the change in my attitude. I don't blame her.

"Ino, please tell me I got that right…?" I beg with my eyes.

"Auntie put you up to this, huh?" She sounds amused. I look at her nervously, but don't dare answer. I mean, what if Sensei can hear me? "I should have known. Yes, you were the perfect lady. And, yes, I'll be sure to tell her I think so."

"I can hear you, you know!" Sensei announces from the table. I flinch. Crap. That means this little skit isn't over.

"Won't you please come in? We're all sitting at the table. I'm sure Yoshino-sensei won't mind if you join us?" I bow, motioning them into the house. In my head, I'm mumbling and complaining though! I mean, what kind of crap is this!? Do people actually talk like this when opening their door!?

"Thank you, Aya-chan." They say in turn, bow politely, and enter the house.

 **Twitch.**

Ino links her arm with mine, dragging me along. At least _this_ is familiar. I sigh mutely, hoping Sensei doesn't notice. "Good morning, auntie. I'm sure you remember Sakura-chan and Hinata-chan?"

"Of course." Sensei smiles warmly at the three of them. Then her eyes meet mine, and she offers me a private smile, just for me. I blush, pleased. "I trust you girls know why I asked you to be here?"

"Umm, not really? You were a bit vague when you asked me." Ino admits, biting her lip nervously.

"Ah, I apologize. As I'm sure you three have noticed, Aya-chan has been going through a specialized social training. The reasons for this are between Aya-chan and myself. Please **do not** ask her about this. Now, the point is, I want the four of you to have a girls' day out. Go to a café, go to the movies. Do whatever the four of you can agree sounds like fun. No training and no talk thereof. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Yoshino-sensei." I answer immediately. She's been… strict on me answering her properly.

"Yes, auntie." Ino's barely a second behind me with her response.

"Yes, Nara-sama." Haruno-san and Hyuuga-san reply together, just after Ino. It must be the shock of her laying things out the way she does.

"Aya-chan, do you have enough pocket money on you?" Sensei asks.

"Nn!" I nod, blushing a little. Thanks to us taking four missions a day, I've been far better off, financially.

"Good. If you don't mind me asking, why are you wearing your kodachis on your day off?" I'm asked.

"Huh?" I look over my shoulder, seeing the twin grips staring back at me. "Oh! Umm… I guess I'm too used to strapping them on in the morning."

Na… Uzumaki-san starts chuckling to himself. I'm pretty sure I don't want to know, so I'm soooooo not going to ask. I know I worded that right! Hnn!

"Anyway, we've got an entire village to check out! Come on, girls!" I link arms with Hyuuga-san and Ino, dragging them along. It's best to get away from Uzumaki-san for now. He'll just make me do something Sensei would see as 'unladylike' and get me in trouble.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Nara-sama can be scary sometimes." Haruno-san says once we're far enough away from the house. I snort, but don't disagree. She is, not 'can be'.

"It's just how clanswomen are." Ino shrugs. She's probably used to women just like Sensei. I mean, her mother isn't that different.

"Y-your mother i-isn't like that?" Hyuuga-san wonders.

"Hmm?" Haruno-san thinks about that. "No, not really. I mean, she's really strict on me, but… I don't know, she's not really like Nara-sama at all."

I shrug. "To each their own. I mean, my mom was exactly like Yoshino-sensei. Always expecting things to be done just the way she wants. And don't you dare try to tell her otherwise." I po… crap. Sensei! Do you see what you have me doing!?

Haruno-san is staring at me. "Something on my face?" I ask sweetly, just like Sensei would when she's annoyed with someone.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry." She motions for me to calm down. "It's just… I'm not used to hearing you talk."

"So, Hyuuga-san, where do you think we should go first? I know if we let Ino decide, we'll just end up window shopping all morning."

"A-ano… I really like this b-bakery not too f-far from here?" She says. I like her suggestion already. Bakeries have chocolate! "A-and… you can call me H-hinata… if y-you w-want, th-that is."

"Bakery it is!" I completely i-

"Aya-chan, you know auntie's going to ask me about _every detail_ about today, right?"

 **Twitch.**

I sigh. "I'm sorry, Hyuuga-san. It has nothing to do with you. I just… don't get into first names with people."

"I-I see." She deflates, like she did something wrong. Her eyes briefly flick to Ino though, before she looks down and away. Crap! Now I feel guilty! Stupid social norms, stupid social rules, stupid social socialness! I'M AN INTROVERT! STOP MAKING ME OUTROVERT MYSELF! …! EXTRAVERT MYSELF! BE…

Shut up, Aya. Just shut up.

I sigh explosively.

"Ino, just so you know. I blame you."

"I didn't do anything!" She complains, but gets ignored.

"Hinata-san, really. Stop thinking there's somehow something you've done wrong." She looks at me, eyes wide with shock. Then, as those words sink in, she looks embarrassed. She starts blushing and poking her two index fingers together, mumbling some stupid apology.

"…" Haruno-san is staring at me in wide-eyed shock. This is obviously too much for her.

"Don't even think about it, Haruno-san." I grumble in warning. She motions for me to calm down again, already saying something about the thought never having crossed her mind. "So, have you two thought about taking the medic exams? You still have like three days?"

"Hmm? No, not really. I mean, I'm not really the medic type. Can you imagine me covered in someone else's blood?" Ino just has to go there. She's probably worried about her hair, or something silly like that.

"A-ano… I d-don't think f-father would a-approve." Hinata-san points out. Great. That means I'll be stuck with Haruno-san. And I'll need to think of a completely different angle to hang around Hinata-san more often.

I wonder though… it **is** something Sensei would do. "Hmm. Too bad. I mean, when Uzumaki-san heard about me taking the exam, he sounded _really_ impressed. I think he _really_ respects medics. What did he call me again…? 'Totally awesome'…?"

"A-a-an-n-n-no… m-mayb-be I sh-should ask… j-just t-to b-be s-sure…" She's a blushing, stuttering mess. Well, that wasn't the plan, but…

"Maybe you should. I mean, there aren't a lot of Hyuuga medics, are there? Having a good medic in your clan would allow your clansmen to ask about problems they don't want the public to know about, right?" Hinata-san hums thoughtfully. "And Ino, if you don't at least take the exam… I will find a way to get back at you. I still blame you and your nosiness." I raise an eyebrow, daring her to challenge me.

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry!?" Did I hit a sore spot? "Alright, alright. You win! I'll take the exam!"

"Yes, you will. And you'll do your best during the exam too. I'd hate to have to tell Yamanaka-sama that you may have failed on purpose. That would be most … inappropriate?" I grin at her. And not just any grin. Na… mou! Uzumaki-san's patented that's-what-you-get grin. The one he saves for pranking someone that REALLY annoyed him far too long.

It isn't until her face goes pale that I really enjoy doing this to her though. Yup, Yamanaka-sama is just as bad as Sensei.

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh? Wouldn't I? I do hope you're right, Ino." I offer sweetly. Too sweetly. I really enjoy how she shivers, thinking about what that might mean for her.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once at the bakery, we all get in line to order something yummy. I decide on a double fudge chocolate brownie. It has hazelnuts as well! Yum!

Hinata-san decides on cinnamon rolls, six of them. Deciding to not make her feel out of place –totally appropriate behaviour(!)– I order three of those brownies instead! Hinata-san and I share a little smile. I don't know what her reason is, but I'm just glad I can use her as an excuse to pig out! I mean, hello! Chocolate!

Haruno-san and Ino order something far more… modest? Yes, modest. Right? It's smaller, because they feel they can handle less food –or calories– than Hinata-san and I. Hmm… modest would work. I'll have to ask Sensei if that's a good way to word it. Mental note!

Anyway. Once we place our orders, pay at the register, and receive… Okay, my mouth is watering. I sooooo want to skip the pleasantries and get to my brownie! Luckily, Hinata-san feels the same, so we hurry Ino –who's being a blonde and flirting with the idiot behind the register– and we grab an empty table away from the window. Wait a minute… 'to be a blonde'… that means… acting airheaded, right? Well, flirting with some idiot for discount… hmm, not exactly stupid, but… I still feel like that's worded wrong…

Aya. Who cares? You didn't say it out loud. Just avoid blonde references until your next 'meeting' with Sensei. She'll know the right wording.

"I still can't believe you can handle so much!" Ino complains. I shrug, not caring. I want to point to Hinata-san, but that's probably going to make the shy girl even more self-aware, and we don't want that.

"I can't believe you still survive on so little?" Should that have been a state…ment. Crap! Now you're second guessing everything! Just stop. Chocolate! Your reward is here! I rip the bag a little, fold it back, and wrap a napkin over the paper just in case. I'm sooooooo not going to disappoint Sensei if I can help it!

Satisfied with my handiwork, I take a bite. My eyes close on their own, my taste buds take over. I hear a pleased moan, even as my eyes partly roll up into the back of my head. I sooooooo deserve this!

A shy little giggle tells me Hinata-san is enjoying my reaction. I turn to her, make eye contact then look to the brownie, then I make an appreciative noise; these are **really** good! She offers a little smile. "Nn." She noises, agreeing with me. She takes a bite of her cinnamon roll, quietly munching away. I don't know why she isn't as vocal as I am, but it might just be my chocolate addiction at work.

"I still can't get over how different you are." Haruno-san eventually points out. I squint my eyes at her briefly, then tilt my head for a moment longer than the eye-squint; how so? I'm not talking with my mouth full, and I certainly am NOT stopping from this slice of paradise because you have something to say! "Compared to… oh, the six years I've known you in the academy?"

I shrug. Adaptation is a defined kunoichi trait. Sensei always has these quirky little sayings to throw at you for every situation… 'quirky'… wow. I've really been hanging around Sensei a lot if I'm using words like that now.

"By the way, Aya-chan! How's your flute practice coming along?" Ino asks. That gets the others curious almost immediately. I glare a little at Ino, eyeing the brownie and a half I still have to go! Just because you ordered less doesn't mean I have to rush to keep up, or stall because of your questions!

Still, this **is** something I wouldn't mind talking about. I swallow, carefully dab my mouth with another napkin, cover my mouth with napkin still in hand… check, check, check… okay, just to talk with hand covering my mouth, just in case. "I'm not very good yet, but I'm loving it! I never thought I would find something I love… well, not more, but at least as much as chocolate!"

"Wow, really? You're comparing it to chocolate?" Ino understands just how deep this goes, I can tell in her eyes.

"Uh huh. There's just… something about it. It just does things to me, you know? I mean, I can't even play 'twinkle, twinkle' yet… but I can't help but love every note that comes out of it, you know?" I hope that makes sense.

"What… kind of flute do you play?" Haruno-san is really unsure what to say, but she seems curious. Maybe she just wants to know if I spoke just because Ino asked me?

"… ummm…" I know this, come on Aya! The blacksmith told you! "A shinobue. The one that's good for festivals?"

"Hayashi styled?" Hinata-san didn't stutter? Hmm, interesting.

"That's the one!" I smile at her.

"Those are really popular! I love listening to the geisha playing them at parties!" So, music; she loves music.

"I love the sounds they make. The happy high notes, the soothing low notes." I offer with a goofy little smile. I really love playing my flute.

"There's this one song that I really love. It's called 'Calm lake', have you heard it?" She asks, not a hint of anything on her face, in her voice, or anywhere, of the stuttering little shy mouse.

"No, I haven't. I might know it if I hear it though! I've always loved wind instruments!"

"I'll try to invite you for the next festival. Father always takes Hanabi-chan and I to a private party. There are always geishas dancing, and singing, and there's always a play. It's… it's amazing!" I can tell she's passionate about this. Not just from the missing stutter, but the look in her eyes, the way her whole face lights up. She loves this as much as I do!

"Oh, would you? That would be incredible!" I smile brightly, enjoying her passion for the moment.

Ino mentions that there's a 'four-clans party' coming up soon as well. There won't be any geishas there, but there's plenty of fun and music all the same. She invites us –all three of us– to join, if we're all off that day.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After the bakery, we do some window shopping. We watch a movie, we do some more window shopping. We have lunch at the Akimichi restaurant, we do some more window shopping. Ino's really overdoing this window shopping thing.

Anyway, we eventually make it back to Sensei's house. Once inside, I find Chouji-san and Naruto laughing at… I sigh. Chouji-san and Uzumaki-san laughing at Uchiha-san, who's playing Shogi against Nara-san. Of course, Nara-san is winning.

"Chouji-san, Uzumaki-san… We're going to walk the Haruno-san and Hinata-san home. Would you mind coming with us?" I ask, flat out grinning at Na… at Uzumaki-san.

"Aya-chan… that really isn't-" Haruno-san shuts up once I smile a little too sweetly at her. She is NOT ruining this moment!

"Hello, girls. How was your day out?" Sensei announces that she's in hearing distance.

"It was great!" I announce happily. "But, I really don't want to get Hinata-san in trouble for staying out too late. Could I maybe tell you about it later, Yoshino-sensei?"

"That is very thoughtful of you, Aya-chan. Yes, that would be appropriate. Naruto, Chouji. I assume you two are willing to walk with the girls?" She asks sweetly. All I can do is grin wider at the boys. They nod, not seeing any problem at all. Good. Hinata-san would notice if Uzumaki-san hesitates.

It takes some doing, but I manage to 'arrange' our group so that Uzumaki-san and Hinata-san have to walk together. I mean, that I link arms with Ino and Hinata-san, and just 'happen' to walk close to Uzumaki-san, purely coincidence.

After we drop off Hinata-san though, the fun kind of dies down. I'm at least grateful that Haruno-san decides to walk the…

"Sorry, Sakura. If auntie finds out I let you walk home alone…" Chouji-san shivers. Ino and I don't disagree with him either, Sensei is scary when she wants to be. Oh well, I guess that means I have to 'play nice' a little longer.

"So, Chouji-san. You never did tell me how you like my new look?" Okay… this is entirely your fault, Ino! Watching you flirt with that guy is SOOOOOOOOOO not… well, it's helping me by knowing what to say… but it's not helping, because I'M SAYING IT!

"Ino… why does that sound like something you'd say?" Haruno-san is very much being ignored.

"It suits you. A brighter red would really brighten you up, but this… makes you look pretty and professional." Okay, wow. The butterflies are driving me nuts. And I'm starting to get a little lightheaded. "And your kodachis complete the look. I wouldn't mind having you watch my back in a fight."

Okay… my heels ARE turning pink this time. I don't think anyone's ever complimented me so… **completely** before. My outfit, the colour choice, the weapon choice… I'm not just a pretty face to him… I think I like that most of all.

"That's really sweet of you to say, Chouji-kun." Haruno-san butts in. I glare at her, warning her to back off.

…

And then my brain catches up…

Oh, Kami-sama… I nearly chewed on her he… chewed her head off for saying something nice to Chouji-san…

Aya, you are soooo not becoming that kind of…!

…

… … …

…

Aya… breathe. I know that's Chouji-k… Chouji-san's hand on your lower back. Even through my jacket, I can feel the slight pressure of him gently touching me there. I know this is… a bit much for you right now… but, Aya… You really will pass out if you don't breathe!

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 10_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I know Hinata is somewhat OoC with the whole music thing, but... I really want to give her something she's passionate about, something that will allow her and Aya to grow close on their own, without Aya's plainly obvious agenda. As well, I know giving Aya 'yet another' Mary-Sue trait is going to give everyone that itch. I know, I just don't care. If by chapter 10 Aya isn't firmly established as not being 'Mary-Sue', I really don't know what else to tell you. And this is ignoring slowly building up towards musical talent, seeing as she can't even play a simple melody yet. And that I've been 'plot bunnying' this since chapter... 4? But, go ahead... *acts faint* tell me how I'm 'Mary-Sue'ing' my way through this._**

 ** _Sorry, had to get that out of my system. Seriously though! I'm loving this story!_**


	14. Chouji: Touching

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 11 – Chouji: Touching_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"So, Chouji-san. You never did tell me how you like my new look?" Aya didn't. She didn't just ask me that. Okay, buddy. Easy. Breathe. This is not a drill. This is not a rehearsal. A girl just asked you how she looks; one you like!

Okay. Think. What upsets Ino the least when you say something about her looks? Well, anything that leads to: 'And what is that supposed to mean!?' Okay, vague is out. Vague means you don't know. Okay… so what about saying she looks pretty. Hmm, no. Vague. Ino just goes and asks what I find pretty, or what looks good.

I can't leave out that I think she's pretty. Ino would just assume that means I think she's ugly. Okay… so… "It suits you." Why does it suit you? "A brighter red would really brighten you up, but this…" Crap, Chouji! What are you doing!?

"… makes you look pretty and professional." Okay, she's blushing. But is that a good blush or a bad blush? Or is she just turning red because she's upset and is about to kill me? Oh! Her kodachis… if I leave those out she'll think something's weird about that too… hmm. "And your kodachis complete the look. I wouldn't mind having you watch my back in a fight." Ha! Take that Ino! Oh wait… I don't even know if Aya thinks like that.

She's looking away. The back of her neck is turning pink again. No tension in her neck, no tension in her back… that I can see. You never know if her jacket is covering the worst of it.

"That's really sweet of you to say, Chouji-kun." Sakura points out, smiling at me. Okay. So she thinks I worded that well enough to not get killed. Girls would know this kind of thing, right? How other girls would react to a guy's words? Yes, they most definitely would. I don't know how, but they would. Girls are **really** confusing, so I don't know how anyone makes sense of them.

Holy crap! Aya's about to pop! And it isn't because of me either. Her neck, shoulders, back, arms, everything is tense like she's about to pounce. And Sakura's REALLY uncomfortable now too.

Then, without warning, the tension eases. Nothing happened, not as far as I can tell. So… why is Aya suddenly calming down? Is it because Sakura got the message? Not that I know what that message is supposed to be, but… obviously there's some secret communication going on between them – nothing positive though, seeing as Sakura was about to wet herself.

Okay, now Aya's embarrassed. What? Okay, buddy, think. You don't have chocolate on you, so what else works on mom whenever she gets weirdly emotional for no reason. Hmm, she seems to calm down when dad rubs her lower back. Okay… thin ice, Aya doesn't like people touching her… but she did sort of admit the other day that she doesn't mind me touching her. Okay, go for broke, and pray lady luck likes me.

I gently place my hand on her lower back. I don't move my hand, just place it there. I keep an eye on her, just to make sure I would see the signs of her about to blow a fuse.

Okay, no knee-jerk reaction. Good. Good. She was already blushing, so I can't tell if she's still blushing from whatever made her blush in the first place, or if she's blushing from the contact.

Nothing bad is happening. So far, it looks like you'll walk away from this. "Hey, you okay?" I lean in and whisper into Aya's ear. I know dad does that a lot with mom too, I don't know why he does, but I know she doesn't mind him doing that.

"N-nn." Aya nods.

"Okay enough for us to keep going?" I whisper again. She nods, not noising this time. She then starts walking ahead, she grabs Ino and… she's not looking at me at all. Not that I need her to. Every time the wind blows, I catch a glimpse of her neck, and I notice she's still blushing, from the pink tinge to her usually pale skin.

I have no idea what to think. She didn't kill me, and she isn't acting like she wants to. But…

Buddy… girls never make sense to you. Just because you like her, doesn't mean Aya suddenly will make sense. Just make sure to pray to Kami-sama in thanks for helping you survive that potential minefield of female rage.

Oh, and make sure to thank dad too. Seeing him around mom is at least a good place to start.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once back at Shikamaru's, auntie demands we all sit at the table again. She drags Naruto into the kitchen to help her make a snack. Hmm, I could eat.

Aya is still acting REALLY weird. Blushing, staring at me, and when I look in her direction she hides her face and… Girls really just make no sense.

Anyway. Auntie makes her famous popcorn chicken – weird name, but it's what she calls it. It's basically small cuts of chicken, breaded, and baked. I think it's supposed to be fried, but auntie would probably see that as 'unhealthy'.

We're each offered chopsticks, and auntie has Aya pour some tea for everyone. Hmm, why… is she pouring for me last? Is that important? I don't know. I'm not really sure I care, but Aya just doesn't seem the type to do things at random. Just because I don't understand her reasoning, doesn't mean she doesn't have one.

"So, Aya-chan. How was your day?" Auntie begins. I can't help but feel bad for Aya. She really doesn't like talking. I'm not sure why that is, but it's something that's been proven time and time again.

"It was a lot of fun. We went to the bakery, to the movies, to the Akimichi restaurant, and we did a lot of window shopping. Did you know that they made a movie based on 'Ronin'? You know that book written by Kouzuki Urabe? That Frost country author?" Wow. Didn't see that coming. Aya's really chatty right now.

"I haven't read it. Is it any good?" Auntie asks.

"It's a modern classic! The story of a samurai's fall from grace. How he loses all honour in his home country, then shamed by his wife sleeping with his brother. He loves his brother too much to kill him, so he leaves. Once he enters the 'land of wolves', he meets this peasant girl, a beggar really." She keeps going on and on about the story. I almost want to read the book –or at least watch the movie– just from how passionately she's talking about it.

What really surprises me, is the look in her eyes. I've always thought of her as reserved, distant, almost cold. But the warmth in her eyes, the way her hands dance in front of her as she talks. How her voice almost sings every word she speaks.

I really wish I understood why she doesn't like to talk. Her voice is addictive.

I shake off that last thought. Not something I need to think about with her this close to me. At all.

"Interesting. And what about calling Hinata-chan by her given name?" Auntie asks. Hmm, I wonder about that. I mean, she's been calling me by my given name too. Ino as well. But she tends to call everyone by their family name. Is there a reason for it? Of course there is… but what? Why? Namiki Aya, just who are you?

"She offered." Aya looks down and away. She's embarrassed? Only, not for herself. She's embarrassed for Hinata.

"Aya~aaaaaa…"

"I won't say, Yoshino-sensei. I'm sorry, but Hinata-san wouldn't appreciate me talking about her behind her back." Aya… she's defensive. Even towards auntie? I look to Ino, who's beaming at the brunette. I look to auntie, who's smiling warmly at her.

"That is acceptable. One shouldn't speak of a friend's private reasons." Auntie smiles a little wider when Aya denies that they're friends. Hmm. That's not too weird. I mean, even though I hang out with Naruto, I don't really consider him a friend. He's just someone I hang out with from time to time.

Not that I have anything against him. I just don't know him that well. But… well, he's Aya's teammate. Shouldn't I try to get to know him? Well, technically that would count for Sasuke too, but I doubt Aya would care if I never get to know that jerk at all. I doubt she'd care if he burst into flames right in front of her.

Naruto's not that kind of person to her, though. I can tell they care for each other. Not romantically, thank Kami-sa… way to go, Chouji. Make yourself uncomfortable.

Okay. Chouji, just follow the conversation. Stop thinking stupid thoughts abou… just stop.

"Is there something I should know? I mean, Hinata-chan seems like a wonderful person, if a bit shy. I think you two would get along." Auntie asks. Hmm, she seems to know something. I'm not sure what, but something.

Aya's acting weird again. She isn't embarrassed this time, but she isn't happy either. Something about this is bugging her. I don't know what, though. "She's great. And she's passionate about music. She really loves the theatre, and plays, and she really loves-" This is making less and less sense. Aya is talking about Hinata as if they're best friends, how they share a passion for music, theatre, and a bunch of other stuff I didn't know Aya was into to begin with. And yet she refuses to call Hinata a friend?

She's completely different now. Her words are no longer sung, her voice almost ghostly compared to what it was. Her eyes are empty as well, no emotion at all. This is the Aya I recognize from the academy: alone.

"Auntie, is this really needed?" I ask, hearing more fire in my tone than... well, ever. Why do I suddenly feel so angry? Why do I suddenly feel like shouting at auntie for doing this to her, forcing her to retreat into that shell of a person she used to be? I don't understand why Aya's acting the way she is, at all… all I know is that I hate seeing her like this.

"Aya-chan." Auntie ignores me completely. "I know something is bothering you, and I would prefer it if you didn't bottle it up. Would you rather speak to me alone?"

"… n-nn." Aya-chan nods, already moving to stand. I watch her as she walks to auntie's office. I study the slight droop in her shoulders, the sudden lead in her feet. She looks like Shikamaru when his dad's bringing him somewhere to train.

Somehow… I can't even bring myself to eat. The snack is delicious, as always. Lightly flavoured, subtle, delicate; just like I like it. All I can seem to think about is Aya. What weighs her down? What… what is bothering her? And how can I make it go away…?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

A zombie. That's what Aya reminded me of. After she came back from auntie's office, she just… plopped into her seat and didn't react to anything. "Chouji." I turn to auntie, wondering what's going on.

"Give this to Asuma when you see him tomorrow." She hands me a scroll.

"Is she okay?" I ask, looking at Aya again. She… just seems so lost.

"She will be. She just needs time to recharge." She says, but I'm not sure I believe her or not. And that certainly does nothing about Aya not being okay right now! "Walk her home?"

I wonder about that. Aya really shouldn't be alone right now. "She needs time, Chouji. Too many people around her will overload her circuits. Just trust me. Aya isn't the first introvert I've had to deal with."

"But…" Just looking at Aya, I can't help but feel like she'd implode the second she's alone.

"She's stronger than you think. Just make sure she gets home. And bring Ino with you. Okay?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I do as I'm told. I walk with Ino, Naruto and Aya. Sasuke walks part of the way with us, but I'm so focused on Aya that I don't really notice him too much. I don't know how she does it, but she seems almost normal. If I didn't keep noticing the faraway look in her eyes, the cold, stoic way she arranges her features… I'd almost believe she was okay.

I keep close to her, hoping to be close by if she needs me – for whatever reason. I see how she walks, poised, collected. But I can tell she isn't either of those things right now. She's… missing pieces of herself.

And the only reason I can tell, is because I've seen the whole puzzle. Even if only for a little glimpse, I've seen her whole. I know better.

Once we get to her apartment, Ino walks in with her. I stay in the hallway with Naruto. "She didn't even notice me today." Naruto mumbles. Huh?

"Who, Hinata?" I wonder. Yeah, I found that odd as well. Normally Hinata would only notice Naruto and almost ignore everyone else. Then again, normally Naruto would only notice Sakura, but he only seems to have noticed Hinata? I shake it off. Not something meant for me to understand. At all.

"You could always ask Aya about it. I'm sure either she or Ino would know what's up with that." I offer. I'd probably ask Ino though. That girl has a nose for these things. Not that I'm going to go and admit that right now and get the blonde upset with me. I've got enough on my plate for now.

"N-nn." Hmm? Is Naruto being all quiet? I shake my head again. Things these days are just weird. What's next? Ino saying how she doesn't like Sasuke anymore? People are being so weird these days. And really, just understanding Aya-chan is hard enough! So I'll probably just end up asking Shika about this. I mean, he seems to figure things out – if he doesn't find it too troublesome, that is.

It takes Ino fifteen minutes before she comes out of Aya's apartment. She takes one look at me, blushes, and mumbles something. I blink. "Ino?"

She closes the door behind her. Just closes it. Ah, Aya locks it. Hmm, six locks in all. That girl's paranoid, isn't she. Not that that's a bad thing!

"Come on. If I don't get home soon, mom's going to get mad at me for missing dinner."

"Alright. See you tomorrow, Aya." I say, but I'm not sure why. She probably can't hear me through the door. "See ya, Naruto."

"Yeah." Naruto seems pretty out of it himself. I don't get what's going on. I really don't. Everyone's short circuiting today.

Still, it's none of my business. Not really.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Shika, Ino and I are in training ground eight, for eight in the morning. As usual. Asuma-sensei walks into our training ground at exactly eight. And as usual the redhead is right behind him. Asami-san has been… hard on Asuma-sensei. I can't help but wonder that all clanswomen are a bit crazy when it comes to certain things. Or is that just all women in general? I don't know.

"Good morning, Asami-chan! Keeping an eye on sensei again?" Ino sounds amused. I just snort. Why ask? It's obvious she is. To think that a girl our age would end up being the Third's daughter? Still. She's nice enough, when she isn't upset about something.

"Naturally! I caught this slack-off mumbling about wanting to hang out with _her_ instead of training you guys! And I swear to Kami-sama, if I find out you're just a shadow clone, I'm never, and I mean **_NEVER_** , going to let you forget this. You hear me, Nii-san!?" Asami's really intense. Her violet eyes narrowed, her hands balled on her hips, and doing her best to really get in Asuma-sensei's face. Even though she barely reaches his waist.

"Hey, sis. Aren't you supp-"

"Finish that sentence. I dare you." Asuma-sensei grumbles, but I don't think he's dumb enough to say anything now.

"Hey, sensei. Auntie Yoshino asked me to give you this scroll." I toss it to him, with an understanding smile. It's not like I'm brave enough to go against Asami-san either. I mean, she's our age, but already a chuunin! Still, I'm not quite as scared of her as I was of Aya. I've seen Asami be really sweet, especially on Asuma-sensei's nephew, who's like three years younger than her. Weird, but that's life for you. I'm not the type to try to understand how all of that worked out. I'll leave that to Ino to figure out.

"Hmm. It seems Yoshino wants to have a joint training day with her team." Sensei announces. Oh!? Really!? "Hey, Chouji. Why do you look so excited about that?"

"N-nothing." I look away. It's not that I'm that excited about spending the day with Aya-chan. It's just that I really want to make sure she's okay. I mean, she didn't look much better when I saw her this morning at auntie's.

"Hmm. Are you blushing, Chouji? Is there… some kind of connection between you and someone on that team?" Asami-san asks, her eyes smiling even though her lips aren't. I blush, refusing to answer. Being around Ino so much is bad enough. If Asami-san starts getting curious as well? "That's a yes. And to boot, Yoshino-san is someone I can actually trust to whip your team into shape! I mean, come on! You know you were training twice as hard when you were a genin!" She's on Asuma-sensei's case again. Auntie really meant it when she said Asami-san would get on sensei's case about training us.

"So anyway!" Asuma-sensei changes the subject. "We're going to meet up with Yoshino's team. And Shikamaru… don't."

I chuckle at Shikamaru's expense. Asami-san doesn't like hearing him use the word 'troublesome'.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I hear Shika grumbling quietly the whole way back to his house. He's probably complaining about having to walk all the way to our training ground, just to walk all the way back. I ignore him.

Instead, all I can think about is Aya-chan. I know she won't be in a 'people mood' today, but I can't help but hope she'll be better now. Even if only a little.

Once we enter Shika's home, Asami-san seems completely different again. She's aloof, relaxed, laid back. She walks with proper posture, of course, but she almost looks… slightly slouched?

Trying to understand girls is impossible. Stop trying, buddy.

"Ah, there you are! And Asami-chan is with you as well! That's perfect! Listen, I have an idea on how to help _her_ build up." Auntie motions for all of us to sit down at the table, but I can't help but notice that she's mostly talking to Ino and Asami-chan. I shrug; not something I'm meant to understand.

"I see. Well, it sounds about right. And she would probably really enjoy it." Asami-san admits. Huh? What'd I miss?

"Totally! I mean, she compared playing her flute to chocolate! She'll love this idea!" Ino's really excited about this. I'm not really sure what's going on though.

"Good. Then here's what we'll do. She needs to do special stretches before she can play her flute. Chouji-kun, I'll need you to help her with that. I know it'll be rough on you, but just keep in mind that she needs to, otherwise she'll never be able to play the flute properly, okay?" I nod, narrowing my eyes. Why am I getting dragged into this?

"Asami-chan, I'm going to need your special touch with another student of mine. Uzumaki Naruto. Aya's mood depends on how happy people around her are, whether she admits it or not. So I'll need you to find something that Naruto-kun will enjoy learning. And I mean, excited, can't hardly sleep, grinning like an idiot kind of enjoying it. Think you can handle him?"

"I can handle Nii-san and daddy. I can handle one hyperactive blonde. Any suggestions what might get him that goofy-happy?" Asami-san asks, suddenly really into the conversation.

"Sealing. He doesn't know it yet, but he is really into it. Don't offer him outright. Just start working on a seal near him and let him get curious. He'll be eating out of your hands in no time." Auntie is… scary. Really, really scary. I shake it off. "Ino, I'm going to need you to hang around Aya as well. Don't ask her anything, just keep chatting away like you usually do with her. She doesn't want to talk, but she really does enjoy people being happy around her. Okay?"

"I'm on it, auntie!"

"Shika-chan. I'm going to need you monitoring Aya. You can sniff out her moods best. Make sure to let Ino and Chouji know when they need to back off a bit. If you do that for me, I won't complain about you cloud-watching all day. Deal?" Shikamaru getting his mother's permission to cloud watch all day? Without her complaining about it? She's more than scary! That's plain old bribery!

Shikamaru is smirking at the offer. "I think I can handle that."

"Alright. Asuma. Here's what I need from you. Go find Kurenai. Ask her team to join us. We're going to be holding an unofficial tournament of sorts between the genin to see where they are in their training. It'll be a good chance for them to gauge their skills."

"Heh. I don't know what you're planning, Yoshino. But I like it."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

As usual, auntie sets her mind to something, she starts making moves to get that something, and the only acceptable outcome: she gets what she wants. So Ino, Shika and me are sitting with Aya on the hillside again, Shika's favoured spot.

"Do you need help with your stretches?" I offer, as I was told to. She looks at me, worried, but she nods. She shows me the stretches she needs me to help her with, pointing at this, tapping that. She isn't saying a word, though; not that I really need her to. I'm starting to understand what she means just by nonverbal means.

It's a heartbreaking three minutes. Purposely hurting her. Even if it's for the sake of her training, of helping her do something she loves; something she's passionate about. Hurting her hurts.

Still, she smiles a little smile just for me. She thanks me with her eyes, even though I see the tears welled up that she refuses to let fall. I see her retreat into her own little world, closing her eyes, shutting everything out. She takes a few deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. I~iiiiiin. O~ooooout.

She opens her eyes again, stretches the hand that was just hurting her. Her knuckles crack just from how tightly she holds her muscles. Then she nods, satisfied with her efforts. She smiles at me again, a little brighter this time.

Reaching into her left sleeve, she takes out her flute. I can't help but compare the wooden item to her. Pale, hard, cold. But if cared for, if treated with love, the most beautiful things can happen.

I blush at my own thoughts, wondering why I had to go there.

Aya brings the flute to her lips. She angles it just right, holds her fingers just right. And she blows. Her flute sings a long, high-pitched note. A song, I notice, that does things to her. Her muscles relax entirely, her face, her eyes, her lips –the tension that'd been just under the surface– everything relaxes. She's at ease.

She's really pretty when she's like that.

She doesn't really play anything specific. Just one note after the next. She keeps shifting the flute, trying to make new sounds. Her fingers dance from one note to the next; sometimes when she breathes, sometimes during one single blow just to see how that affects the note.

All the while, she's glowing. Glowing in a way I've never seen her glow. Even with her eyes closed, I see her eyes smiling.

Ino starts chatting away about something, but I don't know what. All I know is that Aya is… amazing.

Not fifteen minutes later, Hinata, Kiba and Shino show up. Auntie starts arranging things again. She sets up warm-up spars between everyone. I wonder why the three girls get left out entirely though.

I hear auntie explaining that I'll be up against Naruto. I'm fine with that. Shikamaru's against Kiba. And Shino's against Sasuke. She says how everyone has ten minutes to do whatever stretches and whatnot they want. I just keep watching Aya play her flute.

Hinata seems to think we have the right idea, so she comes over and sits next to Aya-chan. Ino's still chatting away about something.

Some silver-haired guy showing only one eye calls the first match. Huh, when did he get here? Shikamaru versus Kiba. Shikamaru forfeits immediately. Auntie doesn't even complain. So I'm up against Naruto. Oh well. Let's see where this ends up going.

"First match –that ends up actually happening– Chouji versus Naruto! Are both combatants ready!?" This guy's really hamming it up. I don't know why, seeing as we're not really going to fight. Naruto's far more interested in what Asami-san was showing him, and I'm more interested in watching Aya play her flute. Still, this is just something auntie wants done. For some reason.

I shrug. So does he. The match starts, and we charge at each other. I throw a punch to his face, he ducks and tries sweeping my feet from under me. I jump over his attack, trying to land with a fist to his midsection. He rolls away from me... and out of the ring auntie set up.

"Winner, Chouji!" Well,that was fun. We bump fists, showing there's no love lost between us. He goes back to Asami-san. I go back to Aya-chan. Hmm, Hinata's offering her a scroll. No words get exchanged, but I can see there's a whole conversation between them. Aya opens the scroll, reads a section of it, and hugs Hinata. I don't know what that's about, but I can tell both girls are happy to be together.

Aya spends five or six minutes studying the scroll. Her eyes are completely focussed. Even as I sit back down. Even as I start munching on some chips. Even after I finish the bag, fold it up and return it to my haori jacket pocket. She's just zoned into that scroll.

Once she feels she knows what she needs to, she rolls up the scroll and sets it next to her. She takes her flute again. Only this time, she starts playing specific notes in a specific order. Some longer, others shorter. Some notes vibrate for some reason, others she tries playing as crisply as possible.

I don't know what she's doing, I don't care. I'm not listening to the notes really. It's… the look on her face that I enjoy most.

The longer this goes on, the more I see excitement building within her. The notes start coming out more excitedly as well. The very air around her seems electrified with her energy.

"Heh. Twinkle, twinkle little star, but like I've never heard it before. Interesting." Shikamaru comments. Aya beams, but not at him. She beams at me. Her eyes meet mine, twinkling with delight. I grin, rubbing the back of my head. I didn't really do anything worth this, but I won't complain.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Chouji versus Kiba!" I groan. Kiba wants to prove something. I don't know what. But something.

"If I win, you think Aya'll let me sit with her?" Kiba asks. I feel my eye twitch. "Maybe I'll even get her to play sweet music for me."

 **Twitch, twitch.**

"Ooh. Fat boy doesn't like-"

Under normal circumstances, I'd get upset. I don't like people calling me that. However!

Seeing Aya almost literally fly at Kiba, fists swinging, landing the first punch on the back of his head, the second somewhere on his back, then three lightning fast kicks and one last bop to his skull… landing him on his knees on the ground in front of me. "Aya-chan… this was Chouji versus Kiba. Not Aya versus Kiba." The silver-haired guy seems amused, I guess.

Still. I can live with this outcome. "Hnn!" Aya noises indignantly, turning her nose up and looking away. She makes sure to glare at the other boys, warning them that she'll stick kick their faces in if they drag her into anything. Then she just walks back to the spot she was before, picks back up her flute and keeps playing.

"You know what scares me? I can't tell if she beat the snot out of him because of what he said about her, or what he said about Chouji." Asuma-sensei gets out, shaking his head at Kiba's sad state.

"You really have to clue." Kurenai-sensei smiles, mostly at me. I rub the back of my head, embarrassed. I think she thinks it's because of me, but I really don't know. Aya's kind of a mystery.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 11_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Heh, I kind of enjoy doing this now ^_^ Chouji, sweet and clueless. He's still a lot harder for me to write than Aya, but I'm better at getting between his ears than most guys I try writing. I mean, Kakashi for example? I can tell you exactly what motivates him, but put him in a situation like that interlude? No clue how to do his character justice TT_TT Guys are just weird! Things that are perfectly acceptable for female characters, are just taboo for guys..._**

 ** _Anyway! Enough ranting about that! Let's see what trouble will end up coming our way next? Hmm?_**


	15. Teach me

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 12 – Teach me_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

As I sit down, I offer Hinata-san a look to say I'm sorry – that IS her teammate I just smacked around. She smiles a little, shaking her head from side to side; if I read her right, she's saying it's fine. I smile a little, grateful for that.

So I start playing my flute again. I'm sooo touched that she kept a scroll with simple melodies in her pouch, on the off chance she runs into me. I go through the song again, for the tenth time. Twinkle, twinkle, little star… how I wonder what you are…

I try playing it straight, but that ends up hurting my hand a little, so instead, I try to improvise. Or… that's what I keep telling myself. Any note that makes me move my 'trouble fingers' ends up hurting me, so I end up breathing funny, or my fingers end up twitching. Still, it makes for an interesting new version of the lullaby. So it's done on purpose!

"Oi. Kiba, you mind getting out of the ring? We've got other people who want to spar, you know?" Ecchi-san is… well he's still a jerk. But I don't mind him being a jerk to Inuzuka-san. "Come on, don't tell me Aya-chan just beat up you like that? Be a man, walk it off." Yup, even that doesn't bother me. Inuzuka-san deserves it.

I don't even pay much attention to what the _boy_ does. "Alright, let's try this. Chouji versus Shika… never mind. Shikamaru forfeits. Sasuke versus Naruto then!"

"I foreit!" Naru… Uzumaki-san announces. He looks like he's doodling right now. I can understand his wanting to continue doing that instead.

"Well, Yoshino-san, this is turning into a-" I smirk. I shouldn't; that makes it hard to control my lips and play the notes properly. Yoshino-sensei glares at him. "Well, why don't you make a suggestion who'll willingly fight now."

"How about Aya versus Naruto? I'm sure Naruto-kun wouldn't mind sparring with her, _right_?" She asks sweetly. I roll my eyes. Whatever she's getting at, she won't stop until she gets it. I put my flute back into my sleeve, and start walking over to the ring.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming!" Uzumaki-san offers.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Meeting in the ring, I notice how all the guys are laughing. "It was nice knowing you, dead last." Inuzuka's still like that, huh? Maybe if I play nice I'll get a good match with him next? I'm sure Sensei wouldn't mind rewarding my good behaviour.

"Naruto versus Aya! Combatants ready!?" Ecchi-san announces. I nod, getting into my Muay Thai stance. Uzumaki gets into a sloppy Konoha-style stance. He still hasn't worked out the kinks. Well, he's been getting proper instruction for nearly a week. Not a lot of time to work out six years of bad instruction.

"Begin!"

Uzumaki rushes me, his stance already switching back to his usual brawler style. He throws a punch, I meet it with an elbow. He throws another punch. Another elbow meets it. His fists turn red from how hard I hit him, but he isn't backing down. He tries a kick, but I knee his shin. He backs off. This is supposed to be taijutsu only, and he knows my taijutsu is better than his.

"Nn!" I knock my knuckles together, shoving my fists high into the air again. He tilts his head to one side. I drop my fists, open them and show him my open palms. I then slowly ball my fists, keeping my thumbs firmly pressed against my middle fingers so they don't get broken during a punch.

He catches on, balling his fists like mine. I shove my fists in the air again, making sure my elbows are extended but not straight and my arms are slightly ahead of me. I make another noise, flexing my arms slightly to draw attention to them. Then I nod once and noise again.

He raises his arms to match mine, questions in his eyes. I nod. Then I stand on the balls of my feet. He just watches me. He doesn't get it.

I turn to show him my side. I stand straight, turn my head to look to him, shake my head to say no, then stand on the balls of my feet again, my knees slightly bent. He nods, getting it this time. He stands on the balls of his feet.

I do a straight forward right punch. He repeats. I do another punch, same one, followed by a left elbow. He repeats. I nod, stepping closer to him. I punch at him, slowly. He leans out of the way. I shake my head at that tactic. Muay Thai isn't a soft art, it's hard. You meet force with force. Unless they're stronger than you, then you kick out their legs on beat them into the dirt.

I punch again, then motion for him to come at me. He punches, slowly. I nod. I meet his right punch with a left elbow. Then I nod. I throw a slow right punch. He meets it with an elbow. I nod. I throw a somewhat quicker left punch. He meets it with a right elbow. I nod, motioning for him to come at me again. He throws a decent left punch. I meet him with a right elbow. Hard. His first turns red, he winces, but he doesn't complain.

I nod to him. I throw a right punch, fast. He meets it with a left elbow. He winces again, but he doesn't back down.

I nod, take a step back and turn to my left. I show him the proper way to 'throw an elbow'. I use my whole body to build up momentum quickly. I hit my right elbow into my left palm, to show how hard I'm hitting it. But also, what part I hit with.

I then come back to him, nod, and throw a slow right punch. He meets my punch with a left elbow. His form is a bit better now. I nod. He doesn't wait this time, throwing a decent left punch. I meet it with a left elbow this time, throwing him off centre. He loses his balance, not having seen that coming, and way over-extends on his punch. He was really leaning into that. Good. Still, I throw my knee up and tap him in the gut, just hard enough to make sure he gets the point: don't lose focus.

"This ain't right, man… she whoops me, then teaches the dead last!" Inuzuka complains.

"Heh. I think Kiba wants your attention, Aya-chan. You can show me that again later, if you're willing?" I nod, shooing him with a motion of my hand. Then, with another motion of my hand, I dare Inuzuka-san to join me in the ring.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Kiba versus Aya! Combatants ready?" Ecchi-san sounds amused. I shrug, not even getting into a stance this time. I don't care what Inuzuka-san thinks this will lead to. I just know I am not going to tolerate him talking down to Na… to Uzumaki-san. His standing in class had to do with teachers not properly teaching him, and by the time Umino-sensei even came around, he'd already lost all interest in trying to learn anything from anyone there.

So let's see what someone that WAS taught properly in the academy can do, shall we?

"Begin!" Kiba doesn't rush me this time. He's learned that rushing me is stupid. So I take a step towards him. He doesn't back down. I take another step towards him, almost getting into striking range. He still doesn't back down. I come at him with a Flying Knee –basically a forwards jumps with my knee leading the charge– aimed right for his chin. I'm close enough that I should knock him out should the attack land. He bends backwards to dodge, letting my fly over his head. I smirk.

As I land, I immediately switch things up, do a backwards flip and land on his back, knees first. The second my toes touch the ground –meaning, I forced him to duck low enough to kiss grass and dirt– I roll backwards again and off of him.

He tilts his head up to look at me. His forehead is green from the grass, his eyes angry from me embarrassing him –in his eyes at least– in front of… I don't know; his team? Our old classmates?

He comes at me on all fours this time. I do another Flying Knee right over him. Only this time I turn around to see what he's doing. He shakes his head, trying to understand my tactic a little. Good luck with that.

He also turns around, looking at me. "You know, I don't get you. Cute girls are supposed to end up with studs. With alpha males. With guys like me. You seem to attract nothing but losers to you."

 **Twitch.**

"Hey, Chouji. Think Kiba'll walk away from this?" Uzumaki-san asks.

"Nope." Chouji-ku… Chouji-san sounds sure.

"Not a chance." Nara-san sounds amused.

"I wonder if Kiba'll ever learn." Ino mostly just sounds annoyed. Probably from his stupid mentality; 'cute girl' equals 'arm candy', nothing more. It's jerks like Inuzuka-san that makes being good looking a burden; one I often hate.

"A-aya-chan! P-please!" Hinata-san cries out from where she's sitting. She probably doesn't want me to kill, cripple or maim the idiot, for whatever reason. I sigh, turning to walk away. I wave Inuzuka-san off, walking out of the ring and disqualifying myself. I hear footsteps coming to me, so I turn to see what the moron is up to this time.

He's making a wild dash for me, obviously not agreeing this match is over. I'll give whoever a second to deal with this. If Inuzuka-san gets within striking range, I **will** break his jaw, at the very least.

I don't need to worry though. Ecchi-san grabs the _boy_ by his collar, like the bad puppy he is. "Kiba. This match is over. Learn to control that temper, or next time I won't save you." Ecchi-san says. Hmm, he seems to read me well enough. Interesting. Not interesting enough to make him seem less of an uncaring jerk. But… I've got to say that is less of a jerk than he usually is.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

After my 'match', it's Uzumaki-san versus Chouji-san again. They make a good show of it. Chouji-san realises that Uzumaki-san simply doesn't know the basics for Konoha-style, so they mostly just trade blows whenever they see an opening in the other's stance. Which means Uzumaki-san gets a lot of hits. Judging from the smile they share, and their bumping fists again, I can tell it's all good natured though. I smile at them both.

Then it's Uchiha-san versus Inuzuka-san. I smirk. Uchiha-san is a lot of things, but a pushover isn't one of them. Inuzuka-san is sporting some funny shaped bruises towards the end.

Then… Uchiha-san versus Chouji-san gets called. I worry for Chouji-san. He simply doesn't have the mentality to fight Uchiha-san. Chouji-kun is too soft-hearted, too kind, too willing to make a friend. Uchiha-san is mostly out to improve himself against strong opponents.

If Uchiha-san hurts Chouji-kun… I swear I'll _**break**_ him!

The two face off in the ring. Ecchi-san glances at me for some reason, probably how focused I am on this fight.

"Begin!" Chouji-kun rushes Uchiha-san, throwing a decent punch at him. Uchiha-san dodges, of course, then counters with three punches to Chouji-kun's side, knocking the wind out of him.

Alright, fine. A bit over the top, but a good way to show Chouji-kun he overextended slightly, and he left a huge opening because of it.

Then, before Chouji-kun can catch his breath, Uchiha-san kicks him in the face, launching him back in the direction he came from.

 **Twitch. Twitch-twitch.**

Chouji-kun gets back on his feet. The left side of his face red and already showing the beginnings of a bruise. Uchiha-san didn't need to kick him at all, let alone that hard. So, you want it rough, huh?

I stroll forward, motioning Chouji-kun out of the ring. You like strong opponents, don't you, idiot?

"Aya-chan, thi…" I glare at Ecchi-san. "Suit yourself. Combatants ready!? Begin!"

I dash for the idiot, but I don't go in with a Flying Knee again. No, I throw a knee first, he leans back, so I clip him with a kick. The arch of my foot catches him right in the cheek bone.

He looks slightly dazed, but shakes it off. I come at him again, throwing a flurry of punches. He dodges them all, but I want this. I want him to think he's following my moves.

I overextend on a punch, which he'll think is to his advantage, but I follow up with a close-range Flying Knee Uppercut. My knee catches him just under his chin, in the soft spot between the open-triangle-like mandible.

He flies back, but does a backwards somersault, landing on his feet. He rushes me, coming in with a roundhouse kick. I bend with his kick, plant my hand on the ground next to his foot and launch a knee right into his gut, then use the remaining momentum to snap my foot into his face. He might be taller than me, but standing on my hands means I can make him lick my toes if I want.

If that isn't enough, I punch his knee with my free hand and rap my foot in his face again, this time hitting his nose. I curl myself into a ball and roll under him before he falls on me. Kind of hard to keep standing after someone clips the knee supporting your weight.

Once I feel there's enough distance between us, I get on my feet again. I turn to see what the moron's doing, only to find he's nursing his knee and nose. There's a trickle of blood dripping from his nose, but I know I didn't break it.

He nods, standing up and shaking off the pain. I decide to switch things up, so I go with Capoeira. I start doing the basic rhythmic motions, going from left to right, right to left, waiting on the moron to come at me again. He can't seem to understand what I'm doing. That's his problem.

He comes at me when I'm just switching from left to right, probably thinking that's my weakness. It isn't. I clip the side of his head with a roundhouse kick then come around and do a straight kick into his chest, knocking him back, hard.

Using the momentum, he rolls back, lands on his feet and dashes for me again. I do a handstand, sideways, and use the momentum to launch a kick at his head. He blocks it, but that's just the opening gambit. I use gravity, pulling me back down, land with my other hand, shift my legs into a double legged sweep and catch him in the ankle and behind the knee. I keep going, forcing myself up onto my fists, then come down with both knees into the back of his lower right thigh and lower back as he's falling. His back snaps back from the recoil, so I stretch my leg, catching him under his chin again and shoving him forward – not quite a kick, but with enough force to send him away.

He stops rolling just outside of the ring. "Winner, Aya!" Ecchi-san calls it. Uchiha-san gets up, dusts himself off. I'm quick to do the same. He walks over to me. I tilt my head, daring him to try something.

He extends his fist, for a fist bump. Just like Chouji-kun and Naruto… Chouji-san and Uzumaki-san!

Uchiha-san smirks at me. Or is that his version of a little smile. "A good match, Namiki."

I don't say anything. I look to Chouji-san, to the angry red mark on his face, the bruise I know will be there by nightfall. Chouji-san smiles at me, nodding. I turn back to Uchiha-san, bumping my fist against his.

"If it matters. I think you should teach that style to Naruto. He could use the help." Uchiha-san offers, turning and walking away. I nod, knowing he won't see me. "And I'll try to remember not to overdo it against people you respect."

"Nn." I noise, walking over to Chouji-san. He smiles at me.

"It doesn't even hurt." He says, knowing what I'm worried about. I gently capture his chin with my left index finger, and nudge so that he'll know I want to see the left side of his face. I'm not happy with the size, the shape or the colour I see staring back at me.

"Aya, I have a balm that will help." Yoshino-sensei offers. I feel something nudge my right shoulder, so I turn and see a small tub with goo in it. I take it with my left hand, motioning for Chouji to come with me.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Even though it's a missions day, we don't end up taking any missions at all. Yoshino-sensei says she'll make up for it another time, but for now she's happy with whatever she wished to see. When dinnertime comes, she asks who's staying to eat. Some say they need to head home, but as usual, Team Seven and Team Ten decide to stay.

Team Eight needs to head home though. I turn to Uzumaki-san, our eyes meet, and I nod in Hinata-san's direction; walk her home. He nods, understanding what I mean.

"Hey, Hinata-chan. Did you want me to walk you home?" He offers, running over to her. She was discussing something with her team.

"A-a-an-n-no, y-you r-r-r-reall-lly d-d-d-on't h-h-have t-to." She's blushing up a storm. I smile at her.

"I know I don't have to. I'm asking if you want me to. It's no trouble at all. Aya-chan usually helps Yoshino-sensei cook dinner, so I have at least forty-five minutes. You won't even have to worry about me missing anything. Really!" He offers, rubbing the back of his head. I smile a little brighter at him. Good boy.

She stutters out an 'if it's really no trouble', and he again says it isn't. She nods, blushing even deeper. I look to Chouji-san, asking him to go with them with my eyes. I know Uzumaki wants this to be a private moment, but I worry about what people will try. Seeing the village's princess Hyuuga with the village pariah… not a good combination just yet. Uzumaki-san needs to earn a lot of respect for that to not be a problem. But if happens to be with Chouji-san walking her home, then he's just 'tagging along'.

"It's alright, Namiki-san. We will walk with them. I assure you, nothing will happen to your teammate while he is in my company." Aburame-san offers. I nod to him, smiling a little.

"Thank you." I say, bowing politely.

"There is no need for that. I understand what you're doing, and I approve. Your approach is not only logical, but tactically sound. I assure you, you have my support, should you ever need it." He bows to me, turns and leaves without another word. I find myself smiling at him.

"Well, we need to head out too!" The younger Sarutobi announces. She walks over to me though. "Namiki Aya, right?" I nod, wondering about the redhead. I've never met a redhead Sarutobi before, but there's always a first.

"I like your style. It isn't often you see a kunoichi beating the stuffing out of someone that smacks their boyfriends around." She says, amused. My eyes widen, my cheeks flame up. I look away, refusing to comment on any of that! Even if I was in a chatty mood, I wouldn't ever comment on that. "Anyway, I've kind of taken a liking to teaching that blond of yours. I'll see if I can squeeze in some more training time with him. No promises though. I'll send some scrolls I want him to study through Yoshino-san. Think you can make sure he studies them?"

"Nn." I nod. That's something I don't mind promising.

"Good. Thanks. It's good to know there are some capable kunoichi our age around. You know?" I smirk at that. Yeah, most of our class was a bunch of raving fangirls. They make horrid kunoichi. "Well, see you around."

The redhead drags her obviously unwilling brother along – he seems to have wanted to either stay for dinner, or leave with Team Eight… for some reason. Maybe it has something to do with Yuuhi-sensei? Can't say for sure; too little intel.

Either way, I'd better start heading inside. Yoshino-sensei will be upset if I take too long.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Dinner is pretty uneventful. Uzumaki-san is wearing a pretty red blush, but I can guess what that's about. I don't draw attention to it, at any rate. Chouji, however, is sporting a bruise that is causing my blood to boil. I knew it would bruise, but seeing it… just upsets me.

I find myself frowning throughout dinner. "Auntie, Aya-chan, dinner is delicious." Chouji-san offers. I smile at him, as thanks mostly. The frown is quick to return once I look at him though. "Really, it doesn't hurt." He notices my frown. That just makes me blush and look away. I huff, annoyed with myself. I already smacked Uchiha-san around for his stupid attitude. He already figured out why, and he already said he won't do it again – sort of.

But seeing Chouji-kun bruised like that… hurts.

"Yoshino-sensei, it's my turn to help with the dishes right?" Naruto asks. Sensei nods, motioning for him to give her a hand. They gather the dishes, already moving towards the kitchen with them.

That leaves my with Chouji-kun, Nara-san, Nara-sama and Uchiha-san; Ino said her mother was expecting her. "You're sporting quite the bruise there, Chouji-kun. Did Aya-chan hit you too hard during a spar?"

"No, sir. Sasuke did. Aya-chan's still a bit upset about that." Chouji-kun says.

"Ah. From the looks of it, you gave as good as you got." I smirk. I don't mind Chouji-kun taking the credit for that.

"No, sir. That would be Aya-chan's handiwork."

"… I see. Before or after?"

"After, sir." Chouji-kun is really polite. I can tell he was raised learning proper respect for his elders. I like that.

Nara-sama seems really amused. I don't know why, and I'm not trying to find out. "You know, Shikamaru, you could learn a lot from this. No matter how strong-minded a woman is, she will always show kindness to the man she loves." I blush, looking away. "Hey, Aya-chan, sorry to bother you, but…" He shakes his empty bottle of sake. I nod, heading into the kitchen to warm another one for him.

"Sasuke. I won't ask what happened. Bruises happen during a spar. But understand that Aya-chan isn't the only one watching Chouji's back. Do **not** overdo it again. Do you understand?"

"I do."

"Good. I've heard quite enough troubling things about you, boy. So don't make me get involved. And if I ever hear anything about you showing any kind of questionable intent towards Aya-chan, or any female… I assure you, I will show you why you should never motivate a Nara."

"Nn."

"Troublesome. Sasuke, he wants you to answer him with full sentences. This is his way of teaching you to respect people. Stop being _you_ and answer him please. He'll just be unbearable and get mom involved. And that's going to end up making the whole night troublesome."

"…" I can hear Uchiha-san muttering to himself. Then he sighs. "Nara-san, I assure you Aya's already made your point crystal clear."

"No. Aya-chan's made **her** point clear." Nara-sama counters. I smile. Yeah, I kinda did.

I can tell Nara-sama wants to explain something, in great detail. But, "Troublesome." He figures Uchiha-san won't listen to him anyway, I guess. I take my final steps into the kitchen, warm up another bottle of sake, and bring it back to Nara-sama.

"Thank you, Aya-chan." He smiles at me, pouring the sake into his saucer and drinking it without a care. He trusts me, apparently. He didn't even seem to check for poisons or anything. I'm not sure why I think that's important, but… it does say something about what he thinks of me.

"Hey, Shikamaru. I know it's troublesome, but you mind treating your friends to something for me?" A small stack of bills is placed on the table. "Loyalty and honour should always be encouraged and rewarded if possible. And I believe Aya-chan and Naruto-kun have shown quite a bit of both."

"Alright." Nara-san nods, taking the bills. "Don't tell mom?"

"That's the deal." I wonder about that. I heard nothing Yoshino-sensei would get upset about. Obviously he said something else when I was out of hearing distance. Judging from the blush on Chouji-kun, the blank look on Uchiha-san, and Nara-san's satisfied lack of complaint… I can guess it was something unpleasant. Well, I can't confirm or deny anything, so I'll just ignore it. It isn't my problem.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next morning, bright and early, I'm back at the Nara home. Naruto and I are immediately welcomed and asked in. Naruto is asked to help with breakfast, I'm asked to wake Nara-san.

After breakfast, Sensei places the same little tub with goo from yesterday. She then asks Naruto to help her with the dishes. I don't need to wonder what she's doing; she's making it easy for me to apply the balm on Chouji-kun's cheek again.

When I hear the knock, I get up before Nara-san has half a chance to. I run to the door, opening it and welcome Chouji-kun and Ino into the house. A brief glance tells me that Chouji-kun already applied something to the bruise though. Ino takes one look at my what I'm holding, smiles and goes off in search of Nara-san.

"Yeah, my mom kind of already tended to it." Chouji-san blushes. I blush a little too. Of course she did. What kind of mother wouldn't tend to her child? Then a thought hits me.

In shinobi circles, a bruise, a scar, a broken bone, these things are worn as badges of honour. A sign that the bearer survived whatever caused it. What if…?

Deciding there's no reason not to. I take the scroll Sensei gave me and unroll a section of it. I keep my glossy pink number two in the first seal, which I carefully marked as well, just in case.

I unseal it, reapply my lipstick –since I'd just eaten– and reseal it. I carefully put my scroll back into my pants' right top pocket, so I'll know where to find it again later if I need it. Then I step up, gently take his chin with my left right index finger. I ignore the slight pain from handling him with that finger; as much as I'll be embarrassed from this, it'll be worth it.

I kiss Chouji-kun on his right cheek. "For balance." I leave him standing there, heading back to the table. I pass Ino and Nara-san. And I very much ignore whatever they say to Chouji-san.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Seeing as Chouji-kun won't be helping me with my st… Wow. Ecchi-san really is making a habit of being here these days. "Yes?"

"I was just wondering if you needed a hand with that stretch again." I sigh. Came all the way out here, for the sake of helping me with my stretches? Yeah right. That stalker hasn't left.

I stick out my hand though. I can't do it alone, and Naruto won't help me. It goes quicker with him than it would with Chouji-kun. So after only a minute, I can do my breathing thing to try shut out the pain. I don't thank him though. He's still a jerk. He just happens to be a useful jerk from time to time.

"I was quite impressed with you yesterday." Well, I'm still not very impressed with you. "I didn't think you'd try teaching him Muay Thai though." It isn't exactly a secret style or anything. It's just a style mama used a lot. It's useful. And seeing as Naruto's a brawler anyway, Muay Thai is mostly a brawling style, just one with rules.

"That exam's tomorrow isn't it? The medical entrance exam?" I nod, wondering why he feels so chatty suddenly. "Think you're ready for it?" I shrug. I won't know until I take the exam.

"My, my, no confidence? Well, I think you can handle it." Whoa there, tiger. Slow down. Ease up on buttering me up.

"What do you want, Ecchi-san?"

"To let you know I'll be teaching Naruto a taijutsu style while you're busy studying today. So you won't have to worry about him."

That's what you're doing, not what you want. I motion for him to get on with it. "That's it. That's all I want." No it isn't. "Look, a teammate of mine took those exams. They're tough. So if you have one less thing to worry about, the less trouble you'll have concentrating, right?"

I snort. Ecchi-san isn't the type to care. He's the type to order, demand and just be a jerk. I don't buy into this new attitude at all. "Don't believe me then." He shrugs, pretending not to care. He gets up, starts walking over to Naruto, who's reading a scroll Sensei gave him again.

"Say, you know you could just use shadow clones to study? I mean, they transfer memories back to you when they disperse." Ecchi-san says to him. Naruto mumbles something about 'buzzing off'. He really doesn't like to study for some reason. I'd better ask him what that's about. Eventually. I really want to practice with my flute, and Sensei did say that today I'll be spending most of the day studying for that exam tomorrow.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After lunch, I decide there will be no better time. "Uzumaki-san?" Naruto looks to me. "Is there a reason you don't like to study?" He… looks embarrassed. Really, really embarrassed.

That gets Sensei's attention immediately. "We could talk privately, if you want?" He eyes Uchiha-san, nods, and the two of them head into the kitchen to wash the dishes. I feel kind of bad. I mean, I was just curious, I didn't want to embarrass him!

Still, my curiosity got Sensei involved. And that's always a good thing. Sensei will know what to do. Guaranteed. If only I knew what to do with Uchiha-san though. I mean, he doesn't really fit in our team. He isn't being taught to cook, he isn't being asked to help wash up. And he certainly isn't getting anything from me but bruises and black eyes. I don't like him, I don't trust him. And I certainly don't plan on doing anything about that.

Still, whatever. I'm supposed to be studying. Now, let's see. The skull. Made up of multiple bones fused together in the first few months after birth. Names of each bone… yeah, uh huh. Names of the cavities. Anatomy of the brain.

I mostly skim over each piece. If I can remember every name, I skip it. I have too much to cover today to study something I remember. It's a good thing Sensei has our days set up the way she does. We've already done our two missions.

I feel really happy with what my days are becoming. I… like my life. It's hard, challenging and still really unpredictable, but it's mine. I'm slowly becoming comfortable studying, training, teaching Naruto Muay Thai – he's a really fast learner if he trusts the person trying to teach him.

Kami-sama, I wish every day could be like this.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 12_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I really like that quote from Shikaku to Shikamaru about strong-minded women showing kindness to the man they love. It's so true._**

 ** _Anyway, there's going to be some... changes soon. For the better, for the worse, it's all relative. Let's see what changes, and let's see how Aya copes with them, shall we?_**


	16. Fix me

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 13 – Fix me_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Aya-chan, can I speak to you and Naruto privately?" Sensei asks. I nod, closing papa's medical book and dragging it along with me. We enter Sensei's office again. There's only one chair, so Naruto offers for me to sit. I smile, in thanks.

"Aya, thank you for bringing the situation to my attention. Although I am not happy that Naruto didn't bring this up, I can't say I'm too surprised by it." Sensei begins. I nod, questions in my eyes, but don't press. She'll explain it, I know she will. "It would seem that Naruto was never taught to read beyond an eight-year-old's level. He has trouble reading anything above that level, so it takes him three times as long and he doesn't remember half of it because he can't make sense of it."

I nod, feeling horrible for him. "What can I do to help?"

Sensei smiles; that kind, warm, motherly smile of hers. "He trusts you, Aya. He trusts you enough to not even hesitate when I asked if I could talk to you about this. So I want you to help him in the evenings, after you two head home."

"So that Uchiha-san never finds out." I nod, understanding completely. I turn to Naruto, smiling warmly at him. "Of course I'll help."

"Thanks." Naruto says, looking away from me. I can tell this embarrasses him, but… in that short moment before he turned away, I could see a small smile on his lips. I get a warm feeling in my chest, glad that he trusts me, happy that he'll let me help him. Though mostly, I'm grateful for Yoshino-sensei.

"Would it be okay if I show you Muay Thai after some reading lessons too? I mean, it would help you." I offer, hoping he isn't closing himself off. I really admire and respect Naruto.

"… y-you don't have to." Okay, now I just want to hug him.

"Naruto-nii?" He turns to me, shock in his eyes. I smile a little, worried I crossed the line. I've come too far to turn back now though. He needs this… but I think I might need it more. "Why would I mind helping my big brother? Why would I mind showing him what little I know so that he can be the most awesome shinobi this village has ever seen?"

He starts tearing up. I want to hug him even more. Figuring I've already crossed every other line, I walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his middle. Jeez, even he makes me feel short. I barely reach his chin. It's worse with Chouji-kun though. I… think I'd reach his chest. Kami-sama, I'm such a chibi.

"You're supposed to hug your little sister back, you know." I whisper, after Naruto just kind of stands there, completely caught off guard.

"N-nn." He carefully wraps his arms around my shoulders.

I sigh contently. For the first time in… too long… I feel… not alone.

"Hey, sis?"

"Nn?"

"You remember that story about the Nine-tailed fox?"

"Nn." I was covered in the academy. How he was defeated by the Fourth, Naruto-nii's hero.

"Well, I kind of have it sealed in my gut." He says. I shrug. I'm enjoying this hug. Can you give me puzzles after?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Idiots." I curse. Naruto-nii explained the whole story. About how the Fourth couldn't kill the tailed beast, how he'd sealed it into a baby. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby named Uzumaki Naruto. "Morons." I curse again. "Retards. Soft in the head. IQ below fifty."

I've been cursing the villagers, and the majority of the shinobi forces. To treat Naruto-nii badly for something he was a day old when it happened to him? He didn't ask for this! He wasn't just barely born and decided, HEY, let's seal a beast in me!

"Stupid. Arrogant. Basic."

"Sis, it's okay." He tries, motioning for me to calm down. I'm still pacing though.

"… They probably hate chocolate too." I know I should calm down. That this isn't helping Naruto-nii in the least. I just feel sooooo… mad! So upset, angry, annoyed… FURIOUS!

"They're good people, sis. They just… they're controlled by their fears." He tries again, his voice soothing, calming.

"That just makes them stupider." I say. Kami-sama! People can be so… stupid!

"Aya-chan?" Sensei calls me. I turn to her, stopping my pacing long enough to hear what she has to say. "Sit down. There are a few things you need to know about the unwritten laws surrounding the knowledge you now possess." I nod, sitting back down. I do make sure to tug Naruto-nii so he's standing close enough to me that I can feel his warmth; even if we don't actually touch.

"What Naruto-kun has told you is in fact an S-ranked secret. He is the only one allowed to reveal his status as jinchuuriki, or tailed beast container – which is what you call people like him. That means you cannot tell anyone, you cannot even hint at it. No one is supposed to know."

"Then this is the worst kept secret in history! The whole village knows!" I complain.

"I know. But that doesn't change the law. Do you understand?" I nod, still annoyed with people. Well, more annoyed than I usually am. "I'm grateful that you feel upset for him. But please do not let that cloud your judgement. We need to help Naruto, not make things worse for him. Alright?"

"Of course!" That should be obvious!

"Good. Now come on, we still need to train. And we only have about a half hour before we need to head out for our next mission." Yoshino-sensei seems quite amused right now. And happy. Very, very happy.

"Hey, sis?" Naruto-nii sounds worried, and unsure. "I know this is stupid, but…"

"What's up, Naruto-nii?"

"I don't want us to act different in public yet. I don't want you to start getting the same looks, the same treatment."

I feel my anger, my irkment… annoyance! All those bad emotions trying to take me over. "If you think I-"

"Please?" He begs. His tone, his eyes, the worry lining his every feature. He's scared for me. "I don't have a lot of precious people. So I won't take any risks with you. It won't be forever! Just… just until we're strong enough to stand up against the idiots. Please, sis…?"

"Fine." My eyes harden. "Let's go, Uzumaki-san."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay? You've been… weird all morning." Ino asks for the hundredth time. And we've only just gotten out of the final exam ten minutes ago.

"I'm fine, Ino. I'm just… annoyed with people right now." I say. "I just need my chocolate fix and I'll be alright. Hey, Hinata-san, bakery?"

"Nn." She smiles at me, liking the idea as much as I do.

We start making our way out of the hospital – after passing the ophthalmologist reception desk, where I pick up my glasses; finally! I haven't even really looked at them yet. I just kind of shoved them, case and all, into a pocket to deal with later.

"So what has you so annoyed with people? I mean, you're not having a 'recharge day', seeing as you're talking. You're not having a withdrawal episode, seeing as you're not psychotic. Something happened?"

"Nn." I noise with a tiny nod. "I'm not allowed to talk about it, but yeah. Something happened." Ino is curious, I can tell.

"Something with Naruto?" I look away from her. "I know it's him. You've been very protective of him since yesterday. Even more protective than he is of you."

"So anyway. That four-clans party is this weekend right?" I change the subject.

"You've also been glaring at people for no reason." Or I try to, at least. "Shinobi and civilian alike. But you're not allowed to talk about it? What's going on, I wonder."

"The labour thanksgiving day festival is coming up." I try once again. "That means winter's coming. I love the snow, but Kami-sama, I hate the cold."

"I r-rather like the c-cold." Hinata-san doesn't understand why I'm being so vague, but she seems to understand I don't want to talk about it.

I'm tempted to say she likes having a reason to cover up. I mean, she has the biggest breasts I've ever seen on a twelve-year-old! It's no wonder she's always wearing baggy jackets. Still, drawing attention to it isn't going to do her any favours. And pointing out that I'm still flat as a board won't do me any favours either!

It would be nice if I had half a boob. Even a half boob is more than I have now! I could probably pass for a boy if I cut my hair short.

I huff. Why do I keep doing this to myself? It's not as if I have any say in the matter!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once we're outside, we run into my other favourite blond. I notice he isn't alone though. Three goggles-wearing kids, a few years younger, are with him. "Hey, Naruto!" Ino calls out to him. Naruto-nii turns, finding us walking in his direction.

"Hey! How awesome did you three ace those exams!?" He waves, happy to see us. I notice that his eyes linger on Hinata-san though. I smile when Hinata-san notices it too; she blushes deeply.

"We'll hear about it in a few days." I say. "Hello there, I'm Namiki Aya. I'm Uzumaki-san's teammate. Who might you be?" I ask the three kids, two boys and a girl.

They do a little jig. One of them throws a coloured smoke bomb, and dramatically introduce themselves as Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi. I shrug. It wasn't worth all that much effort. Three names would have been fine.

"So, you're Aya-nee-san?" Moegi asks. She seems to have stars in her eyes and a permanent blush on her cheeks. "Naruto-nii has been telling us a lot about you! How awesome you are, how skilled you are!" She tattles. I smile warmly at Naruto-nii.

"Well, I don't know about me being 'awesome'. I usually leave that up to Uzumaki-san." I say. She doesn't look surprised. I shrug, not sure what to make of this at all. I mean, Konohamaru looks like the ringleader. Udon is clearly a sickly child. And Moegi looks like a fangirl in the making. Still, they respect Naruto-nii. I can learn to deal with them.

"But you are! You really, really are!" Moegi announces. I shrug.

"Hey, we're heading to the bakery to make bad choices. Want to tag along?" I ask, mostly to Naruto-nii. The three kids nod happily as well.

"Alright! We'll get some sugary goodness, then after that we'll play ninja! Sound good?"

"Nn!" The three noise as one. I smile, happy that Naruto-nii really does have people that look up to him.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

At the bakery, I order my usual three brownies. Hinata-san orders her six cinnamon rolls. Ino orders one really small pastry. I roll my eyes at her. Naruto-nii doesn't really care what he orders, so he just goes with a cinnamon role and a brownie. Konohamaru orders the same.

Then it's Udon and Moegi's turns. They look unsure, nervous… embarrassed. "Hey, don't worry about it. It's my treat." Naruto-nii announces to the pair. Their faces light up, teasing a smile from me.

"Nn. You pay for Udon, I'll pay for Moegi. Order whatever you'd like." I add. They both order a cinnamon role and brownie and we pay for them with a smile. We take a table away from the window again.

I don't pay too much attention to where I sit, just that I'm gentle with my precious, precious chocolate fudge brownies. I go through my usual ripping, folding and wrapping, before taking my first bite. Chocolate- _danna_ , you are too good to me.

I hear giggling next to me. Ah, probably… no, that's not Hinata-san at all. I turn, finding a short, orange haired kunoichi in training beside me. I smile at Moegi, glad I'm no longer the shortest in our group. I motion for her to try her brownie.

She follows my example, ripping, folding and wrapping her brownie in a napkin. Then she takes a bite. A soft moan escapes her before she can help it. I know, right! These brownies are divine! We share a little giggle.

"You know, I really like seeing this side of you, Aya-chan." Ino says, covering her mouth with her hand. I shrug, not really minding or caring too much. I'm kind of going with the flow these days. "By the way, when are you going to let _him_ take you out?"

I shrug. He needs to ask. And we both really need to focus on our training.

"Ooh, does Aya-nee have a _this_?" Konohamaru asks, wiggling his pinkie. Why is he wiggling his pinkie?

"That means boyfriend." Naruto-nii explains. Ah. I shrug.

"I'm in no rush." I say, mouth covered by my hand. And honestly, I'm not! I really like Chouji-kun, but… I need to get stronger. I need to study, and I need to focus. Getting wrapped up in some silly romance isn't going to help me in the long run… and he hasn't actually asked me anything yet…

"Wow… Aya-nee is turning really, really red." I blush deeper, not having realised I've been blushing the whole time.

"I wouldn't tease her too much if I were you." Naruto-nii warns. I just take another bite of my brownie. Chocolate- _danna_ would never tease me.

"And Naruto… when?" Ino changes the subject back to what she really wants to know. I catch on, eyeing Hinata-san. She seems to understand as well, blushing really deeply.

"When I've earned the right. I have a lot to do before that happens." He explains, not looking at anyone.

"Like?" Ino presses.

"I need a proper apartment. I need a stable income. I need to be at least chuunin. I need to have a reputation her family respects." He lists it as he goes. Hinata-san blushes deeper every time. "I want her to see me as worthy, not just the guy that she likes."

Okay, awwww!

And… I think I can help him in this. My goals aren't too much different, after all. All I need to do is keep Hinata-san interested in only him until that time comes. Seeing how she's trying to hide her flaming cheeks behind her cinnamon roll, I don't think I'll have a hard time at that.

I need to talk to Yoshino-sensei. She said I could come to her about _that place_ , right?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Seeing as today's supposed to be our 'day off' that means I don't have to worry about missions and silly things like that. Missing a single missions day isn't that big a deal seeing as I've already saved quite a bit of money from Yoshino-sensei buying pretty much all of our food, and the mad missions dash we've been on.

So once we make it to Sensei's home, and we're let in, I ask to speak to Yoshino-sensei privately. She nods, asking Naruto-nii to start making some riceballs for everyone – we still have the Konohamaru Corps with us, as weird as that name is.

"What seems to be the problem, Aya-chan?" Sensei motions for me to have a seat once we're in her office. I wait for her to sit down as well. I want to see her face when I start explaining what's on my mind.

"I've been thinking about _that place_." I begin.

"I see." She doesn't react at all.

"Naruto-nii was talking about what he needs done before he can really ask Hinata-san out on a date. And having a comfortable home is on that list. We're both already helping him with the other things. Becoming a chuunin, getting a stable income, building up a solid reputation, earning respect. That sort of thing. But… this is something I can help him with. And it would really help both of us financially, seeing as my parents' house is already paid for in full. I think it would really help him if…"

"If the two of you moved in together?" She finishes for me. I nod, blushing a bit. It's weird thinking about asking someone to move in with me, but this is Naruto-nii! He'd never do anything weird! "This isn't a short term goal you have in mind. What would you want done before you feel comfortable doing this?"

"…" What would I want done before I feel comfortable moving into my parents' house? "I'd want to be a chuunin." That's a good place to start. "Taking higher ranked missions would rally help me financially. Even though I'd survive on the four D-ranked missions per missions day, I'd still rather have some elbow room. And I'd have to replace all the furniture, and likely the kitchen too. Renovations aren't cheap." I babble on, listing whatever comes to mind.

"Hmm. That sounds reasonable." Sensei agrees with me. "Very well. I will help you and Naruto in this. After all, helping you to become chuunin was already on my list. You're just showing me you have the motivation to get this done swiftly." She smiles proudly. All I feel is warmth swimming around in my chest.

"Thank you, Sensei. I knew I could come to you with this." I say honestly, smiling a little.

"Of course! Now come on, I want to see if Naruto-kun needs help with those riceballs."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I knew Sensei would help me. I knew she'd happily drag me through my trainings kicking and screaming to make sure I get to where I need to be. But that she'd drag Naruto-nii and me to the Hokage's office to ask for the keys to my parents' house? That she'd then drag me and Naruto-nii to said house so we can 'look at the damage'?

I sigh. I haven't so much as looked at this place in years. "Who~oooooa…" Naruto-nii is impressed at least. Really, I can't blame him. Eight bedrooms, three bathrooms, two sitting rooms, two offices, an attic used for storage. And a library. There's also a decent sized front and back yard and a koi poind that mama used to like staring at for hours on end. I'm sure those poor carpers either died or grew legs and left by now.

We're on the very edge of the village too, in the Shinobi District. Basically, of the four walls that act as a boundery for the property… one of them is the great wall marking the very edge of the village. It's really out of the way. And the neighbourhood is really quiet because of it. I loved it here…

I cut my left thumb with a kunai and smear some of my blood on the seal. Naruto-nii looks at me funny. "Blood seal. Mama was really good at Sealing." I explain. He nods, wondering about that. I'm not sure why, I mean, some people are good at it, she's one of them. What's the big deal?

Still, the gate unlocks itself, so I swing it open and invite Naruto-nii and Sensei to enter. The scene greeting me is as bad as I feared. The yard looks more like a jungle than anything. But the house looks like it hasn't aged at all. We brave the unknown, cutting the chest high grass as we go. Or, I'm doing that. I feel like we're on a safari or something.

Once at the front door, I place my right hand against another seal. Once I feel the warmth, telling me the seal still works and recognizes my chakra signature, I stuff a key into the front door and unlock it. I swing the door open, expecting a creaking sound that doesn't come.

The air in the house is cool, fresh. I don't understand at all. A house that's been locked up for six years should be stale, stink of old dust. I take a step forward, my eyes studying every detail I can see… I freeze.

"Bazu…" My old teddy bear. He's sitting down on the step, just where I left him. Right on top of my favourite pair of house slippers. I run into the front room, hugging my precious Bazu.

"Looks like sis missed her bear, huh?" Naruto-nii teases a little. I'm too busy hugging my bear. My missing-an-eye, patched-together, teddy bear I always carried around the house and back yard with me.

"Mama told me that Bazu would wait here for me, like he always does. She always took me to a friend's house when she was out on missions." I don't fight the tears, crying into Bazu's hug like I used to. "You've gotten small, Bazu. You used to be as big as me."

"You don't even smell funny." I tease. I'm grateful it's Yoshino-sensei and Naruto-nii here. I'd feel really embarrassed if I was crying in front of anyone else. "Hey, Bazu-chan. I'm going to go check out the rest of the house. Think you can stand waiting here a little longer on me?" I kiss Bazu on the nose, placing him back on my house slippers. He'll keep them warm for me. I wipe away the tears. I don't know why, I know I'll just end up crying in a few minutes again.

I kick off my slippers, stepping up into the alcove so I don't get any dirt on my feet. Is study the scroll hanging on the wall, the kanji for 'love', 'family', 'unity' and 'hope' staring back at me. Mama was so weird about this. Things that normal people would put in the visitors' sitting room, she put in the entrance. I knew it wouldn't take long to burst into tears again. It feels weird not seeing fresh flowers arranged under the scroll though. I slide the door open, wondering at the slight scent of cherry blossoms in the air. Mama always did like flowers around the place to give every room a different scent. I enter the hallway. Umm, right was the family sitting room. Left was… the visitors' sitting room. I've never been into the visitors' sitting room, so I go to the right. I slide the first door open, about halfway down the hallway and on the right. The low table, the tatami mats, the tea closet, the family shrine… it's all… it's all just the way I remember it.

Around the low table are four pillows meant for us to sit on. Two red, two pink. The pink one on the far side of the table is mine. Mama always used to tease me that I'll end up loving pink more than anything.

I walk around the table, sliding the paper screen doors open to let in some light –some life– into the room. The front yard still looks horrid, but it isn't something I didn't know I'd see. The wall looks like it'll need some repairs; I can see some cracks running down it – the perimeter wall I mean. The house seems to be perfectly liveable.

"This… place is incredible!" Naruto-nii finally catches up. I guess taking off shinobi sandals is a bit more complex than kicking off your slippers.

I find myself staring at the pictures on the wall. Mama. Papa… their wedding picture. Mama when she was pregnant with me…

The pictures are all lined on the same wall of the door Naruto-nii just entered. That's why I didn't notice them… but why didn't I remember they'd be there?

Baby pictures of me playing with papa. No pictures of him after I turned four though. How could there be? The last thing I remember was him promising me to read my favourite book… when I was three and a half. He never came home.

"Sis… you okay?" Naruto-nii asks, worried. I shake off the emotions, trying to tell him I'm fine. But he turns and looks at the pictures. "Nn. You guys looked so happy together."

"Yeah…"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I take my time, going through every room, checking every hidden cache, checking every item. Of course, I avoid my old room and mama's room. I don't need to break down today.

Everything is exactly how I remember it. Nothing seems to have aged at all. And the hidden library is still just as creepy as I remember. It seriously feels like someone's going to jump out from behind a shelf and eat you!

Of course… the clothes left in the drier… well, I kind of had a breakdown seeing our clothes waiting for mama to fold them and put them away.

The food in the kitchen was trying to crawl away. But the dishes are all still usable. And clean. Mama always did hate having dirty dishes hanging around, even if only for five minutes. Naruto-nii helped me empty all the new life forms from the fridge into a garbage sack. He then made a few shadow clones, instructing them to throw the sacks away. They won't be able to get back in, not without my blood to get past the security seal.

I find myself smiling, even as I'm sanitizing the fridge. Even with the horrid smell of sausages that were left to rot for six years fresh in my nose. Even with the eggs that probably would have had great grandchildren by now that cracked when I handled them.

I'm smiling.

"Not as bad as you feared?" Yoshino-sense asks. She's wiping down the counters, just to be safe.

"It's liveable, Sensei. If I wanted to, I could move in today." I admit. Suddenly, I don't feel so happy.

"Your mother was scarily good with those seals of hers. She probably did something to keep the furniture good, or something." Sensei says. "Aya, what's wrong." I find myself on my knees in front of the fridge. Crying. Bawling. I don't… I don't under…stand…

Sensei's arms are around me in a heartbeat. She holds me tightly, trying to keep me from falling apart. "What's wrong, sweetie?" Sensei asks. I shake my head.

"I don't know. I just feel… hurt." I admit. "This isn't the way my life was supposed to go… I… they weren't supposed to leave me alone."

"… Your mom told me the same thing after your dad died. They bought this house, planning on having a couple dozen kids." Sensei, if you're trying to help me, you AREN'T!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Aya! Focus!" Sensei calls out, throwing another couple hundred pebbles at me. Even with the sun setting, she's still pushing me as if it's eight in the morning. I push well beyond my limits, trying to hit each and every pebble that would hit me or my 'charge' – a meditating Naruto-nii sitting behind me.

It sounded so easy in theory. Sensei would throw pebbles at me, I had to used my twin kodachis to defend myself and Naruto-nii. So why, exactly, am I covered in dirt, bruises, and filled with nothing but the desire to go to sleep for a week!?

Sensei is such a slave driver.

I deflect… dozens, hundreds… thousands… I don't know. I deflect a LOT of pebbles. Somehow, Sensei always seems to have more to throw at me. Even when I hit a pebble so hard it turns into dust, the amount of pebbles thrown at me don't seem to slow.

"Good. You didn't let Naruto get hit even once." Sensei announces, eventually. "Keep this up, and we'll start you on live kunai!" I groan, plopping onto the ground. It takes a lot longer than I want to admit, but eventually I re-sheathe my kodachis.

"How's your hand doing?" Sensei asks, sitting down next to me.

"It hasn't troubled me in days." I admit. Then again, it's been a week since starting my medical training course. Ino and Hinata have been taking turns practicing on my arm – apparently it never healed correctly.

Still, whatever. It's helping me play my flute, and I don't have to worry during kodachi training anymore.

"And Naruto-kun? How's the meditation going?" Yoshino-sensei asks.

"It'd go better if you stopped asking me that." He complains, the vein on his forehead throbbing to show how he feels. I giggle a little; Sensei likes talking to him to see if he's actually concentrating.

"Listen. I have a mission tomorrow. I'll be gone for a few days." Yoshino-sensei says. I… don't like those words. Too many important people have said similar things and never returned.

"I've asked Kakashi to train you guys while I'm gone." You didn't! "Would you relax! He's been given VERY specific instructions on how I want things done. And you're classes at the hospital take precedence over everything. I'm sure you and Naruto-kun can keep Sasuke on his best behaviour while I'm gone." I stare at her.

"Sensei. What's going on? If you needed someone to train us, there's Yamanaka-sama, Akimichi-sama, Nara-sama, stray cats… plenty of better options."

"That isn't very nice, Aya-chan." Sensei chides. I only raise an eyebrow, daring her to deny it. And Naruto-nii's laughing shows he's being honest about the situation; Ecchi-san training us is a joke. "I know you're not happy about this, but he's capable. And if he steps out of line just once, you have my permission to set him straight. Immediately, preferred."

I grumble. I don't like this. At all. "I expect the two of you here at six. As always. Take turns making every meal. Don't forget to wash up afterwards. And make sure Shikamaru wakes up on time. That boy will try to sleep until noon otherwise."

"Yes, Yoshino-sensei." I mumble.

"Tomorrow's supposed to be your day off. Kakashi knows to be here anyway. At six. You two should show up a little early so that he'll have something warm to eat if he's on time. And Naruto, Asami-chan sent another scroll for you. I'll give it to you after dinner, okay?"

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 13_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Oh boy! Kakashi is in charge of their training? And this is with only four days of the thirty remaining. Is this some kind of test? Is Yoshino allowing this to happen, just to test Kakashi?_**


	17. Sing for me

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 14 – Sing for me_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

There's a thin line between hope and despair. Most people never notice just how thin that line is; not until it's too late. Yoshino-sensei let me help her pack for her mission – watch her and learn, in other words. Just like… mama…

I've been fighting not to cry all morning. I don't want Sensei to have this weighing on her during a mission. She's been filling the silence with little knick-knacks of information. The amount of kunai she's packing. Where she stores them – some in her leg pouch, most in a scroll kept in her hip pouch. She tells me a funny story about she got her tanto, how she got in a fight with some Cloud shinobi, killed him and his teammates, and took their weapons – she killed them in a funny way, it counts. The tanto was the only thing she liked, so she sold the rest.

It turns out, the hip pouch and the leg pouch she gave me came from that same battle. Who knew?

She also tells me a story about how she accidentally stabbed her husband, back when they were still dating. It turns out, he has a wicked sense of humour. One she didn't like too much. So he pretended to be a Sand shinobi and tried to kidnap her. She didn't take the joke too well. He spent a week in ICU, but he'd proposed before he got out.

"He told me, 'Any woman that will fight **that** hard to come home to me, is a woman worth marrying'. The idiot." She snorts, amused. I find myself laughing a little too. "But, the look in his eyes… he was truly afraid something might happen to me. He feared for me, much in the same way my father feared for me. I… I fell in love with him, then and there."

Awww! We're both blushing, but she also has a faraway look in her eyes. I… wonder if I'll ever feel as deeply for Chouji? If he'll ever feel as deeply for me?

"Don't worry, Yoshino-sensei. I'll take care of them while you're away." I say with a smile. She smiles a little too.

"I know you will. And please make sure to keep in touch with Remi-chan and Mariko-chan as well. They sometimes could use a hand, and I really want you to continue learning to cook while I'm gone. You're getting better, but you're not a five-star chef yet." She winks at me playfully.

I blush a little, but I'm smiling anyway. She seals the last of her shuriken, straps her tanto to her side, zips up her flak jacket, and takes one last look around. I think she's going over a mental list to see if she has everything, but she could just have a ritual of sorts before leaving.

"Well, that's everything. Come on, young lady. I need to make sure Kakashi is here on time, and I'd rather be the one to chew him out if he isn't." We share a smile, but I don't let her lead me out just yet. Instead, I wrap my arms around her middle, laying my head against her. I really wish I'd hugged her before she zipped up her flak jacket; now I can't hear her heartbeat. "I'll be back before you know it, Aya-chan. I promise."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I rush into the kitchen, wanting to help Naruto-nii with whatever I can. He's really calm though. I ask him how I can help, and he asks me to set the table. I smile. Going over the numbers in my head… I should set the table for seven, but I should also prepare a few extra just in case. That way they'll still match; something Yoshino-sensei is dead set on.

So I take seven plates from a set of twelve, placing them on the table. Sensei will want to sit by her husband without fail, so I decide I'd better keep an eye on who's sitting where, just in case. I run back into the kitchen, grabbing seven pairs of chopsticks, and the little… thingies you set chopsticks in to make it look more presentable. I also grab some paper napkins, and some nicer cloth napkins. The paper ones are for 'oops moments', the cloth napkins are for the elegance of the scene. Yoshino-sensei, what have you done with me?

Anyway, not the time. I head back to the table, setting the chopsticks to the right of each plate, in one of those… thingies for chopsticks. Those fancy paper thingies you can place them in, like you'd get at restaurants? Those. I place the cloth nap under the chopsticks – not very efficient. I probably should have just placed the napkins first, and the chopsticks after. Not that it matters now, it's already done.

Tea! I head back into the kitchen. I fill the kettle and set it on the stove. Naruto-nii lights the burner for me – I'm not in the mood for another burn. I then go back into the living room, take the tin containing the tea leaves, select seven matching teacups – also from a set of twelve, just in case. The cups are set on the table, the (matching) teapot is filled with the tea leaves. I set the tin back where it belongs, then bring the teapot into the kitchen.

Once the water is properly boiling, I fill the teapot, and let Naruto-nii turn off the burner. I really don't trust fire… at all.

Then I head back out and set the teapot on the table. It should need roughly five minutes to steep properly. That means I need to start getting people to the table. If the tea steeps too long, it won't taste as good.

As if on cue, Naruto-nii… umm, many Narutos come out of the kitchen bearing breakfast. The smell calls everyone for me. There's a knock at the door, so I start heading that way. Yoshino-sensei meets me at the door. We share a smile, but she insists that she be the one to see who's there. I nod, taking a little step back – it **is** her home after all.

"Good morning, sorry for taking so long." Yoshino-sensei announces, sliding the door open. "Ah, hello Sasuke-kun. You're right on time. We were just sitting to the table for breakfast. _–Kakashi-kun–_ Won't you both come in?" I like how she says Ecchi-san's name a coldly. It shows he's still on thin ice with her, where he should be.

I turn on my heel, heading back to the table. This way, they'll only see my back.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Naruto-kun, breakfast was delicious!" Yoshino-sensei praises. I blush, feeling proud for him. I noise, to show I fully agree with Sensei. Naturo-nii blushes, rubbing the back of his head, obviously pleased but still a bit embarrassed she's making such a big deal of it. "And Aya-chan, the tea was absolutely perfect. I don't even remember the last time the table looked so beautiful. The two of you are really coming along with this. I'm proud of you." I guess it's my turn to blush then. Still, I meet Sensei's gaze and we share a smile.

I'm really happy I managed to seat her between Nara-sama and Nara-san. Even if that means I have to sit between Naruto-nii and Uchiha-san; Sensei's worth it.

There's a knock at the door.

"That's probably Shibuki-san. Aya-chan, could you get that please?" Sensei's eyes are on her husband as she speaks. She probably wants a moment with him, even if it isn't a private one. I get up immediately and head for the door.

"Sorry for taking so long!" I say, before sliding the door open. A tall, green-haired man with piercing orange eyes greets me. He says something about it being no trouble at all, and he asks if 'Nara Yoshino-san' is ready. "Of course. Who might I say is inquiring?"

"Honda Shibuki." He answers politely.

"Ah, Honda-san. Yoshino-sensei thought it might be you. We're just finishing up with breakfast. Won't you please come in?" I motion him into Sensei's home, making sure to step out of the way to offer him more room.

"Thank you. Who might you be? You could almost pass for Yoshino-san's daughter." He asks as he enters.

I blush, pleased. Still, Sensei would want protocol to be followed to the 'T', so I slide the door shut and turn to him, already bowing. "Forgive my poor manners. I'm Namiki Aya." I say politely.

"Satsuma-san's little girl? My, you've grown up well." He seems pleasantly surprised. I'm mostly just annoyed. I don't like talking about this.

"Thank you." I say, looking away from him.

"I'm sorry. This is probably still a touchy subject. Forgive me." He bows, obviously feeling sorry he brought it up.

"It's fine." I wave it off, walking back towards Sensei. It really isn't fine, and I think he can tell. I don't like thinking about mama or papa. Not when around people.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

A tear-free, but still really emotional goodbye later, Yoshino-sensei leaves with Honda-san. I help Naruto-nii clear the table, and we wash the dishes together. I kind of like his work ethic. I wash, he rinses, his clone dries and another clone puts it away. I find myself smiling at his genius level stupidity.

Once everything is as Sensei would want it to be, we head back into the living room. I often wonder why Sensei and Nara-sama would want such a small house, but I've long decided it's none of my business.

"Nara-san? You're free today as well, right?" I ask, trying to figure out what mood he's in. He's really good at hiding what he feels, but I've spent enough time with him by now.

"N-nn." Nara-san doesn't sound like he's in the mood for anything.

"I was thinking it would be the perfect day to be lazy in your back yard." I offer. He won't want to admit it, but I can tell he's a bit down knowing him mother just left for a mission. "Maybe Uzumaki-san can ask Chouji-san if he'd be willing to join us?"

"Sounds good to me. I'll drag him to the convenience store as well for some junk food. You want some ice cream, right Aya-chan?" Naruto-nii offers. I smile brightly at him. Yeah, I could really use some chocolate right now.

"Thank you, N… Uzumaki-san." I wince at the slip up. Nara-san isn't someone who'd miss something like that. Still, he is someone I feel I can trust to keep that to himself. Talking about it would be 'far too troublesome' for him. Still, I dig into my pocket for my money pouch. Hmm, the biggest one is about five-hundred Ryo. So I fish out a thousand Ryou note and hand it to Naruto-nii. "Please don't forget the spoon."

The second Naruto-nii is gone, Nara-san and I start walking towards the back yard. It's still early, and really chilly outside. I'm wearing my jacket, so I should be fine. I make sure it's zipped up all the way, just in case.

"You can call me Shikamaru, you know." Nara-san offers, just as he's sitting down on the hillside.

"N-nn."

"Troublesome." He grumbles, but I can tell his curiosity is will win over his laziness in the end. I'm a puzzle to him, and he'll have Sensei's urge to solve puzzles. "Thanks…" I turn to him, wondering what this is about. He's blushing and looking away though.

"Nn." It may have been forever ago, but I remember how it was to see your mother off for a mission. It… tears you up inside. Never quite knowing if this will be the last time you see her. Never quite knowing if she knows how much you need her to come back. "I promised Yoshino-sensei I'd take care of her two idiots." I tease, smiling a bit. When he snorts, I giggle a little.

"Mom would feel a lot better knowing you'll be here to keep me out of trouble." He says. And even though his voice is light, emotion free, I still feel him worry.

"And making sure you don't only eat junk food. She made me promise Nara-sama wouldn't be allowed too much sake after dinner too." He snorts, probably thinking how that sounds just like Sensei. "I'm supposed to tell her immediately if he tries bribing me." He chuckles this time.

I can tell he still feels crumby… but he's at least smiling a little.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We hang out for most of the morning in Sensei's back yard. After I've guzzled all of my chocolate ice cream, and threw away the tub and spoon –in the garbage in the kitchen, Sensei wouldn't be pleased if she ever found out I was littering in her back yard– Nara-san and I cloud watch. It's still REALLY chilly, even though it's going on ten in the morning, but we're laying in the sunlight so it's not as bad as it could be.

Chouji-kun, Ino, Naruto-nii, Nara-san… and that other idiot who thinks he belongs here. Well, idiot **s** , seeing as Ecchi-san and Uchiha-san are both here.

"Hey, Ino, Aya, how are those classes going?" Chouji-san asks. He probably means the medic course we're following.

"Pretty good. Hinata-chan is the top of our class right now. Her chakra control is amazing!" Ino says. I smile, feeling proud for Hinata-san. This is really giving her the boost she's been needing. "Sakura's doing pretty good herself. She's the only one of our class that really can dedicate all her time to this, so she's doing pretty well herself. But Aya-chan is the real shock for me. She's amazing! I mean, other than Hinata-chan, I think Aya's going to end up being the best medic of our class."

I blush at the praise. Ino's really trying to make Hinata-san and I look good. And seeing Naruto-nii and Chouji-san happy about that, I can guess why. I feel really good, knowing that I'm doing something that makes Chouji-san proud.

"By the way, Aya-chan. Do you think you could help me? I mean, I've got so much going on and some of the coursework is really hard!" Ino begs.

"Alright. On our free days in the evening?" I offer.

"Sounds good! Can we do it in your apartment? I can bring snacks?" Ino asks. I don't know why Naruto-nii is giggling pervertedly, but I decide he shouldn't.

 **SLAP!**

Backhanded slaps are still slaps. And I still got him right in the forehead. I glare at him, daring him to complain. "That's fine, Ino. Should we invite Hinata-san and Haruno-san as well?"

"What about the others? I mean, they seem nice enough?" Ino wonders.

"I… prefer not to have boys over."

"Wha~aaaaa…!? I'm in your apartment all the time!" Naruto-nii points out. I wave him off. Brothers aren't 'boys', not really. I mean, he can be as stupid as a boy from time to time, but I know I can trust him.

"Would you mind if I come? I mean, auntie wouldn't like it if Ino had to walk back home alone at all, let alone in the dark." Chouji-san points out.

I blush. "That's okay."

"Huh? Chouji's a boy too!" Naruto-nii, shut it! Stop making me make this obvious!

"Chouji-kun is Chouji-kun. Boys are boys." I point out, blushing deep and not looking at anyone. I just called him '-kun'… twice.

"Oh, so because you can trust us to be gentlemen around you, we're not 'boys'?" Naruto-nii really doesn't get it. At all. Still, close enough.

"N-nn."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 **KNOCK KNOCK!**

"Aya-chan! We're not too early, are we!?" Ino should know she doesn't have to shout. I mean, she could whisper and I'd probably hear her.

"Can you get that?" I ask Naruto-nii. I'm tempted to call him 'Nii-san', but he'd already asked me not to when others are around, so I don't.

Naruto-nii opens the door, welcoming Ino, Hinata-san, Haruno-san, Nara-san and Chouji-kun. He asks them to come in, and to make themselves comfortable. All the things Sensei would expect him to say.

"Ooh, it smells really good in here!" Ino praises. I blush, but don't answer her. It's a stir-fry chicken recipe Yoshino-sensei taught me. I still need Naruto-nii to light the burner for me though – bad memories.

"Food should be done in ten minutes, please make yourselves comfortable until then. And Ino…"

"Nn?" She wonders what I want, already walking to my bookshelf. I haven't even turned around to check, but I know it's her.

"Don't." She laughs, obviously uncomfortable that she got caught so easily. Her footsteps retreat to my low table. I look over my shoulder, finding Haruno-san and Naruto-nii on the couch. Hmm. Haruno-san doesn't like the idea of sitting next to Naruto-nii, so she moves to the low table instead. Leaving the couch open for Chouji-kun. I frown a little. I don't like how she is with my Naruto-nii. At all.

I hear a bag of chips rustling. "Chouji-kun… please don't snack just before dinner. I have enough for you and Nara-san as well." CRAP! I just called him… you know what, it's pointless. Everyone's heard it at least once now. I find myself thinking of him as '-kun' anyway; might as well just accept it. "What is Nara-sama doing for dinner, by the way?" I ask. I feel really bad I'm not cooking for him as well. I promised Sensei I'd look after him after all!

"He already had plans to go out with Ino and Chouji's dads. They'll probably be out all night." Nara-san sounds amused. Ah. When the cat's away, I guess. Still, I'm glad I'm cooking way too much. I'll see if I can send a bento for him.

I find myself humming. I don't know what it is, but cooking for people, having people over… it's… nice.

"Uzumaki-san, could you set the table for me?" I ask. I'm REALLY glad Sensei pushed for me to buy more plates than I'd ever thought I'd need. I mean, who'd have ever though I'd have seven people over for dinner?

I see Naruto-nii open the upper left cupboard, grab the plates and goes about his business. I smile at him, in thanks. Then I go back to tasting the sauce Sensei said goes really well with this dish – a creamy sweet and sour sauce. Not everyone would prefer it, but it's nice to have as an option.

Ah! Tea! I open the lower right cupboard, grab the kettle and fill it with water. "Hey, Chouji, you mind lighting the burner for Aya-chan?"

"Sure." Chouji-kun gets up, and comes over to help me. I smile, blushing a little – mostly I'm trying not to frown though. What does he think of me? Too scared to light a burner…

He fiddles with one of my matches –it's a piece of crap stove– before light one and setting it to the stove and turning on the gas. It huffs, lighting up without much fuss. Yeah… I hate fire. I hate the cold, but I sooooooooooooooo hate fire.

"Th-thanks." I don't dare looking at him. I don't want him to see how much light a stove… burner thingy… freaks me out.

"It's nothing! I mean, seeing as I'm getting a warm meal it's the least I can do!" He rubs the back of his head, I guess. I'm kind of busy trying not to look at him. He moves back to the couch. I probably made him feel uncomfortable or something.

Setting the kettle on the burner, and adjusting the burner so it doesn't boil too quickly, I go back to tending to my sauce and our dinner. This is pretty much the last of what I needed to cook. I have the rest on the counter – Sensei told me that some of it is meant to be served cold, so I'm keeping them for snacks while we study.

It isn't a minute later I find myself humming again. The water comes to a boil just as the stir-fry is ready to serve. I turn off all three burners, pour the hot water into the teapot I already had set aside with tea leaves, and ask everyone to sit at the table.

Even as I'm bringing the food to the table, I find myself still humming that song. It's kind of stuck in my head. "Aya-chan seems really happy for some reason." Haruno-san says, but I ignore her. I place the wok with the stir-fry in the centre of the table –on a coaster, of course– going back for the teapot and the pot with the sauce. Since I have a square low table, instead of a long one like Sensei, it's not too weird for everyone to just sit around it. And it makes it so much easier for me to pour everyone's tea.

I do make sure to thank Naruto-nii for setting the table properly though – napkins, chopsticks, plates and teacups, all exactly how Sensei would want them. Once everyone's plate has enough food for them, we chorus 'Itatakimasu!' and everyone happily digs in.

"Hey, Aya-chan, what's that song you keep humming? It's really catchy!" Naruto-nii asks, his mouth still a bit full. I glare at him, warning him not to do that again. He blushes, rubbing the back of his head; he probably just forgot.

"Daisuki da yo, by Otsuka Ai." I say. It's a really catchy tune, and I love how she just pours her love for her husband into her words, into her singing. I'm not usually one for piano pieces, but… that song just keeps getting stuck in my head.

"I love that song!" Haruno-san announces. I shrug. I didn't ask for her opinion. "It kind of makes me wonder what it'd be like… my husband would treat me after being married for a few years." Still not asking for your opinion, Haruno-san.

"Well, if a man really loves his wife, then he should treat her with the same love and respect. No matter how much time passes." Naruto-nii says. I smile. Not just because I agree with him, but because I know he's saying that for Hinata-san. Judging from her blush, I'd say she knows it too.

"No one as-" Haruno-san wisely shuts up when I glare at her.

"Haruno-san. Do not pick a fight with Uzumaki-san during dinner. That is most… _inappropriate_." I point out, still glaring at her. She apologizes –to me, not him– and focuses on her food.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Naruto-nii clears the table after we're done eating. "Le-" I try to offer to help him, but he's already waving it off.

"Aya-chan, it's fine. You cooked, I'll wash up. Besides, you guys need to get to studying, right?" He says, smiling. "It was really good by the way!"

"Nn! I didn't know you could cook like that, Aya-chan!" Chouji-kun agrees. The butterflies are going nuts now. I'm actually really glad I didn't realise I was cooking for Chouji-kun while I was cooking, or I'd get nervous and mess it all up.

"N-nn. I-it w-was l-lovely." Hinata-san manages, smiling at me. I beam at all the praise, but I feel kind of bad that Sensei isn't getting the credit she deserves. I mean, she's the one that's been teaching me!

"Yoshino-sensei's been teaching me. I'm glad I didn't mess up too badly." I say, already moving towards my bookshelf for the medical books I need for our study group.

"What are you talking about? That was delicious, Aya-chan! Auntie would be so proud." Ino announces. She's really loud tonight for some reason.

"Hey, guys. Maybe we should head over to my apartment, so the girls can study in peace?" Naruto-nii announces.

"It's fine, N… Uzumaki-san. But if you want to bring over your Shogi board, I'm sure Nara-san would enjoy playing a game or two?" I suggest. Seeing as Nara-san looks less grumpy than he usually would be, I'm guessing he thinks it's a good idea. I'm not sure why he tagged along, but I guess being alone at home isn't such a bright idea right now. "And Chouji-kun, I won't complain if you want those chips now."

We settle in quickly after that. Naruto-nii and Nara-san start their Shogi match. Chouji-kun happily munches on his chips, and the four of us get down into all things biology, physiology and pathology.

"Hmm, what about the long term effects of burn marks? I mean, from what I've seen from Aya's burn, there's always a chance it doesn't heal properly or can worsen over time." Ino wonders. Why I always end up being a topic isn't something I'm mean to understand. One burn mark. ONE! And I get talked about more than Uchiha-san used to.

"I-I th-think that has m-more to do with her n-never having someone l-look at it." Hinata-san stutters. I sigh.

"Hmm, that kind of does sound like her. She probably thought she could handle it and never went to a medic to have it looked at." Ha, ha! Thanks, Ino. "What? It's true!" I glare at her dully.

"D-does it still t-trouble y-you?" Hinata-san asks.

I shake my head, no. "Not since two doctor wannabees have been stalking me over it." I tease. "I can almost do my stretches without help now. And I don't feel any pain or stiffness while playing my flute."

"You know, I've been hearing about this flute of yours for a while now. When can I hear you play it?" Haruno-san asks.

"Long term effects: nerve damage, muscle damage, loss or impairment of fine or gross motor function. Short term effects: dehydration, inflammation, pain, blistering, possibility of amputation depending on how bad the burn is and how deep the burn goes." I change the subject. This is medical studies, not 'social interactions'.

"Aya-chan, that isn't very nice." Ino tries.

"Ino, we need to study for the test coming up in two weeks. If Haruno-san wants to hear me play, she'll have to wait until after our study group is over. Not halfway through it." I point out.

"Aw, come on! I haven't heard you play in over a week! I really want to know if you've gotten better now that your hand isn't acting up!" The blonde presses. I glare at her dully. It isn't a 'Haruno issue', it's a timing issue.

"N-nn, I w-would l-like to hear you p-play as well." Hinata-san joins the 'distraction club'.

I huff, annoyed that they're ganging up on me. "Fine. One song." I give in. Hmm, I've only really been practicing those songs from the scroll Hinata-san gave me, but there was one that I really liked. It's supposed to be played with a koto though, and I doubt anyone here can play the koto, let alone actually having one with them! Still, whatever.

I take out my shinobue from my sleeve, going over the notes, the timing, the rhythm of the song in my head. I hmm, thinking about the gentjutsu I've been working on as well. It just needs me to make a sound and have that sound reach their ears. Pauses in that sound break the genjutsu, which would be fine for now. After all, they're pretty much begging me to show off a little, right?

Fine. Let's do this then. I still wonder who this 'princess Sakuya' is, and why she needs a theme, but whatever. I start playing only the part for the shinobue, hating that the piece is incomplete, but not really able to do anything about it.

After the first few bars, I focus the genjutsu, filling my flute with chakra and letting the images in my head flow into their minds. I picture a field, cherry blossom petals raining down. I pause to breathe. The next note that is sung, brings the picture of a lake, two lovers sitting side by side.

I pause to breathe again. Then comes the two lovers dancing on a pier. She's scooped up into his arms, twirled around him, and gently set on her feet again.

I pause to breathe. Night's fallen, the moon is full, the stars twinkle above them. They sit on the pier, their feet dangling in the water. They're holding hands, her head lain on his shoulder. The summer air is still cool, even at this hour.

I pause to breathe. They're walking back, though still on the pier. They're still barefoot, holding their slippers in their hands. She looks at him, seeing the love in his eyes. He looks at her, seeing the stars reflecting in hers. They kiss.

I pause to breathe. She's in her room, daydreaming about her lover. She's humming the same song I'm playing, staring longingly at the same moon that shone down on them. The stars twinkle just as majestically.

The song comes to an end, so I let the last genjutsu sequence fade with the last note.

"Now can we get back to-"

"Aya-chan! That was awesome! You played it with a genjutsu too!" Naruto-nii praises. I put away my flute, knowing having it out will just tempt them to ask for another song.

"You're such a romantic. I could see those two falling in love. How'd you come up with that?" Ino asks.

"Ronin? It wasn't in the movie, but it was in the book. That's from Tagarashi thinking back on how he fell in love with his wife."

"Could you do that while singing too!? I mean, that would be totally awesome if you could!" Naruto-nii, please stop. Playing my flute for everyone isn't enough?

"Now that you mention it, Aya did say she likes to sing, didn't she?" Ino… really? You too? Aren't we supposed to be studying?

"Please, Aya-chan? If you can play the shinobue so well, I would love to hear you sing." Hinata-san begs. Everyone stares at her, noticing that she isn't stuttering. I groan. I rub the bridge of my nose. I huff. And I wonder why I'm such a conversational piece this days. I liked it better when no one dared to talk to me.

"You could sing 'Daisuki da yo'?" Haruno-san suggests. No. Just no! I would end up believing I'm singing for Chouji-kun. And everyone would think so too! NO! Out of the question.

Hmm, I'm really used to singing _that song_ though… I'm still not really sure where I know it from, but it just feels like it's part of me. I take a sip of my cooled tea – to wet my throat. Deciding to just get this over with, I sing.

 _My days end as I'm trying to find where to vent my irritation_  
 _The sky is grey, I can't see anything beyond_  
 _People who act like they have common sense are laughing; what kind of lie will they tell next?_  
 _How can they treasure what they obtain with those lies?_  
 _But we've got to move ahead, toward tomorrow_  
 _So I'm going to sing like this_

 _You may be crying, you may be lonely_  
 _But that's perfect-that's what human is_  
 _The tears you shed say_  
 _Thank you for giving life to us-beautiful, honest, and real_

 _Having dreams you want to fulfil and dreams you can't reach_  
 _Is dream and hope in itself. That's enough for us humans to live on_  
 _There's a door, it's waiting there_  
 _So I will reach out my hand_

 _For you who have stumbled, I give you this song and the courage to fight once more_  
 _The tears you shed say_  
 _Thank you for the miracle of allowing us to meet in this sullied, ugly world_

As the last word leaves my lips, I hope beyond hope that I'm not crying this time. I always sing this song when I get depressed, and I always end up crying because of it.

All I feel is smile though. I really love singing this song.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 14_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: The songs mentioned in this fic are all 100% real, and none of them I have any rights to. You can watch them on youtube to really crawl between Aya's ears if you like. This last one she doesn't know the name of is 'My Song', sung by Iwasawa from Angel Beats! This may be some allusion to Iwasawa being 'inserted' into this fic, but seeing as Angel Beats cannon facts would dictate you remember nothing from your time in 'that world' or the world you died in before going there, we'll just never know. Seriously though, I love listening to that song when I'm down. With or without the English subs. The beat, the easy rhythm just soothes me._**

 ** _A side note. Seeing as (technically) Aya would be singing this in Japanese, the last word that would come out of her mouth is 'arigatou', meaning thank you. This is her way of thanking her friends, her precious people, for being there for her in this ugly world, even if they annoy her sometimes._**

 ** _And a side-side note. She's mostly singing for Naruto, Chouji and Ino. If that information does anything for you ^_^_**


	18. Take care of me

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 15 – Take care of me_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Naruto-nii and I show up at like five-thirty at Sensei's home. We see ourselves in, seeing as no one else would even be awake at this hour. I still find myself apologizing for arriving at this early hour.

"Oh, are you here already?" Nara-sama drones. He's sitting at the low table, for some reason. And he's drinking sake. Alone. In the dark. Awww… he misses Yoshino-sensei.

"Nara-sama, I promised Yoshino-sensei I wouldn't let you drink too much, you know." I get on his case. "And of course we're here this early. We need to make breakfast, you know."

"Naruto-nii, give me a hand in the kitchen?" I ask, but I'm already walking that way.

"O-oi! Ay-"

"Fine, I can handle breakfast a-"

"Oi! It isn't that! You-"

"Nii-san, it's just Nara-sama. If we cannot trust Yoshino-sensei's husband, who can we trust?" Why are we even talking about this? It's too early to worry with silly things. And I'm sure Sensei would have discussed this with her husband! I mean, come on! It's not like we're in love or anything! And we both know Nara-sama doesn't treat you badly!

I huff, leaving Naruto-nii to figure that out for himself. In the mean time, I'm going over the options. Yoshino-sensei prefers something heavy for breakfast. Maybe fried chicken with… no I cooked chicken last night already. Let's see, what other meats are in the fridge? Beef is too 'lunchy', so Sensei would never cook that for breakfast. I don't know anything that goes well with salmon, so that's getting skipped. Shrimps are also really 'lunchy'. Nope, chicken it is! Alright, I did stir-fry last night, so I'll go breaded this time. I can use the extra egg batter to make egg rolls. And… I'll need to make rice to go with it. Maybe some carrots and… hmm… Sensei did say that radish goes well with breaded chicken. And she did show me that trick to bread the radish with the chicken. Let's go with that.

I take out the chicken, carrots and radish. As well as six eggs. I carefully set them on the counter. Hmm. Dice the chicken first and season it, so the seasons will have time to 'take' to the chicken. I look over my shoulder, noticing that Naruto-nii still isn't here to help me. Oh well. I can survive this part without him. He'd better be here to light that stupid burner though!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After breakfast, Naruto-nii and I wash up the dishes. Then we sit around the table again, waiting for Ecchi-san to do something, say something. He has ten minutes before I get annoyed and just drag Nii-san outside and show him a new Muay Thai move and ignore Ecchi-san's stupidness for the coming days. I'm sure either Yamanaka-sama or Akimichi-sama wouldn't mind being there while we do our missions.

Seriously though, being this close to both Ecchi-san and Uchiha-san irks me. Especially since I don't get to see Sensei smiling proudly to balance it.

I take out my flute, playing 'Sakura' from memory. I enjoy that Uchiha-san is uncomfortable, seeing as the only Sakura we know is one of his more… vocal admirers. Still, even though the song is supposed to be played by strings, finding the right notes on my flute wasn't too hard. And it's such a popular children's song that everyone would recognise it without too much trouble.

It's only like forty-five seconds long though, so I play it over and over again, until the ten minutes are up.

"Well, it's back to this I see. Uzumaki-san?" I put away my shinobue and drag Naruto-nii outside.

Or try to. "Aya-chan… please?" Naruto-nii begs me with his eyes. I huff, sitting back down.

"Ecchi-san. I don't have the patience for this. What are we doing?" I demand, glaring at him. Helping me stretch my hand a few times doesn't undo the damage of his stupid attitude he'd already taught me is his true self.

"I have options for you. How far are you three with tree climbing?"

"Sensei would have already told you that. We've all three mastered it." I really am not in the mood to play nice with him, so he'd be-

"Aya-chan, come on. He's trying." Naruto-nii looks annoyed with me. I huff, looking away to hide my embarrassed blush. I still cross my arms though! Hopefully he'll just think I'm annoyed with this whole stupid situation – which I am!

Ecchi-san clears his throat. I don't care why. "Well, the next step is water walking. If you three will follow me?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We're taken to training ground seven again. Ecchi-san seems to have dug a ditch here, at some point. Let's all marvel at his ditch-digging skills, _wow_. He can dig ditches six metres wide, two metres long, two metres deep. Such skill is simply too _amazing_ for words.

"Now." He turns his back to us, facing the ditch. His hands fly through handsigns faster than I can follow, and he pukes up enough water to fill the ditch. Then his hands go through another set of handsigns and flames meet water, long enough to see steam rising; but not boiling. "The water should be about forty degrees centigrade. That's uncomfortably hot, and for a reason. I want you three to try using the same technique as the tree-walking exercise to walk on water."

The point being, if you mess up, you get partly cooked. Whatever. Naruto-nii goes first, falling in almost immediately. He climbs out as quickly as he can, crying out how hot the water is. I shrug, focus chakra to the soles of my feet, and walk out o-

SPLASH!

Hmm, too little, I think. And the water's not that bad. I bathe with this same temperature. I kind of like it.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We kept at it for just under two hours. Then it was time for our first mission. And I made sure Ecchi-san was aware of the time too. If he makes me miss just ONE mission today, or any day he's 'in charge'…!

"Team Seven reporting in!" Naruto-nii hams it up, as usual. Still, this is for Hokage-dono. Naruto-nii and I stand at attention, even if Uchiha-san is 'too important' to bother with such things.

"Ah, right on time. It would seem Yoshino-chan is keeping someone on a short leash?" Hokage-dono teases Ecchi-san. I grin, knowing that it isn't just Yoshino-sensei keeping this slacker in line. "Hmm? Or is our little Aya-chan the reason you're not allowed to be late? Perhaps a little bit of both." Ecchi-san looks really uncomfortable with this topic. Good.

"Anyway, Hokage-sama. I believe this team is ready for their first C-rank mission." Buttering me up doesn't work. And even if Naruto-nii is jumping around like an idiot and celebrating that, I still see through you. Ecchi.

"I see. Well, I can't say I disagree. They've been taking more missions than the other teams combined. Let's see then. What would be a good mission for this team?" Hokage-dono and Umino-sensei go back and forth a bit, sorting through the missions available. "Ah! Here we are! A bridge builder needs to be escorted back to his home country and protected while he finishes a bridge he's been working on."

"No." I don't even think about it.

Ecchi-san looks annoyed again. "Aya-chan, isn't that-"

"I said, no." I don't even wonder what he thinks needs to be said. Yoshino-sensei asked that Naruto-nii and I keep an eye on her husband and son. I am not going to let her down.

"What seems to be the problem, Aya-chan?" Hokage-dono asks.

"Yoshino-sensei asked that I take care of her family while she's gone." I tell him honestly.

"Ah. Would it help if I said I'd just given Asuma's team a C-rank as well? They'll be gone for a week. And Shikaku-kun is currently en route to Sand for a diplomatic meeting. I assure you, this will not be a problem."

I sigh, crossing my arms and looking away. Fine. "Good. Then allow me to introduce your client. Send him in."

One look.

That's all it took for me to know I was going to hate this mission. The client stinks of cheap beer, even from all the way over there. He's obviously still at it too. And from a five litre jug to boot! He looks like he hasn't bathed in weeks. And he's as greasy as they come. But wait! That's not all! He also lacks respect in all forms of the word.

"I pay for ninja, and this is what I get? Two shrimps?" I feel Nii-san grabbing me by the collar of my jacket, knowing that I was about to introduce this drunkard to my kodachis. One intimate conversation I'm sure Uchiha-san would have been begging for, had I not ignored him so long. Still, even Ecchi-san didn't get under my skin _this_ quickly.

"Team. We meet up at South Gate in one hour." If Ecchi-san dares even **think** to tell us not to be late… "Pack for a month long mission." Not an improvement. A month with you? Kami-sama, I've been a good girl! What's up with this!?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once in my apartment, I grumble and curse like a drunken sailor. Why not, I'll be stuck with one for a **_month_**! Ecchi-san wasn't bad enough. Uchiha-san wasn't bad enough. No, Kami-sama decides I need to put up with a drunk vagabond too!

Thank the chocolate gods I have enough chocolate bars to last me a month! I'm going to need them! Still… hold on. Priorities.

I take out the scroll Sensei gave me, unrolling it as far as it will go and lay it on my table. Lipstick, two types. Glossy pink number two, and passionate red number nine. I also have fingernail polish, three colours; red, black and teal. The red matches with my red lipstick. Eye shadow, three colours; teal, pink and chocolate. I like wearing the chocolate one as a secondary colour. Three hundred kunais, I'd have to sharpen them if I need them though… yes, I have my sharpening tools as well. A hundred shuriken – I use those stupid things far less, after all. A hundred metres of ninja wire – which I've never really ever used for anything other than strapping an explosive note to a kunai, but whatever.

I always have my kodachis on me, and my flute. Okay, that means I still have ten empty seals I can fill with stuff. And seeing as Sensei gave me seals that can store a bunch and be 'unsealed' one at a time, I can just stuff my whole stock in there and figure out the details later.

So let's see. Chocolate bars. I don't know if they'll be kept cool… so no mousse. Or pudding. Hmm… brownies would survive, but I don't know how long. And I only have like two left anyway! Alright! Fine! Only chocolate bars then! How many do I have? Twenty? Oh no! I'm going to get more! If I end up without chocolate for **_whatever_** reason I know the first casualty is going to end up being our client! Still, I'll need some reading material to keep me from maiming people.

I grab 'The sound of silence', 'Genjutsu made easy' and 'The magic of the elements'. Hmm. Just to be sure, I also grab 'Ronin', 'The tale of the utterly gutsy shinobi', 'Of setting suns' and 'See spot run'. I nod, liking my choices. Should I also take 'Unusual jutsu styles'? Nah, I've already read it like twenty times.

I set them all down on my table, sealing them each separately. That leaves me with three more seals. One for chocolate, but I'll only seal them once I pick up another twenty bars. I'll need rations bars as well. I don't keep those in stock, so I'll have to buy. And I'll need bottles of water.

Three things to pick up. Alright, Aya! You've got about another thirty minutes, make it count!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once at the gate, I find myself annoyed. Already. I'm ten minutes early. And I've already demanded Naruto-nii send a clone to Yoshino-sensei's and leave a note telling her what's going on. Even if the house is locked, I told him to shove it under her door or something.

Did I already check the expiration dates of my food? Yes… only one tub of mousse wouldn't make it. It's currently 'taking one for the team'. The pudding got eaten at home.

"I can't believe you're eating chocolate already. He's not even here yet." Naruto-nii teases.

"If I left it behind, it would spoil before we got back. Leaving chocolate to spoil is a sin against Kami-sama!" I explain. "Did you get enough instant ramen?"

"I have a hundred cups. It should be enough." He says. I nod, but I'm not sure if I agree with him. That boy eats more ramen that I'll ever manage to eat chocolate.

I know he bought rations bars and bottles of water as well. And he says Sensei would approve of his packing. I don't press. I shift the stupid bag I'm carrying with my camping equipment. At least I don't have any books in there, those would make my bag heavy.

Five minutes before Ecchi-san is late.

Let's go over the list again. Toothbrush and toothpaste. Brush. Wooden comb. Five changes of clothes. Tent. Futon. Two pillows. Four pillowcases. Ten clean underwear – included five bras that Sensei demands I start wearing. I roll my eyes at that. It's not as if they'd even cover anything!

I want to have chocolate bars on me, but my body heat would melt them. And that'd just mess up my uniform. Not going down that road, thanks.

Four minutes until Ecchi-san is late.

I also have those two scrolls from my medical course. One for the diagnostic jutsu which I still haven't gotten even close to mastering. The other on making simple poisons. Apparently we're supposed to make the poisons before we learn to make the antidotes. Who knew?

Three minutes.

I've been going over the poisons thing with Naruto-nii. He seems to understand them really quickly for some reason. It doesn't really bug me; his kodachis are made for using poisons anyway. He likes two poisons especially – one a neurotoxin he keeps in his right kodachi, the other a hallucinogen he keeps in his left kodachi. I don't know why he likes those two, I don't care why. His thing.

I also have that new scroll with songs that Hinata-san gave me last night. These are supposedly 'harder'. Whatever. I'll see when the time comes.

Two minutes.

Hmm, that's everything I have on me. Other than three-thousand Ryou – pocket change. So now all I can do is annoy myself. I start playing with my zipper.

One minute.

My slippers are starting to wear down. Maybe I should get a new pair? Hmm. A month long C-rank mission should help me out quite a bit. We'll see what comes up.

Thirty seconds. No sign of him. Or Uchiha-san. I sigh. "We're by South Gate, right?" I ask, just to be sure.

"Of course?" He sounds confused. "You keeping track of the time again?"

"Always. I suck at directions, but I can tell you he's now officially ten seconds late."

"And no sign of him either. I guess we should have gone to Ichiraku's before coming here."

"I told you." I remind him, my tone sour.

"Hey, you can't blame me for giving him a chance."

"Sure I can. It's easy, watch. Naruto-nii, this is entirely your fault. See, easy." He gazes at me, unimpressed.

"The bastard's coming." Uchiha-san? Well, he's usually pretty on time. Not surprising. "You've got my back, right, sis?"

"Always."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once Ecchi-san **_FINALLY_** shows up, only a half hour late –which he blames on the client, of course– we hit the road. Naruto-nii acts like a complete idiot, running out of the gate ahead of us, looking around excitedly. He claims it's because he's never been out of the village. Neither have I; you don't see me acting like that.

Whatever, he's excited. Let him have his fun. Uchiha-san is still being a jerk, but at least he's eyeing me less. Good. Otherwise I'd set him up on a blind date with Haruno-san – and I've already told him about that too. He knows I'm manipulative enough to pull it off.

Since we're moving at a snail's pace, I decide to kill the time by playing my flute. It'll keep me on my best behaviour without burning through my chocolate before we even get there.

So I start playing the songs I know from memory. Not a lot, I'm afraid. Not even a half hour later, I've burned through my options. I sigh.

"Heh, not bad. A shame that won't stop someone from killing me." The client is lucky he's paying for more than a year's worth of chocolate. It's keeping his arms attached to his body.

"Umm, hey Tazuna-san… I wouldn't do that if I were you. She already doesn't like you." Naruto-nii warns him.

"Huh? What's a l-"

"Tazuna-san, you _really_ don't want to go there." Ecchi-san warns. I snort. So he is smart enough to learn from his mistakes. "Hey, Naruto, she did pack enough chocolate, right?"

"Yup."

"Good."

We continue is silence. The client is still drinking, even though it's the middle of the day. Uchiha-san is still up ahead, our 'fearless leader'. Naruto-nii is to the client's right, I'm to the client's left.

"So what happens if the girl decides I'm too much trouble?"

"Well, that's easy, she already has." Ecchi-san answers. "Your only hope is the blonde. If he gives up on you…"

"So what about the serious-looking one and you?"

"I really don't care what I think of you. Our mission is to protect you from bandits, not to like you." Uchiha-san says. Hmm? He's really chatty today. Maybe I should ask Ino to spend more time with him then?

"Sasuke-kun has a point. We're here to do a mission. Aya-chan will honour that." I nod, agreeing with Ecchi-san's words. I will honour our mission; it'll pay the bills.

"Aya, huh. A pretty name." The client isn't slurring drunk yet, but if he tries to grope me no amount of money will save him.

"Tazuna-san, really. She isn't the talkative type." Ecchi-san warns. That's a lot of warnings. And I haven't issued one yet.

"You aren't, huh? You remind me of my daughter, Tsunami. She's really nice, but she can be a bit strict too." He tells me. "She turned twenty-nine a few months ago. I think you'll get along when you meet her."

I don't answer him. I just keep a casual eye on our surroundings. "She has a son too. My only grandson, Inari. A good boy." He takes another pull from his jug. "He's eight."

Hmm, Moegi's age, more or less. Is that… a puddle? How stupid do you have to be to believe people are going to not notice it hasn't rained in weeks? Time of year is unimportant; the rainy season doesn't start until next month!

We pass the puddle, the client still talking about this or that. Whatever he finds interesting. Sometimes Naruto-nii would comment, but his are the only words I pay attention to. He's sneaky enough to hide clues in his words.

"You live near the water, huh?" Yup he noticed the puddle too. "Must be cosy there." _Sit tight, I've got this_.

Fine, I'll watch the client! But you soooooooo owe me for this!

When the trap is sprung –not a very good trap– Ecchi-san is the first to go down. Typical, but not a bad plan. Take out the obvious strongest first if you can. The trouble is, you don't usually know who's the strongest. Well, this time they got it right. He's the strongest. Oh what am I to do.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto-nii could be an actor. He sounds shocked, angry, worried. He even called the man 'sensei'. Probably playing into the ' _we're just your average genin team, and you kill our sensei_ ' expectations. To be sure, we're genin, but you don't train with Yoshino-sensei and consider yourself 'average'. Average, in her book, means dead.

I unsheathe my kodachis, already shoving the client a bit ahead to give Nii-san space to work. Two shinobi. Mist headband. One has one horn, the other has two. They're trying to look like 'oni'… ogres. Mindless killing machines. Hmm… weapons… gauntlets. Each wears one, a chain connects them. A chain that looks like shuriken. So that's how they got Ecchi-san. Meh. If he's pathetic enough to fall for that sad trap, he deserves to die.

Then again, I see the wood from the log he substituted with. I roll my eyes. He's going to just hang back, is he? Lazy jerk!

They make it to Naruto-nii, trying to take him out quickly as well. Morons. Don't underestimate him. Nii-san does a Flying Knee, right over their punches. Then the most beautiful thing happened.

He unsheathed both his kodachi at once – right hand on his left kodachi, left hand on his right kodachi. In one clean swing, he takes their heads. It's poetry in motion. Sadly, that's a move I'll never pull off. My kodachis are reverse-edged. I'd break their noses, maybe knock them out, but beheading? Nope. Not on the menu.

Naruto-nii's brain catches up with him. He runs over to the bushes and throws up. I'll give him a minute.

I sheathe my kodachis, turning to our _client_. "Explain. **Now.** "

He sweats, stutters and claims he doesn't know what I'm talking about. I kick the backs of both his knees, dropping him to my height. I grab him by his shirt, pulling him dangerously close to me. "I. Said. **_Now_**."

"Aya-chan. I can deal with him. You go check on Naruto." Ecchi-san reappears. Oh look, they didn't get him. I offer one last, long moment of my attention to our _client_. He looks about ready to wet himself.

I let go of him. I don't even try kicking him or anything. I didn't bathe him in killing intent. Nothing! Just a look. Wimp. He wouldn't last five minutes around Sensei.

"Uzumaki-san?" He makes a motion for me to go away. Sorry, Naruto-nii, not happening. "Nii-san?" I take another step towards him. Then another. He's breathing mostly normal, and he's not throwing up anymore. He's messed up beyond belief though.

I reach into one of my pants pockets, taking out a bottle of water. I tap it on his shoulder. "To wash out your mouth." He takes the bottle from me and does just that. He won't look at me though. He's refusing to. That's fine for now. He needs time.

"Do you want time or a hug?" I ask. I don't mind giving him either. Even though I know he'll be covered in blood. Heck, I can see blood spatters all over his back and sides.

"… how… how can you…?"

"What? Stand to be near a killer?" He nods. "I was raised by an Anbu operative, Naruto-nii. She came home covered in blood more often than not. Now do you want that hug?" He turns to me, tears in his eyes.

He doesn't say anything, wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his face in my tummy. He's crying; shoulders quaking, snot dripping (eww!), ugly as Uchiha-san, crying. I hold onto him, letting him take all the time he needs.

Well, mostly. "That's a really cool move, by the way. I can't believe you're already doing stuff like that." He snorts. "I'm serious! I mean, jeez! You're going to start making me look bad! Teaching you for a month and you're already making me look like an amateur. Give a girl a break will you?"

"Sis, you have a twisted sense of humour." He laughs a little, but I can tell it's still lifeless.

"Look who's talking, blondie. Have you seen the pranks you pulled on Umino-sensei?" I say whatever I need to say to keep him talking. I don't want him to let this turn in.

It takes about a half hour before I have Nii-san mostly back to his sunshiny self. Once I do, I ask him the most crucial question I'd rather not ask him. "Do you want to scalp them, or should I?"

He takes one look at the already cooling bodies. "They could have dead man switches… or whatever." He says, making four clones. I nod, hugging him again. He doesn't fight me.

"You saved your little sister's life today. I'm proud of you." I tell him honestly. Sure, I still think he's a pigheaded idiot, especially for telling me to guard the client. But… I understand why he did it; he wouldn't want to risk my life.

"Come on, hero-san… let's go see what Tall, Moody and Ugly are up to."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Moody –the client– is being politely interrogated for EVERY detail. Tall –Ecchi-san– is the interrogator. And Ugly –Uchiha-san– is just looking annoyed. I can imagine why. A fight to prove his strength, and Naruto-nii 'hogs the limelight'. I can see the 'Uzumaki, fight me' coming already. He'd better know that if Nii-san fights, I fight.

"So, basically, you lied to a bunch of ninja, and expect us to protect you anyway." Ecchi-san sums it up. No, really? Did he lie? "They're first move was two chuunin. That means we're talking about at least one jounin next. This is out of our league." Wow, he thought about this. Did think he had it in him.

"Please! You have to understand that Gatou has crippled our economy! We don't have the money to pay more! We could barely afford this!" I glare at the bridge builder – breach of contract, no longer a client. "What am I supposed to do? If I go back alone, I'll be dead for sure! But do you think they'll stop there? They'll never stop, not until every last citizen of Wave is dead or a slave!"

"… that's horrible." Naruto-nii is soooooooooooooooooo not falling for this. "Kakashi-sensei, we should keep going!"

 **SLAP!**

"Say that again." I dare him.

"Well, he needs help!"

 **SLAP!**

"Come on! You know we can't just lea-"

 **SLAP! SLAP!**

"This is out of our league. A proper team would need to be at least two jounin, and likely two chuunin to back them up. And that's if it isn't Anbu level. We're talking about a group powerful enough to have a COUNTRY in a choke hold!" I shout that last piece in his ear, ignoring that his forehead and both cheeks are red from my slaps. "Now stop being so pigheaded and listen to reason!"

"Sis… I understand. But how would they pay for it?"

 **SLAP!**

"Lay away? A contract to pay the total over time with interest? I don't care. Think! This isn't just your life versus theirs. This is my life too! Even if you're willing to give your life for them, would you risk mine?" That shuts him up. "Naruto-nii… don't you dare. Don't you dare make me lose someone precious to me!"

"And Naruto's the most unpredictable shinobi of Konoha?" Ecchi-san butts in. I glare at him, warning him he's already on thin ice. And having an argument with Naruto-nii isn't doing my state of mind any favours. "Either way, this isn't either of yours decision to make. It's mine." I unsheathe my kodachis, daring him to order us forward on a suicide mission.

"Aya-chan, hear me out. I could probably handle this mission solo."

"Good. See you." I turn and start shoving Naruto-nii back to Konoha. Kodachis still in hand, mind you.

"Aya… hear me out until the very end." He sighs, annoyed. "I said I could. But you are in fact right. This calls for a specialized team, not a genin cell." I turn and glare at him, my face telling him loud and clear: No, really?

"I'll send word to Hokage-sama. We'll stay here until another team comes to relieve us."

"That's a _genius_ idea. Let's stay here, when there's at least one jounin out to kill the man that lied to us and will happily go through us to get that done. Brilliant." I drone. "Especially seeing as Konoha is less than a half a day's walk from here."

"The relief team will be bringing our next mission anyway. This will save us travel time."

"Or you're just scared I'll get inside the village and refuse to look at you ever again." He winces. That hit a nerve. So… he's trying to win me over after all, huh? That means Yoshino-sensei knows. She'd never miss something like this. Still, she allowed it, so I'll play along. That doesn't mean I won't get to the bottom of this. "So what's the deal, huh? Yoshino-sensei offered you a shot at becoming our sensei again?"

He doesn't look away, but he doesn't answer me either. "That's a yes. But Yoshino-sensei isn't stupid. She'd set up very clear guidelines, goals for you to achieve and a deadline. Seeing as you're not being a complete jerk, that means I'm one of those goals. Is that it? Am I just a means to train your _precious student_?"

"One of the goals is to earn the respect of all three of you, if that's what you mean." He answers, but I can't say if he's lying or not. Between that stupid face mask and his training to lie with a straight face –he's a jounin for crying out loud– there's no way I'd be able to tell fact from fiction with him.

"When's the deadline?"

"Four days from now."

"Ah. Then you're the one that arranged her to take a mission. So that she'd consider your offer to take us on our first C-rank. And arranged for Nara-san's team to take one as well. You knew Nara-sama would be out of the village as well. Diplomatic missions don't just pop up last minute. Am I right? This is your last chance. And seeing as you know-"

"Sis… come on." Naruto-nii interrupts me.

"No, Nii-san. You only like him because he's the Fourth's student."

"And he's been helping me with my sealing jutsus. And he's been helping you with what little you'd let him. I mean, come on! You said yourself you want to join Anbu, right? He was an Anbu Captain! Who could better show you the ropes?"

"I don't care."

"Sis, all I'm asking is for you to have my back."

I sigh. Low blow! "I'm not going to fight him for this mission, Nii-san. But not even you will get more out of me than that."

"Would you let him train you?" He asks.

"No."

"What if he know's sound release?"

"Then he'll have competition."

"What if he teaches you Anbu… stuff?"

"I'll learn it anyway… once I join." If I join.

"You hesitated."

"Not important."

"You're doubting the whole Anbu thing?"

"Not. Important."

"Sis?"

"…"

"What if Yoshino-sensei asked him to teach us?"

"She didn't. She would have told me."

"What if she did?"

"Well, actually-"

 **"Shut it!"** Naruto-nii and I shout at Ecchi-san at the same time. We're both glaring at him as well.

When he backs off, I continue. "If she asked me to, I'd do it…"

"What if I asked you to?"

"I'm already playing nice, Nii-san."

"What if I asked you to?"

I huff. I look away from him, cross my arms, sigh and just pout. I liked him better as an idiot.

"I'm asking you, sis. Let him train us. Just until this mission's over. After that, you can tell Yoshino-sensei every detail and let her deal with him."

I grumble and curse silently. Stupid blondes. "I'm not calling him sensei!"

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 15_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Jeez, this story seems to be writing itself almost! I'm just along for the ride ^_^_**

 ** _I've been doing my best to offer a subtle story within this story. Subtle changes as best I can. Some are a bit stiff (like anything about Kakashi, I just can't capture him properly), others are so subtle I wonder if anyone picks up on them at all without my pointing at it and saying: this just happened. Like this argument between Aya and Naruto (and it IS an argument), they're both so emotional (Naruto from his first kill, Aya from seeing him go through that) that it doesn't even cross their minds that they're talking to each other like this in front of Sasuke and Kakashi until it's brought to their attention, which is then almost immediately forgotten again._**

 ** _There are so many strings being pulled behind the scenes, so many subtle manipulations going on. But that's why I like 1st person PoV, I can't show any of it until it's noticed by Aya. I am planning each of those strings though. And... for the record, Yoshino's instructions were for Kakashi to let Team Seven take only D-ranked missions. She trusts her team, but she doesn't think them ready for life and death situations. Now, who'd like to guess what Yoshino's going to do once she finds out just what Kakashi's been up to? ^_^_**


	19. Trust me

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 16 – Trust me_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes almost four hours before the new team arrives. It felt like an eternity had come and gone, but it's mostly just because I'm reaching new heights in being annoyed. The bridge builder is avoiding me. Uchiha-san is doing the opposite, trying to sit near me. Ecchi-san is trying to play nice. And all this while Naruto-nii keeps warning them to back off and give me room to breathe. I swear to Kami-sama, if I wasn't sucking on chocolate, I would have hurt someone by now!

I'm almost moved to tears when the team announces they're moving out. In fact, I actually look to them, noticing the redhead Sarutobi, that Nii-san's talking to. The others I don't recognize, but one of them is wearing a medic's uniform. Idiot. You don't announce that you're the team medic!

Whatever.

Once they're gone, I turn my attention to Naruto-nii. "So where are we going?"

"How should I know?" He asks, amused. "Kakashi?"

"There's a farm that had its legal documents stolen. We're to go, investigate, and track down the people that stole the documents. So we're heading for the coast." Whatever.

"Aw, come on, Aya-chan. Don't be like that." Naruto-nii tries, but I just glare at him. Even if I have enough chocolate in my system to made the average person high, there are only so many things that annoy me enough to need so much chocolate… and having to offer that Ecchi another shot at being my sensei is one of them!

"Same formation as before. Only I'll be in the lead. Sasuke will take up our rear flank. We'll be moving until the sun starts to set. Let's go."

He sets a fair pace, travelling through the trees. We're jumping from branch to branch, trying to keep up with the world's greatest pervert. Whatever.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I have no idea where we are. I don't care where we are. All I know is that I'm hungry, and thirsty, and have to go. I complain about none of it. You don't get raised by an Anbu operative and not know how to be professional no matter the situation. Just because I ignore that almost as a rule, doesn't mean I don't know it.

"We make camp here. Aya, you'll gather firewood. Naruto, try to find us something to cook. Sasuke, start setting up the tents. Everyone should keep their eyes open for running water." I hear him. I don't care. I glance towards Naruto-nii, finding him already begging me with his eyes. I roll my eyes, already heading off in a random direction. I just hope I don't end up getting lost.

The first thing I do, once I'm far enough away from 'camp', is seeing to my needs. Seriously, girls aren't designed to 'go' in the wild outdoors! It's weird, and cold, and uncomfortable.

Whatever. Suck it up, Aya. Once I properly repackage everything, I start looking around for firewood. Since it hasn't rained in a while, anything that looks like a twig, branch or fallen leaf will be perfect for a fire. I gather what I can, heading back to the camp… I hope. It's this way, right?

I drop my load in the middle of our camp, quite happy with myself. I then sit with my back to a comfy looking tree. I take out my scroll and unseal a bottle of water and a rations bar. I chew the granola-tasting thing, wash it down with water, and just sit happy with having my task already completed.

"Touch that bag and you won't live long enough to regret it." I warn Uchiha-san. He's already set up his tent, so he figures he'll just go into my bag to set up mine. Seriously? How big an idiot can you be? Going into a girl's bag?

"I assume you're setting up your own tent then?" He drones, trying to act unimpressed. I glare at him, daring him to try touching that bag. He makes a noise, moving onto Nii-san's bag.

"Is that yours?" I ask him. He turns to me again, obviously annoyed. "Start the fire, or something. And stop touching what isn't yours." I take one last pull from my water bottle, then walk over to my bag and take out my tent. I've set up this stupid thing often enough to get it done quickly. I then lay out my futon in it and set my bag down on it. I then set up Nii-san's tent for him, noticing that he doesn't have a futon. That idiot. What's he planning on sleeping on then?

I groan, but don't comment. I set his bag down in his tent. Uchiha-san gets the fire going, but I don't go anywhere near it. Warm water, Kami-sent. Fire, Shinigami's curse on this world. I'd better not find out I'm a fire release user!

I go back to the same tree I was leaning against, and sit back down. I shiver a little. Even though I've been outside all day, I've been moving around all day. The air is cooling; tonight's going to be cold. I shiver again, just thinking about it. It's a good thing I have two pillows. I can sleep on one, and hug the other for extra warmth. I should have brought Bazu-chan with me, but he's keeping my old house slippers warm, where he's needed for now.

 _Don't worry, sweetie, Bazu will be here when you get back._ Mama's words still sting. She never told me about her missions, only if they were hard or easy or somewhere in the middle. I could always tell when she was going out on a mission too, seeing as it was just mama and me, she'd arrange a babysitter. Sometimes a friend of hers would sleep in the house with me, but most often I was brought over to someone else's house. I don't remember who… I never cared. They weren't mama, so I just never cared to notice.

I do remember the last time though. Mama brought me to a friend's house again, so Bazu had to guard the house… and keep my slippers warm. I hated it when my house slippers were cold. We were shown in, and mama knelt down so we were more or less the same height. She grabbed my chin, gently as she always does, and she tugged so I'd look her in the eyes. _I'll be gone no more than a week. I promise._

Three weeks later, I moved into an orphanage.

"You cold?" Ecchi-san asks, as I shiver again.

"No." Just to spite me, my body shivers to prove me a liar.

"It's warmer by the fire."

"…" I look away from him. I'm not in the mood.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After breaking camp… striking camp… yes, striking camp, the next morning, I start the day with another rations bar and a bar of chocolate and water to wash it all down. Naruto-nii goes with instant ramen again, but I don't care to notice what anyone else eats. I didn't care last night either. I did find out that Naruto-nii has his futon sealed in his scroll. Pretty smart.

After breakfast, I do a few stretches to loosen my muscles. I also do my hand stretches, mostly pain-free. After that, it's just waiting on Ecchi-san to decide we're moving out.

We spend four days just this same way. Wake up, breakfast, run, break, run, break for lunch, run, break, run, stop for the night and set up camp. I don't say more Ecchi-san or Uchiha-san than I need to. If I feel chatty, Naruto-nii is the only one I talk to; I'm not the chatty type.

Late on the forth day, I start noticing that we're coming across a lot more rivers. I don't know why that seems important, but it does. Ecchi-san 'suggests' that we cross the river practicing that water walking thing again.

"Brilliant. Let's get out clean clothes and tents soaked." I complain. They're the first words I've said in two days.

"I can always hold your bags for you." Ecchi-san offers. Yeah, no.

"Nii-san?" Naruto-nii makes a clone, which takes both of our bags.

We spend the afternoon getting soaked, but I'm starting to get the hang of it! I just wish this stupid river didn't move so much!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I shiver. I gaze longingly at the fire. I shiver again. I've already changed into something dry, but my jacket's near the fire to dry quicker. That means that I, after feeling cold for days, I feeling even colder, lack a jacket, and refuse to go near the fire.

I shiver again. "Sis?" Naruto-nii calls me. I look to him, shivering again. He motions me over, already grabbing a blanket from his tent. I look to the fire, seeing that he's far enough away to not have to worry. Walking over to him, I can't help but wonder at Ecchi-san's stupidity. I mean, it's autumn, and he wants us to train in a river? Idiot.

Still, I agreed to that stupidity. I'll just take off my jacket first next time.

I sit down between Naruto-nii's legs, leaning against him. He covers me with the blanket, wrapping his arms around me to keep me warm. I shiver again, but I soon feel his warmth filling me up.

"You've been quiet." He whispers.

"Nn."

"You aren't okay."

"N-nn." Can't argue there.

"What have you been thinking about?" My parents. Yoshino-sensei. Chouji-kun. The usual.

I take one look at Uchiha-san. "Stuff."

"He wasn't there to hurt you, you know." He's probably talking about that brilliant act of stupidity, transforming into Naruto-nii to get into my apartment. I shrug. I don't care. "He just wanted to talk. I mean, you're the only person that treats him like everyone else. Kind of like how you were with me."

"N-nn."

"Really. You know Yoshino-sensei would get to the bottom of things like that. And she got him to tell her the whole story." He says. I still don't care. "He just wanted someone to see him." Aww, poor widdle Uchiha wants someone to see the boy within? Yes, I'm being very understanding.

"So?"

"Yoshino-sensei believes him. That's why he's still on our team." Still don't care. "He's not that different from us, sis. And especially from you. He's afraid any bond he makes will just hurt him." Then he's completely different from me. I kept people away to protect them.

"Don't care."

"I know. I just thought you'd like to know the whole story."

"I don't."

"Yes, you do. You just don't want to admit it. I get it. One strike and your out, right?"

"Nn." It only takes one kunai to kill you after all.

"Then why are you giving me free passes? I mean, no one in your life has messed up more than me."

"Not the same." Sure, you mess up, Nii-san. You mess up a lot. You make stupid jokes, you annoy me, you tease me. Things that no one else would dream of getting away with, you get away with all the time. But… you mess up because you've never been allowed to have this kind of bond. Others that mess up, do. They don't have the same excuse.

"Because you only have one brother?"

"Because you don't know better." I correct.

"…" I can't see his face, but I feel his body tense.

I stare into the fire, glad it's far away from me. "You've never had someone this close to you. You don't know how to act. You don't know what's okay and what's not." And for a stupid reason too! "I don't blame you for something you can't control."

"… th-thanks." We're quiet for a while. I look around a bit, but there really isn't much to see. This camp is no different from the last, or the one before that. Tents, a fire in the middle, and trees surrounding it. How do people even find their way in this country?

" _She's_ been asking about you." I tease him a bit. Does he suddenly feel warmer?

"You've been hanging out with her because of me?" He's only now figuring this out?

"At first."

"Oh?" He really sounds curious now. REALLY curious.

"We get along." For some reason, I think back on what Ino told me. How she's needed to get to know me for Chouji's sake. I think I understand, a little. "I have to get to know my sister-in-law, right?" I say, smiling.

He holds me a little tighter, obviously needing some comfort. I don't mind, he's warm. "… do you think I stand a chance?"

"Yes." I tell him honestly. I still don't know about the whole 'Hokage thing', that's a long shot, at best. But Hinata admires him, craves for him… loves him. They'll find a way.

"… why?"

Because you're awesome? Because you're learning quicker than I ever have? Because you don't understand how to give up? Because I won't let you give up? I have a thousand reasons why I believe it'll work out for you, but the most important? "I trust you."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the 'farm' the next day. Well, this isn't exactly the scenery I was expecting. I mean, I hear 'farm', I think wide open space, wheat or rice growing, maybe some cattle. This… looks like a quiet section of river, and a house. How is this a farm?

Ecchi-san walks up to the house. It's nice enough, I guess. Two stories tall, decent sized, it could probably house a family of six comfortably. The paint job sucks though. It looks like it hasn't been cared for in years.

 **KNOCK KNOCK!**

"Sorry for intruding!" Ecchi-san is polite – when he wants to be. It takes about five minutes before anything happens. The elderly woman that greets us, apologizing for taking so long and complaining about her arthritis acting up again, asks what she can do for us. "We're from Konoha. We're here about the missing documents?"

"O' course, o' course. Come on in, now. Oh, and min' yeh step. Floor's not wud it yuz ta be." A country bumpkin. Well, she seems nice enough. We're asked to follow her, further and further into their… home. This place should have been torn down years ago.

"Y'all 'll has ta fo'give me. Ma son dun up 'n gawn ta town fo' dem tray-durs." I blink. Wow, and I used to think I sounded like an idiot. I can barely make out what the woman's saying.

"It's no problem. Who can I talk to about those missing documents?"

"Da'd be ma son. Why I ain' worried 'bout thin's li' da' in fitty yurs." Ecchi-san actually understands her? Really? "Oh, but wur be ma mannas. Y'all ken cawl me Maw. E'er'body dus."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Maw-san. I am Kakashi. These are Sasuke, Naruto and Aya. Do you know when we can expect your son to be back?"

"Maw-san… fancy un ain' che? I ligh kyu." She sits down on a… chair, I suppose. I creeks and moans under her weight, making me wonder if the thing isn't going to fall apart under her. Still, she's barely more than skin and bone. She's sitting in the sunlight of a cluttered room that really looks like it used to be an elegant room in a statehouse. I don't understand. At all. Things don't add up.

I study what little detail I can make out. The dust is everywhere. On the couch that no one's sat on in years. On the old time piano that's seen better days. The picture frames no one could possibly see the pictures of. It doesn't make sense. No one should live in this place.

"Is there somewhere we can stay until your son gets back?" Ecchi-san asks. I don't even try to make out the reply. When Ecchi-san bows to thank her, I do the same. It's not like I'll even understand her anyway.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Apparently, we're supposed to 'camp out' until whatever else is arranged. I don't care. It isn't long before Ecchi-san starts dishing out 'suggestions' again. It's two in the afternoon, so we don't need to make camp, but making camp now is just more efficient.

I pitch the tents. Uchiha-san goes for firewood. Naruto-nii is supposed to go fishing – no idea how he's supposed to manage, seeing as we don't have fishing equipment with us. And Ecchi-san? As usual, just lazes about. Whatever.

I do make sure to tell Uchiha-san to take out his tent, I refuse to go into his bag and find something I don't want to find. Somehow it doesn't bug me with Naruto-nii. I mean, I've already seen his boxers a dozen times by now – dirty, clean, still being worn, it doesn't bother me. I guess it's just one of those things, but I'm not sure.

Soon, we're back to having nothing to do. I just sit around, waiting for our 'fearless leader' to do, suggest or even say something.

…

Yeah, no. Time's up. I go into my scroll and unseal 'The sound of silence' and start reading the next chapter. "Hey sis, you brought that book on the elements right?" I nod, still reading. It seems that there's a way to bend sound waves. Interesting. "You mind if I borrow it? I'm really curious." I hand him my book, take out my scroll again and unseal the requested book. We switch books and I get back to my reading.

I feel Naruto-nii leaning up against my back, so that we both have someone warm to lean against. I smile, shifting a bit so I'm up against his back. His warmth is really nice compared to the much cooler air around us. And the humidity isn't helping either.

"Hey, which element do you think I am?" He asks.

How would I know that? "Wind?" I guess. I mean, he's carefree most of the time. He doesn't like being cooped up. He likes to roam where he pleases and do as he pleases. He's kind and gentle to those he likes, but harsh and unforgiving to others. Why that strikes me as 'wind' is beyond me though.

"Hmm." He flips the page a few times. He must be looking for something. "You know, you seem like earth to me."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You can be harsh and unforgiving. But when you want to be, you're so soft and nurturing." He says. Yeah, whatever. Hmm, wrap the sound waves around your will? And that makes sense, because…? "I think _she's_ water."

"You think about her more than you let on." I say, amused.

"… _he's_ definitely earth." Yeah maybe. "When are you going to let him take you out?" This again?

"…" Silence. It's sometimes more of an answer, sometimes more deafening, than all the noise in the world.

"Aw, come on, sis, you know you want him to." I also know I want him to ask me. He hasn't, and as far as I can tell he isn't planning to. "You know he won't ask you out. He doesn't think he's good enough."

"I see." Well, then we won't go out.

"And he's not really big on self confidence, you know." Since when do you know him so well?

"I see." He's still the sweetest person I know. Even when he's clueless, he just… knows what to say.

"I think you should ask him."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Reading."

"Aw, come on! Don't change the subject on me!" I'm not changing the subject. I'm telling you that you're distracting me from something that's hard to understand. Something that I want to learn. And something that will help me to become stronger in the long run.

"You ask _her_. I'll ask _him_." He shuts up immediately. Yeah, I thought so.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The sun sets before our 'contact' finally shows up. He comes over and introduces himself, but I can't make out anything of what he says. Ecchi-san handles him. After all, he's not doing ANYTHING else.

Not that I care. I have enough rations bars, chocolate and water to last me another couple weeks. If we simply stay here and camp out until this mission's over, I won't care.

"We'll start our investigation in the morning. Do you know who it might be?" Ecchi-san eventually says. I don't care, I'm busy trying to control the sound waves of my humming. I mean, it shouldn't be too different from using sound waves in genjutsu, right? "It's perfectly alright. It never hurts to ask. I must see to my team now. Good evening, Fukui-san."

Ecchi-san makes his way over to us. I don't bother caring. I mean, come on! You're supposed to be training us! After all the grief Naruto-nii gave me to let you, and you still do nothing with it. Moron.

"It would seem that Fukui-san has an office in the house Maw-san didn't tell us about. We've been given permission to investigate. We start in the morning, otherwise we simply won't see anything." Yeah, yeah. "For now, I suggest we set up a watch rotation. Naruto, you've got first watch. Sasuke, you next. Then Aya. Then me. Whatever.

Hmm… the book did say to 'stretch' the sound waves to amplify them, right? Maybe I should-

 **MREEEEEEW!**

O…kay! My humming is **not** supposed to sound like a ticked off cat!

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Shut it, Nii-san.

"Oh, is Aya-cha already playing with sound waves?" Shut it, Ecchi-san.

"Activate your _precious_ eyes, and it'll be the last thing you see." I warn the moron eyeing me a little too closely.

"Hnn." Yes, I noticed. Idiot.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I don't know what we're supposed to find. I don't care. I'm not an investigator. I'm not even interested in becoming one. This is crap. Pure, fresh from the field, crap.

Ecchi-san is explaining things to Naruto-nii and that other guy. I'm just annoyed, and bored, and I'd sooooooo rather be playing my flute or reading a good book, or… anything but standing around in this dusty office looking for clues when it's obvious that whoever was hear came in through the window – seeing as it's in pieces – and left that way, seeing as some of the glass is bent the other way. So, we can guess that whoever did it, was a moron!

"This is a bit more complex than I was hoping." Ecchi-san complains. Yeah, anything including you seems to be that way. I mean, first it was a C-turned-A-rank, and now we're play 'Officer Fukitsu'. What's next? Calling in the dogs to find a scent? Why is he biting his thumb? He slaps his hand on the desk, dust flying up everywhere.

Wait. A. Second! That's a summoning!

"Yo." A pug! A cute iddy bitty, brown coloured pug!

"CYUUUUUUUUTE!" Hey, I'm sorry! I think he's the cutest thing in the world! I rush to him, scoop him up in my arms and cradle him like a iddy bitty baby.

"New team, Kakashi?" The pug asks.

"You could say that." Ecchi-san answers.

"Ooh, and a talking pug too! You're just too precious for words, aren't you? Yesh you are!" I coo, scratching his… yes, it's a him… scratching his belly with my free hand and loving how his legs goes nuts as I do it. "And what would such a cute little pug like you be called? I'll bet it's a really big, strong name, isn't it?"

"Yo. Name's Pakkun. What's yours?" He asks between huffs. He seems to be enjoying this as much as I am.

"Namiki Aya, but you can call me Aya-chan, okay?" I say, smiling brightly at him. "So Pakkun, have you always been this adorable?"

"My mom would say yes, but… meh." He tries acting cool. I just melt! I squeal, and I hug the cute little cutie and kiss him all over.

"I think it's safe to say she likes dogs." Naruto-nii teases. I don't even react.

"Girls and cute things. Yo, Pakkun. I need you to-"

"How do you even put up with such a person, Pakkun? I mean, someone as smart and as strong and as cuddly as you? You should be getting pampered day in and day out! Would you like your Aya-chan to spoil you?"

"Mm. Well, I wouldn't mind if you do. I mean, we use the same shampoo."

"Aww! A cutie and good taste in shampoos! Oh, I just knew I was going to love you the second I set my eyes on you!" I scratch him behind his ear lovingly. I just love this pug!

"Pakkun…!"

"WHAT! Oh, uh… sorry, boss. What do you need?" Pakkun is obviously enjoying his time with me, and he doesn't want someone like _that_ interrupting it. I don't blame him.

Ecchi-san looks annoyed. Tough. "I need you to sniff around and find a scent. It should smell like someone that doesn't work with oysters."

Pakkun jumps down from my arms –sadly– and starts sniffing around. He easily picks up a scent – of course he does, he's sooooo smart! "Three guys, didn't go for anything but something that smells of old leather." And he can identify what they took! Can I keep him!?

"Good. We'll head outside and see if you can pick up a trail."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We keep following Pakkun, wherever he's leading us. Then he stops. He just stops. "This is where the trail ends, Kakashi." The river. That means there was a boat waiting. That means that this was organized, even if they were amateurs. There's something bigger going on that just petty theft.

"I figured as much. Thanks, Pakkun." Ecchi-san is sooooooooo not letting my widdle Pakkun leave me! I scoop the little pug up before anything else gets said.

"Oh, such a capable little darling too! You tracked those bad, bad men all the way out here!" I coo, happy that he's snuggling into my embrace.

"Team, we need a plan to track the thieves from here."

"Nii-san. Make as many clones as you can and send them down river." I say, still rubbing and scratching wherever Pakkun looks like he wants me to. "They would have wanted a faster getaway, so that's all that makes sense. And make sure to remember every house, settlement or suspicious area."

"Ah… That's a pretty good idea." Ecchi-san admits. Of course it is. This is something basic, moron.

"I'm on it!" Naruto-nii is so loud when he gets excited about something. And, oops… did I leave the mighty Uchiha-san out of my planning? Aww. Once a hundred Narutos start heading downstream, all we have to do is sit tight and wait.

Naruto-nii and I sit back-to-back again, him reading up on the elements, me reading up on sound release. Pakkun is in my lap, idly getting pet, and I scratch his belly every time I get to a part that's a little hard to understand – which happens a lot!

Ah! That's what I did wrong! Don't stretch the sound waves, excite them! Via chakra I should be able to overload them and… yeah, no. Not right now at least. Pakkun has really sensitive hearing, and anything that goes wrong could really upset his poor widdle ears. BUT! This is a good place to start next time I don't mind making some noise!

Excite the sound waves via chakra. If I can figure this out, if I can learn to control them to the point where I can decide what those sound waves do… I can start creating my own jutsu! The book said so!

I CAN HARDLY WAIT!

But… I have Pakkun here with me. Someone this warm, and soft and cuddle is worth putting that aside for a day or two… right? Yes you are, snugly-fuzzy-kins!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I found settlements here, here, here, here and here. But the ones I really found fishy were over here, and here. There was also this weird looking cave thing over here. And a really big port town over here." It turns out… Naruto-nii gets the memories of his clones when they disperse. Handy to have, I guess, but I'm not sure why he's only now figuring that out. I mean, he's been using those clones for over a month! How silly can you be?

"Hey… Aya-chan." Pakkun calls me. I look to him, wondering what's up. "Can I talk to you?"

He leads me a little ways away from the group. I'm not bothered in the least. A cutie like you wouldn't ever let me get hurt, would you? No, you wouldn't! No, you wouldn't!

"It's about Kakashi." But apparently you'll bring up annoying people when I'm in a good mood. "I don't know what issues there are between you… but he's a good guy."

He's also a jerk, chronically late, heartless, thoughtless, and a my-way-or-no-way moron. But thanks for telling me something else about him.

"I'm serious. He's rough around the edges." More like as cuddly as a cactus, but go on. "But once you get to know him, he's one of the better humans I know." How many do you know, exactly? I can only prove you knowing four. And frankly, 'one of the better' out of four, when he's already tied for third place…

"You don't believe me. What exactly is the deal between you and him?"

"He's your boss. Do you really want to hear what I think of him and why?" I sort of ask, deadpan – it's not a question he's really supposed to take seriously.

"You're Miwako's pup, aren't you. You smell almost exactly like her. And you act just like her too." And we were getting along so well, too. "Miwako trusted Kakashi. With her life. Do you really think she'd trust someone that wasn't worth trusting?"

"You were there when she died." I don't ask. And he doesn't answer. "You'd never know she died otherwise. Ecchi-san isn't the touchy-feely type, so he'd never talk about it."

I thought I hated him before. Now I'm positive that I do.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End chapter 16_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I honestly wasn't sure when this would come up. I had planned from the start for Aya's mother to have died on a mission with Kakashi, but this is really the only logical place for that to come up. Yoshino knows, of course, but she wouldn't want to tell Aya something so hurtful just to get to Kakashi. And Kakashi's smart enough to know not to bring it up. But the thing is, Aya's slowly delving into her past; facing the monsters that go bump in the night. This had to come up sooner rather than later._**

 ** _Next chapter! We're back to Chouji's side of things. How is he coping without Aya? I mean, since they started hanging out, he's seen her pretty much every day. And now... she's out on a mission after he gets back from his. How will he react?_**


	20. Chouji: Miss me

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 17 – Chouji: Miss me_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"It's weird." I say, looking at an empty patch of grass. "Too weird." I grab another bag of chips; my third in the last hour. Ino and Shika are both here. This used to be everything I ever needed to be happy. My best friend and my… distraction?

I… don't know what to make of this. But, it's just not the same. "You miss her, huh?" Ino asks. I know she means Aya-chan. And if I'm really honest… she's probably right. I mean, she's usually so quiet. And she's usually just making me nervous or making feel like I ate too much.

Now though…

We've been back for just over an hour. There was no discussion what we'd end up doing, we always just hang out in Shika's back yard. It's just…

I sigh. A long, drawn out, weighed down by the world sigh.

"It's weird… being here without her. You know?"

"So why don't you tell her? She's dying for you to tell her how you feel." Ino says, but really? I mean, me? I know Aya-chan likes me, but I've been pretty much waiting for her to snap out of it. What is there to like about a… chubby kid like me?

Nah. She'd probably just fall for Naruto while they're out on a mission or something. Or Sasuke. I mean everyone keeps saying how cute and whatnot Sasuke is. Other than Hinata, I've never really met a girl that didn't have a crush on him. And Naruto? I mean, yeah, he's not exactly Sasuke, but they're close. I… I don't really stand a chance against them.

And that's not even thinking about every other guy in the village that would kill to be with Aya-chan. I mean, she's pretty, she's smart, she's strong, she's motivated… she sings like an angel, she plays the flute… I've even heard about her drawings, though she's never shown me one. She can cook. She can fight. She's… also so gentle, so soft…

I really like how she seems to just fit into my arms too. I'm not exactly the broad-shouldered buff that girls tend to fall for, but the one time I had her in my arms; it felt… it felt right.

"I'm gonna go get something to snack on."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Team training's been weird. Ino's been worried about me. Shika's been worried about me. Asuma-sensei has been worried about everything. Asami-san hasn't shown up once either. Sensei says she's out on a mission. I kinda understand how he feels.

So even though we're here in Yakino Q, even though sensei's paying for us to eat whatever we want, I'm just not hungry.

"Maybe you should stop snacking so much between meals." Sensei suggests, but even I know that isn't it.

"It's not that, sensei. Aya-chan's out on a mission too." Ino announces. I sigh. "Sorry…"

"It's alright." I say, but it doesn't feel alright. At all. It feels weird. Konoha feels weird. Even team meetings feel weird.

I've gotten used to spotting her here and there whenever we're out. I've gotten used to her being at auntie's for dinner. I haven't even bothered going over since getting back. Not that auntie's cooking is bad! Not at all! It's just…

"I see." Sensei says, patting me on the back.

I sigh again. You know what. I can't keep doing this to myself. I need to eat. Mom'll get mad if I don't.

Wow… even the taste of food isn't the same without her… I sigh, shovelling in my meal.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Chouji, are you alright?" Mom asks. I look up at her, wondering what she means. "You've barely touched your dinner."

I shake off my train of thought. "I'm sorry. It's delicious, but I'm just…"

"You're not yourself these days. Did something happen on your mission? I'm a kunoichi, you can talk to me about it, you know." She offers.

"It's not that. The mission was pretty boring really. I mean, we basically just had to deliver a scroll to some businessman in the Land of Grass." I tell her. "Nothing special happened on the way, nothing on the way back. It was mostly just a lot of running."

"Did something else happen then?" She asks. I can see that she's worried, her eyes have always said more than the words she uses. I shrug, going back to moving food around in my plate. "Or does this have to do with a certain young lady that's away on a mission?"

I freeze.

"I thought so. Yoshino-chan told me to expect something like this. And she'd know, you're usually at her house more than you're home. But these days, it's almost as if you're avoiding that place."

I look away from her. Away from the delicious-smelling food she cooked for me. She was in the kitchen well over an hour making it, and now…"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be sorry, honey. Talk to me. Tell me what's going on."

"I.. dunno." I shrug, trying to get this stupid feeling to go away. "I just feel weird going there."

"Without her?" She asks. I nod. "How do you feel about her?"

"I dunno." I answer honestly. "I mean, she scares the crap out of me! She's always so quiet. And she's so quick to hit people for the weirdest thing. I used to think that she was bottled violence just waiting to strike."

"…" Mom clearly doesn't know what to think about that. I sigh.

"… but lately… she's been so different." I think about her. About the days we've spent together. About the times I walked her home. "She's been so calm, so peaceful. She's been smiling a lot more too. And she likes hanging out with us. She even likes pointing out clouds that remind her of food."

"She doesn't make fun of me either. Actually, I think she understands why I eat so much, why I'm so hungry. She even cooked for us when we went to her apartment. She cooks good too. And she didn't mind me eating chips right after, she just didn't want me to eat chips before."

"And she plays the flute. The shinobue, I think. And she likes to sing too. I can tell just from the look on her face how much she loves music. She looked so… calm, so peaceful. And she even cast a genjutsu while she was playing her flute! She said they were scenes from a book she liked, but I can't remember the name of it."

"She sings so pretty. But when we told her that she waved us off like she didn't believe us. I mean, I've never heard someone sing like that before. It sounded like… waking up to the sound of bacon frying, you know?"

The sound of a low whistle meets my ears. "Sounds to me like you really like her." Dad says. I honestly didn't even remember he was here.

Yeah, I know I like her… and I know she likes me. But what do I do with that? "N-nn."

"Have you told her that?" Mom asks. I shake my head, no. "Why not?"

Because pretty girls don't fall for guys like me, but if I tell mom that, she'll just give me that speech about how 'a girl like her should be so lucky to have you'. I shrug instead. Moms are supposed to believe their son's the most handsome guy in the world; not a reliable source of information.

"Just give it time, Chou-chan." Mom tells me. I kind of feel like she knows more than she lets on, but that's always the case with her. "And whatever you do, just keep being my amazing little gentleman. If she's the one for you, she won't care about the things you think she will."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 17_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Almost a mini-chapter, or simply an interlude. But, this is what I needed to show. Dragging it out would just make it seem weird, and pathetic. I don't want Chouji to be cast in that light. I want him to seem human, approachable, you know?_**


	21. Interlude 3 – Asami

_**Butterflies**_

 _ **"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!**_

 _ **Interlude 3 – Asami**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

It takes about thirty minutes for Captain Ito to discuss mission details with Hatake Kakashi. I've never worked with the man, but I've heard amazing things about him. Still, he's not the one that I focus on. It's a certain blonde and his brunette shadow. Every step they make, they make together. Which is kind of a creepy/sweet situation really. I mean, it's creepy that someone's within striking distance at all times, often flanking him. But at the same time, she's… glaring at anyone that gets too close to him.

I offer to help seal the two bodies, for processing. Neither seems to care. So I whip out a large scroll and make the proper seal, two of them side by side. As I get close enough, I see that the Demon Brothers only have a single wound, the one that detached their heads from their shoulders. Impressive. More impressive still, is that they've been stripped of their pouches, weapons, and the gauntlets these two are known to wield. Quite professional, if I say so myself.

The only thing that bugs me is that they don't seem to know or care about the bounty.

"Aya-chan, it's fine." Naruto-kun groans. It seems that Aya's glaring at our medic who's offering them a quick look over to make sure they're okay. Even though Naruto-kun says it's fine, she doesn't back down. She keeps glaring at the Medic, daring him to try something funny. No killing intent, no genjutsu, no tricks. Just a wilting glare that clearly makes him feel uncomfortable. She's wearing twin blades that are easily noticeable; I can tell what she'd do the second someone steps out of line.

A smile tugs at my lips

"What are you smiling about?" Captain Ito asks. I'm not smiling. "Yes, you're smiling, Asami-chan. Why?" I pout. I hate it when people read me like that.

" _He_ finally has someone to watch his back." I admit, too softly for anyone to hear. That means, of course, that Captain Ito and her boy-toy both hear me. But least the healer wearing a billboard sign doesn't – he's too busy checking Naruto-kun.

"Namiki Aya. Not the... most graceful girl, but I've worked with her mother. No one will ever prove as loyal, if they're anything alike." Captain Ito says. "Anyway, Tazuna-san. Let's go."

We start our journey, just as they start theirs. I haven't spent much time with Aya, so I can't say I know her too well. However, she doesn't like people picking on anyone she likes, if that match with Uchiha Sasuke is anything to go by. Still, I can't make heads or tails with that girl. I'll just have to see if I can't… spend more time around her to study her up close and personal. It's a good thing I sealed those two bodies for him; it'll make for a good reason to look him up once we get back.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Well, that was anticlimactic." I complain. After the mist thing, the barrage of water clones, nearly getting my head chopped off, and an idiot medic that doesn't seem to understand that he's not supposed to engage the enemy, Momochi Zabuza just got taken out by some hunter nin from Mist. Two needles to the back of the neck. Then again. Between Captain Ito, her boy-toy, and me... it's not like Momochi stood a chance, really. No matter what his ego would have him believe. I may not be one for head to head, but I'm one of the top long range support kunoichi out there!

"State your name, rank, and team you're assigned to." Captain Ito doesn't take chances. Ever. Why is that hunter nin so nervous? Ah. Clever tactic. Oh well, I guess we've got another one to take down. "Surrender, and we'll only take you back for questioning. Fight us and die. Choose. Now!"

And of course, the hunter nin gives up! Aww! I still have that new jutsu I wanted to try! Poopie!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Of course, after the fake hunter nin gave up, we tied up both of them. That means that we're, for the lack of a better word, on standby. Captain Ito had me apply retraining seals on both of them, both chakra and physical. They can barely move at all, and what little they can do, any civilian can do. They're helpless. More or less.

Still, Captain wouldn't want us to take chances. I'm posted here at the house, with our guests, and the others go to the bridge every day with Tazuna-sen. I shrug. If that's what Captain decided, I have to abide by it. Still, at least Tsunami-san is nice enough. And Haku seems to be as well. She's been helping us cook, and she's been tending to Momochi every tick of the clock. I think that's soo sweet! A bit creepy, and vaguely stalker-y, but sweet nonetheless.

Well, I've got nothing to do but kill time. "So, Haku-chan, what's your story?"

"Would it not be common courtesy to offer one's own story first?" She asks.

"Fair enough. Not much to tell, I'm afraid. I'm the youngest daughter of the Third Hokage. I don't look like either of my parents, I know, I get that a lot. I've lived a pretty good life. Private tutors, three warm meals a day, anything my heart desires. Daddy kind of spoils me, to be honest." I offer truthfully. Sure, I'm not telling the whole story, but it's enough for her to get a idea. I've had a good life so far.

"Hmm. Must be nice." She says, her voice empty, hollow. She tells me her story. How her mother ran from the bloodline purge in the Land of Water, how she fell in love with a simple farmer. How Haku used to play with the snow using chakra, something that she shouldn't be able to do. And how her father caught her doing it.

"That a man can do that to his wife and daughter." I thank Kami-sama for the life I've been given. Poor Haku watched her mother murdered by the man that should love her above all else. That's just… horrible! "I'm sorry you had to go through that." I say. I know words won't help, that the trauma inflicted won't lessen. But words are all I have for now.

"It was a long time ago." Her voice is still lifeless. She's trying to make light of it.

"Hmm. A shame I can't tempt you to join Konoha. I mean, we'd never treat you like that!"

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Interlude 3_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Sorry to post two short chapters back to back, but they're kind of meant to be separate, and I really don't see a reason they can't balance each other out. Next chapter should be normal length again ^_^_**


	22. Talk to me

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 18 – Talk to me_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You were there." I say, my voice far calmer than my emotions. My hands are crossed, my head tilted to one side, my eyes piercing his. "When she died. You were there." Poor Pakkun whimpers behind me, obviously sorry to put his boss through this. He probably didn't think I'd figure it out.

"Yes." Ecchi-san admits. I hear the sorrow in his tone. I don't care. That sorrow won't bring her back.

I know all I need to.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The sun is almost setting. Ecchi-san decides it's best to call it a day. We're supposed to start investigating the settlements in the morning. We head back to camp, set up a rotation, and we call it a night. Technically, only Ecchi-san calls it a night. I am too annoyed, to upset, too… too many things to sleep. I know sleep won't come, so I don't bother to pretend.

Instead, I just sit and gaze into the fire. I'm grateful it's still a ways away from me, but… I don't know; it helps for some reason. It's entertaining if nothing else. There isn't enough light to read, not enough warmth at this distance to be comfortable, I don't want to disturb anyone –not even Ecchi-san, though he'd deserve it– so I won't play my flute. And even though Pakkun already went home –wherever that is– I don't feel like practicing sound release for the same reason. So gazing into the fire is all I have.

 _Mama, you're bleeding!_

 _No, sweetie, it's someone else's blood. Mama's alright._

I shake my head. Years of not thinking about these things. Years. And now I'm faced with situations that just keep tugging on the wrong strings. Strings that pull on strings that call up all the memories that can bring me to my knees.

"Sis?" I turn to Naruto-nii, wondering what he wants. "I've got first watch, you know. Try to get some sleep."

"Can't sleep." I tell him honestly. I have too many things on my mind, none of them nice.

"Come here." He motions for me to come to him, already reaching into his tent and grabbing a blanket. I just stare at him. "Come on, sis, at least you'll be warm and comfortable." I roll my eyes, but don't disagree with him. So I sit between his legs again, letting him wrap me up in his blanket.

I remember this feeling so well. This warmth. Not just because he's warmer than the night air. It's… his wanting to do this. Just like papa. I don't remember much about him, but I do remember papa wrapping me up just like this, with some warm cocoa while it snowed. Papa even opened the paper screen doors so we could look at it snowing outside. Wrapped up, just like this.

"What's on your mind?" Naruto-nii asks.

"My parents." I tell him honestly. I know that Ecchi-san will probably hear me, but I think I just need to get this off my chest. It will just keep bothering me until I do. "Papa used to wrap me up like this when it got cold. I loved watching it snow like this."

"Sounds nice." Oh, Naruto-nii never knew his parents. This must be hard for him.

"Sorry."

"For what? We didn't ask for this." He sounds so… not like himself.

"No. but…"

"We'll just make some new memories, sis. Winter should start in a month and a half. Let's wee what we can come up with." I nod, snuggling into his warmth a bit more. Thinking about the past still hurts… but at least now I have a hope for the future.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Namiki." I start, my eyes popping open. Aw, Naruto-nii stayed out here even though that person's watch, just so I would get some sleep. "Your watch."

"Nn." I nod to show I'm awake and hear him. Then I turn to my personal heater. He's half asleep. "Naruto-nii, it's alright. Go to sleep."

He mumbles a bit, I'm not sure what he wanted to say. He doesn't argue though, and he takes his blanket with him into his tent. I hear his snores not a moment later. I really need to do something nice for him. I wouldn't have been able to sleep otherwise.

"May I talk to you?" Uchiha-san asks politely. Overly politely, seeing as he's actually using 'may' instead of 'can', probably knowing I'd have some stupid comment for him.

"Depends."

"On?"

"What, why, and how much of my time you want."

"… I…" He looks away. I sigh. I just barely woke up, Uchiha. I don't feel like dealing with puzzles! "I'm sorry."

"… is that all?" I don't like being cold to people that clearly mean it. But I don't know what he's sorry about, why he would bother apologizing about it, or what he expects. I know nothing other than he's 'sorry'.

"Namiki, it's not easy to talk to you." He sounds annoyed.

"Then go talk to your fangirls." I've been itching to let that one loose on him.

"… the reason I want to talk to you, is because you aren't one." He looks away from me, trying to hide whatever he's feeling. I'm too busy staring in shock though. "Could you not do that?"

I shake myself, trying to wake up from this… shock. There's just no other word – none that I know at least, but I'm sure Sensei would know one.

"That's why I wanted to talk to you that night. I knew you wouldn't let me in, but you might let Naruto in. You know?" Okay, who are you and what have you done with that perfectly hateable Uchiha from the academy?

"Honestly, I would have. Let Naruto-nii in, I mean." Keep it up, Uchiha-san, and we'll be girl-talking in five minutes.

"Why?"

"'Why' what?"

"Why him?" He sounds annoyed for some reason. "We were so alike during our senior year, keeping people away. Then suddenly, you turn into Miss popular. I don't understand."

"I blame Ino." I smile a little. I tell her that all the time too. "I didn't want things to be this way. I wanted to be alone. To be… away from people."

"I know. That's why I'd always admired you." His cheeks are a bit pink for some reason.

"Uchiha-san. Do you have a crush on me?" If he does, I'm SOOOOOOO going to hook him up on every single one of those fangirls.

He snorts. "Idiot." Thank Kami-sama! "No, but I respect you." I can live with that.

I let the silence drag out for a bit. "You're wrong though. We were nothing alike, then and now."

"…" He looks curious. "How so?"

"You kept people away because you didn't want attachments. You didn't want people to die on you. You didn't want to hurt anymore. Right?" He nods, his eyes hollow. I can tell he wants to know how I know that, but he waits. "I kept people away, because I didn't want to hurt them."

He's studying me, trying to figure me out. "What do you mean?"

"I was going to join Anbu. Do everything for Konoha. Give everything for Konoha."

"Including your life?" He guesses. I shake my head, trying to will away the last of my sleepiness.

"Nn. Ask Ecchi-san just what the life expectancy is in Anbu."

"Three years, but six months on average." He answers evenly. " _He_ was in Anbu." Ah, the clan killer. A horrible shadow to live in.

I try to force myself to wake up a bit more. This conversation is actually interesting – depressing, for sure, but interesting. Seeing no other option, I bite down on my thumb's knuckle, hard. The pain wakes me up instantly.

"That's why I stayed away from people. I didn't want to hurt them." I look away from the teeth marks dented in my skin, and focus on the sad looking person across from me. He eyes me, weary and careful. "I'm still not really sure how it happened, but…"

"You said 'was'."

"Hmm?" I just finished saying a whole lot of words. Be more specific.

"You said: 'I _was_ going to join Anbu'. Why 'was'?" He asks, his eyes carefully studying me again.

I sigh. "Reasons."

"Is it Naruto?" I smile a little. Yeah, it kind of is. I think losing me would hurt him, and I don't want to hurt him, not like that. "And maybe Chouji?" I blush. Stupid, observant, idiotic moron.

"I thought so. That's one reason I've been so careful to not get close to people. I don't want to fall in love. I don't want that kind of weight around my neck." Now there's the hateable jerk I remember! Welcome back!

"Moron." I snort, both at his stupidity and my thoughts. "I grow stronger every day for them. Knowing that Chouji-kun is too soft-hearted… knowing that Naruto-nii needs someone strong enough to watch his back and help him train. Knowing that Ino needs a kunoichi that's strong-minded enough to show her how stupid she's been. That Hinata-san needs someone to show her just how deep her potential runs. And to motivate that lazy Nara-san too. Kami-sama knows that even Ino has her hands full with that one."

"…" He's staring at me with wide-eyed, jaw-dropped, can-barely-feel-his-face, fish-out-of-water shock.

"They need me, Uchiha-san. And that's enough for me."

"You'd give up on your ambition? For them?" He asks, his voice barely more than whisper.

"No. My ambition hasn't changed. Save as many allies as I can, kill as many enemies as I can. I just have a deeper reason to crawl my way back home when I'm done." I say, smiling. Naruto-nii would probably be the one dragging me back half the time; stubborn as sin, that Nii-san of mine.

We're quiet for a long while. He's obviously trying to process what I just said; his problem. Me? I mostly just cursing that there isn't enough light to read. I'd really just to be able to read right now.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

At the end of my watch, I toss a pebble into Ecchi-san's tent. His annoyed groan tells me all I need to know. When he drags himself out, nearly a minute later, I stay put. Too much digging into my past, too much dredging up old ghosts while staring into the fire. Sleep won't find me again, not unless I crawl into Naruto-nii's futon… and that's REALLY embarrassing! What if he thinks I'm Hinata-san!?

"I'm up, Aya. Go to sleep." I don't answer him. I don't want to talk to him. I don't want to waste words on someone that couldn't do the simplest thing: keeping your teammates alive during a mission.

I continue just staring into the flames. I don't know why, I really hate fire.

"Trouble sleeping?" What part of my silence tells you to ask me a question, exactly? And since our 'little chat', how many words have I spoken about you, to you, or even in your presence?

"We might end up fighting bandits. Did you have a plan to make your hair less of a vulnerability?" It's called 'wasting your breath'. And of course I do! French braid it, tie it with ninja wire and tuck it into my jacket. Idiot.

He sighs. "Aya, may I talk to you?" So he was listening. Still, Uchiha-san wasn't there when my mother died. He didn't fail to bring her home to me. So you can go sit on a hot coal, Ecchi.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Listen up. I'm going to be scouting those settlements over the coming days. I want the three of you to study these scrolls on Anbu sign language. I will be testing your knowledge by only speaking to you from now on in Anbu signs. I'll be leaving my pack here to guard you. Please stay in or around the camp. And do not give me a reason to write you up when we get back to Konoha." Ecchi-san says that last bit mostly for me. I don't care.

He goes through the motions again, summoning eight dogs instead of just the one. Pakkun I remember from yesterday. Then there's a black bulldog with a spiked collar, the largest of the pack. And big enough for Pakkun to ride on his head? Awww, CUTE! The next has brown fur with white patches on his muzzle (that's what you call that part of his mouth and nose, right?) and his bell and parts of his legs; he has angry eyes though. Another has grey fur with what looks like a brownish Mohawk? Aww, and two of his paws are wrapped in bandages, poor thing! Another is really small, brown with darker brown patches and the kanji for 'shinobi' on his forehead. Another has tan fur and dark sunglasses? That's weird. Another is more orange-brown, and his head and neck are mostly wrapped in bandages too. The last also has tan fur, but his whiskers are really obvious.

All eight of them are wearing blue jackets and Konoha headbands. I shrug. Must be a uniform of sorts. Still, I refuse to go nuts over all the cuties with Ecchi-san still here and on my jerk-list; mama had a much more colourful name for that list.

"Once I've scouted all the settlements Naruto showed me. I'll be coming back to take each of you in turn to scout one with me. I expect the three of you to act like adults. Is that understood?" I wave Ecchi-san off, already reading through the scroll he gave me. Frankly, that's the most civilized I've been towards him in a while. "Aya, whether you have an issue with me or not. For the duration of this mission, I am still your commanding officer. I would prefer it if-"

"And that attitude is why she got pissed with you last time, Kakashi. Just give her time." Naruto-nii points out.

"No, Naruto. She doesn't have to like me, but the fact remains that she has to show proper respect. This is something that she has to learn, even towards someone she hates. Aya. Please answer me properly."

"Bite me." How's that for proper? Ladylike enough for you? I can always choke up something nasty and spit it on your sandals? Maybe scratch my backside? How 'proper' do you want it, exactly?

"We need to talk about your manners, sis. Really." Naruto-nii complains. I snort. Look who's talking. I've seen how you are with Hokage-dono. If it wasn't for me hitting you, you'd still be as bad as Uchiha-san in his presence.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 **#Captain.#** I make the sign, wondering what word I know actually fits how I feel about that jerk. There aren't a lot of names to call people, mostly just actions. **#Untrustworthy.#** _That_ they have a sign for, but it's not the whole story.

 **#Details#** Naruto-nii signs back to me.

 **#Unable. Little. Few. Communications.#** I hate that I don't know all those signs yet. I mean, the scroll Ecchi gave us describes over a hundred and fifty signs, but that isn't exactly enough to communicate socially. Sure, 'stop', 'order', 'fall back', 'attack' and 'kill' could be useful, but not really socially geared.

 **#Speak.#** He looks at me curiously. He probably really wants to know why I am the way I am.

"He was there when my mother died." I say, not caring that Uchiha-san can hear me. If Naruto-nii wants to hear this, he'd better accept what hearing this means. "That means he didn't save her. And no, Pakkun, I don't care what you have to say about that."

"Don't you-"

"No, Nii-san, I don't want to know what happened. The past doesn't change because of it." Why are we still talking about this?

"Fine, but how is this helping you?" And since when are you so wise, oh idiotic one?

"…"

"Aya makes more sense than you give her credit for, Naruto." Uchiha-san says. Naruto-nii turns to him, wondering what he means. "It isn't easy to let something like that go. Even if Kakashi had nothing to do with it. Even if he's just a victim of circumstance. The fact remains that she comes home to an empty house. Having someone to blame… it helps."

"Then I'll be there when you come home!" Naruto-nii announces. Tear fall before I can help it. "If your house being empty, if that's the problem, then let me fix that. We can move into your parents' house together. It'll still be way too big for just us, but you won't come home to an empty house 'ttebayo! We can take turns cooking and washing up. And you can show me how to use the washing machine… 'cause we both know I'm no good at washing clothes."

"Nii-san…"

"Come on, sis. We're already together all day every day. I mean, the only thing I even do in my apartment anymore is sleep. And it would be awesome to watch it snow from the porch. Making snowballs in the back yard. Hey, if it freezes long enough, we could try skating on that little pond too! It would be totally awesome! Believe it!"

I glomp him, hiding my face in his jacket. "Idiot." I say, crying into his embrace. "Moron. Stupid. Jerk."

"Hey, I'm your big brother. Being a moron's kinda part of my job, you know." He teases, rubbing my back to comfort me. "Just remember that I'm your moron… well, yours and _hers_."

I snort.

Don't… don't every change, Naruto-nii. Please?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Ecchi-san decides to get 'the worst' out of the way first. That means, I get to play follow the Ecchi through the woodlands, across rivers, and towards the settlement I'm meant to help him scout out. I thank Kami-sama I'm almost decent with that water walking thing; I'm still dry, but I feel like a baboon in a tutu.

Once we're a comfortable distance away from the settlement, I notice three things. One, there are armed guards at the entrance. Two, they look like bandits. Three, there's a line of people being marched into the settlement in chains, and whipped if they don't obey.

 **#Captain. Request. Closer. Look.#** I sign to Ecchi. Heh, this way I still don't have to talk to him. There's no sign for 'ecchi' though. I'm still not happy about that.

"Give me a preliminary report first." He mumbles. Mumbling travels less than whispering, so that's the better option.

"Bandits. Two guards posted outside, slaves being dragged in. Judging from the size, maybe enough for fifty to ninety bandits?" I guess. I'm not sure. I need to get close to see how well organized they are inside. "Wooden fences, shrapnel lining the outside dirt surrounding it. They would keep civilians out, but not shinobi. They travel primarily by boat. These could be our guys." Stupid mission requirements. Stupid forcing me to talk stupidness. I don't WANT to be professional with you, Ecchi!

"Good. We're not here just to scout. We're here to take them out."

"Solo?"

"Yes, solo. There are three other camps we're taking out. One each solo, one as a group. I want to make sure you three are as good as you'll get." Ecchi-san tries buttering me up again. I huff. "Come up with a plan while we're scouting around. We'll discuss that plan after, then we carry it out. You'll be going in solo. I'll be your support and backup. Understood?"

"Yeah." I other words, this is my last day alive.

I snort. Not a chance. I'm not going to let Naruto-nii go through life alone. I still have to hook that boy up with Hinata-san. I have to be at their wedding. I have to be there when he passes out during the final stages of labour.

I. Am. NOT. Dying. Not her. Not today.

I crack my knuckles stretch my shoulders and back, to make sure all my muscles are loosen and ready for action. Alright. Party time.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's barely three hours later when I stroll into their camp, singing. It's too small to actually consider a settlement, and it's too big to call a compound. Whatever. It's just a word to describe their crappy, stupid place.

Once I make it to the centre of their… place… I look around. Everyone's staring at me, their eyes glazed over to show they've succumbed to my genjutsu. The advantage of sound release and loving to sing. All I have to do is continue making a note, and they'll just keep falling into my genjutsu. I could have done it with my flute as well, but I need my hands for this, I plan on taking them out before my voice gives out.

Unsheathing my kodachis, I flip them around so that the blunt edges are against my forearms. It curves out slight, reaching just past my elbows. I'm such a chibi.

Still, whatever. This chibi kunoichi is about to rain hell down on these bandits. Let's see now. Hmm, interesting. The bandits inside are coming out here to see who's singing. How convenient. They're even pushing each other aside to get out here faster. How cute. And so much easier for me.

Two buildings are set up within the outer wall. One has two storeys, the other only has one. All the bandits are coming out of the two-storey building, so I'll just guess that's where they sleep. The other is probably storage, or whatever. Ooh, there's a balcony on the second storey as well. And there's quite a gathering there. It's getting a bit crowded up there.

Well, let's test the limits of my ' _Sound Release: Siren's Call_ ' then. I walk up to an unimportant looking bandit. He goes down in a spray of blood. Hmm, he didn't even fight it. I can live with that. Let's see then. The big, buff one over there looks important. I'll tie him up later. Let's see just how many of these idiots I can take down before I need to worry about Ecchi-san, shall we?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Still singing, still keeping up the simple genjutsu. Thank Kami-sama it isn't too chakra-intensive. The big, stupid, buff one is almost tied up properly. I've already tied his feet and shin together, now it's just his forearms. He should be the last one too.

I've basically slaughtered the bandits. The slaves are sill over to one side, still in chains, and still very much under my genjutsu. I wonder what they see though. I mean, I know I'm making the genjutsu pleasant –pleasant enough to let them die in peace– but what is pleasant for them? Something I'm sure I'll never find out.

Once I'm satisfied with my work –meaning that everything from the man's elbow to his wrist has no chance of moving without breaking something– I stop singing, allow the genjutsu to end.

"Wha… what happened here!?" The man looks around, seeing the carnage I've left behind.

"Huh? Oh, they wanted to take a nap." I answer him. The slaves snap out of the genjutsu too; I can tell because they're freaking out. The man I've tied up turns to me. His one eye takes me in, and he… has no clue how to respond. I don't blame him. I didn't even tie up my hair. I must look like some random little girl, but I'd taken out his entire gang. Sad for him.

Oh so sad for him.

"So this is what it comes to then. A little girl ends up taking us out? What a joke." He really can't believe it. At all.

"That's nice. I hope you get a few laughs. Now." I kick him in the back, hard. I hear something snap and he grunts, obviously in pain. I walk around and grab him by the hair. "There was a theft some time ago. Oyster farmers a ways up river from here. Do you know anything about that?"

"You mean Fukui? Nah. Not my style. We only target people with cash, or good looking ones without." I knee him in the gut. Luckily, seeing as he's on his knees, we're about the same height. So it's not as hard as it might be.

"So where did you get the slaves?" I ask. He grunts, fighting to catch his breath.

"Land of Wave. Boss's been having us sneak them out for months." He doesn't even act like he wants to lie to me. I wonder though.

"Who's your boss then?" I ask, unsheathing his wakizashi. Hmm, it's a bit long for me, but I more or less handles like my kodachi. It isn't reverse edged though. And the sheath is just plain white, how boring. I haven't seen any pretty weapons here at all.

"Name's Gatou. From Gatou Corporation." Ah. The one after the bridge builder. Coincidence?

"What do you store here?" I continue, not bothering to let him know what I'm thinking.

"The girls, drugs, cash, and some weapons." He answers immediately.

"The slaves are all girls?"

"Yeah. Like I said, we only go after cash and pretty girls without." I kick him right in the nuts. HARD.

He bends over forwards from the force of the blow. He coughs a few times, trying to force himself to breathe. "Are you expecting anyone to come here?"

"No…" He coughs a few more times, trying to catch himself. "We're supposed to deliver the drugs to another of Gatou's gangs. Down the river from here."

"One last question. Have you, or any of your men, touched these 'girls' in a way that might upset me?" He doesn't answer me. He just looks away, fear in his eyes. "Captain?"

"He might know more. Let me handle him. You scout the place out. I'm sure you can handle any bandits still hanging around." I snort. I've taken out all of them so far. "And seeing as this is your camp, anything you find is yours. This isn't part of our mission after all."

"WHAT!? So you killed my men for what!? FUN!?"

"No. There was still the off chance you had the ledger we're looking for. But really, I already knew you didn't. I just happened to know she'd be really happy to take out a bunch of punks like you. Thanks for helping me score some points with her, by the way." I snort, amused with his words. He's right though. I don't hate him as much right now. Maybe it's the adrenaline? The endorphins? I don't care. I feel better. And depending on just how much cash and/or weapons I find here, I might actually not hate him for a while. It all depends though.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes me about an hour to check every nook and cranny of the camp. I find nearly thirty girls ranging in age from five to thirty. I have them line up outside, but I make sure they're all warm and comfortable. I pile up the futons next to them, but I keep the weapons some distance away from them. The drugs… I leave that where it is. I have no use for whatever drug these people were interested in. And the money? Hmm. I definitely don't hate Ecchi-san as much now. One-point-two million Ryou. Sure, it was hidden in a secret safe under the floor in the head moron's office, in the basement. But that's okay. That kind of money is worth the effort. I've already sealed it in my scroll – I don't care if I have to give up my lipstick for it! Heck, I don't even mind having to have asked Ecchi-san for help getting it open!

Still. Whatever. Focus. Sixty swords – mostly wakizashis, but some katanas as well. "Yo, Captain. I kind of need a hand? I want to seal these weapons. They might fetch a decent price."

"I thought you'd never ask." He eye-smiles at me. I roll my eyes. I know he's manipulating me. But, come on! One-point-two-million Ryou! Worth being manipulated over. "Hmm, do you care if they're organized?"

"Nope." I smile at him. Today's a good day.

"Alright!" He takes out a scroll, and about sixty poofs later, all the weapons are sealed. I smile when he hands me the scroll. "You can keep the scroll too. I make my own seals, so it's barely worth the effort."

I take the scroll… handling it gently. "Th-thanks." Why do I suddenly feel so… small?

"For what? You've more than earned it. After all, I don't doubt I'll have to step in to help the guys later." He teases.

I shake my head. "Not that. I… needed this."

"Hmm?"

"… never mind." I turn away from him. Literally turn away from him. "Ladies. Is there somewhere we can take you that you'll be safe?"

None of them answer me. They look away, trying to hide that they're crying.

"These men… did they take you from your families?" I ask, trying to understand the situation. One girl, about fifteen, tells me that he boyfriend sold her to these men. Another says that her family was killed right in front of her. Yet another says she wouldn't even know where to go. All in all, no they have nowhere to go.

"Can we take them back with us?" I ask _him_.

"That's your call to make. What do you want to do?" He asks me right back.

"They can't stay here. They have nowhere to go. Ladies, would you like to come with us then?"

"Where?" The eldest asks.

"I can't tell you that, for now. All I can tell you is that my team and I will get you there safely, and I will make sure you are all taken care of once we get there."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End chapter 18_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I'm not going to update for a while again. I need to focus on Broken. I'm wondering if in the meantime you guys will let me know just how much violence is acceptable for your expectations of 'T rating'? Because the whole point of this story is to keep it within the 'T rating', while I explore the more dark and gritty details of the Narutoverse in Broken. I can be no holds barred there, but... how far is okay? And no, leaving bandits like this alive is definitely not 'okay'. If you guys like this way of handling it, I'll stick to this; meaning that if it comes down to blood and gore I either gloss it over like the first few times (just that the head comes off, or they go down in a spray of blood). This story isn't really focused on that kind of thing anyway, but I just want to make sure I'm not overstepping any boundaries?_**

 ** _Anyhoo, let me know! If you guys don't mind the violence, but just don't want the gritty details of it, that's fine too. ^_^_**


	23. Be there for me

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 19 – Be there for me_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You're kidding me!" Naruto-nii is at it again. I can tell. I wonder what it's about this time though. "You're smiling! Around Kakashi! What gives!?" What, that!? Of all the things that you could complain about? Me covered in blood. Me carrying a five year old. Me walking into our camp with thirty females. Me sucking down a bar of chocolate in the middle o… wait, that's perfectly normal for me. Still! The other things count! And you go with: you're smiling around him!?

"Nii-san, really?"

"I think she's an adrenaline junkie."

…

"Captain, really?" I huff, taking another bite of my chocolate.

"Now that you mention it…" No. We're not going down this road. "And wait a minute!? You called him 'captain'!?" Well, not exactly an improvement. I roll my eyes, trying to enjoy my chocolate.

"Hnn. I think Kakashi's right. She's usually a lot happier after smacking someone around."

"U. Chi. Ha~aaaaa!" I kick a pebble off the ground right at his forehead. Stupid idiot dodges. "Sakiko-chan… I think it's time on your first lesson on how to deal with boys. You mind slapping the stupid looking one with black hair, please?" My hands are a bit full, or I'd do it myself!

"Aya-nee… is it really alright to hit him?" She asks, in her cutest widdle voice!

"Girls are hitting on him all the time and he never notices. I think he secretly likes it." I say, in a stage whisper. Sakiko and I share a giggle at Uchiha-san's expense – the look on his face is absolutely priceless! I mean, the whole annoyed eyebrow twitch? Kami-sama, I'm so doodling that when we get home!

"I change my mind. She's not an adrenaline junkie. She's a sadist." Captain Ecchi. That's what I'm calling you from now on.

"You do realise that I won't have chocolate in my hand forever, right?" I say, taking another bite.

"What about the blonde one? Should I try to hit him too?" Sakiko asks, trying to understand how I am with them.

"No. As Naruto-nii's little sister, it's my job to hit him. Uchiha-san doesn't have a little sister. That's why he's such an idiot, you see?" I ignore the three now sweatdropping idiots. Yes, I know that statement includes Captain Ecchi. That's why he's an idiot too.

We try to get everyone settled in as quickly as possible. Thankfully, I had asked all of them to carry the futons I'd… acquired back there, so they'll have somewhere to sleep. We just need to arrange something to keep them dry should it rain. It's not the rainy season yet, but you never know!

"Seriously though, Kakashi-sensei. I think you're onto something! The times sis is happiest is after a good fight and with enough chocolate in her system! She actually might be a chocolate addict AND an adrenaline junkie!"

"U. Zu. Ma. Ki~iiii!" I dash for him, chocolate in one hand, five-year-old in the next. I make sure to tuck her into my embrace as much as possible so she doesn't fall, and when I'm close enough I do a flying roundhouse kick –counter-clockwise to make sure she doesn't shift around too much with the shifting centre of gravity– and ram my left heel in Naruto-nii's forehead. He didn't even see it coming.

I don't hit him hard enough to kill him –necessarily– but **definitely** hard enough that his forehead will be red for the rest of the day. I'll even look at this as a surprise training in breaking your fall after an attack. That could save his life one day!

You're. Welcome!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Sis is so mean!" Naruto-nii complains for the thousandth time. I already said I was sorry. Over and over again! Even though you three were teasing me, picking on me, and calling me a junkie. But I still apologized! Just because he didn't break his fall well enough and ended up bruising his back a little, doesn't mean this is My fault! Even though I _still apologized_.

"You take that back! Aya-nee is the most awesomest, most amzingest person in the whole world!" Ooh! I've got my own cheering squad! Go, Aya! Go, Aya! Go, go, go, Aya!

"Now, now, Sakiko! You shouldn't pick fights with our rescuers." I look to Yasu-san – she disowned her family name, so she just goes by Yasu. I marvel at her. Even covered in dirt, even after being sold into slavery, even after hating her family so thoroughly for what they did to her… she's still such a kind person. "Come, Naruto-san, let me have a look at your shoulder. You might be wounded and not know it."

"Hmm? Nah, it's okay Yasu-chan! Sis is a lot of things, but she wouldn't ever hurt me like that. Besides, she already checked. I'm just giving her a hard time." The blue haired, grey eyed Yasu smiles, but doesn't look convinced. She's been… really clingy with Naruto-nii ever since being introduced. She's almost twenty-two from my guess, so I doubt it's a crush, but there's something there.

"Hey, Yasu-san? If you don't mind me asking, does Naruto-nii remind you of someone?" I ask. It's the only thing I can come up with, really. That seems to have struck a chord with her, so I give her a moment. I start playing with Sakiko's hair. She has the prettiest red hair I've ever seen –almost like that redheaded Sarutobi, really– but her eyes are a gorgeous shade of green, like a dragon almost. And she has these cute widdle squishy cheeks that I can't get enough of!

"Yes… and no." Yasu-san begins. "Physically they look nothing alike. And I know I shouldn't really do this to myself… but Naruto-san reminds me of my little brother, Kotaro." The way she says the name, I can guess Kotaro's no longer with us.

"I understand." I assure her. "And don't worry, I'm willing to share." I wink at her, teasing her a bit. Why is Naruto-nii giggling pervertedly again? Great, now Captain Ecchi is giggling right along with him!

 **SLAP!**

"Aya-nee is right… boys are silly!" I said idiots, morons and too stupid for words, but close enough, cutie pie! And I'm soooooo going to start working on my speed to make sure I can actually connect my hand to Captain Ecchi's face! Stupid, fast, dodging idiots are stupid!

Captain Ecchi clears his throat. "Anyway. Naruto. It's your turn. Let's go." I set Sakiko down, telling her to be good while I'm gone. She doesn't look too happy, but she doesn't fight it.

"Hey, sis. I got this." Naruto-nii announces. "Besides. Would you really trust an emo like Sasuke to take care of the girls while we're gone?"

"Why am I getting dragged into this?" Uchiha-san asks. I giggle, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Seriously. I know you've got my back." Naruto-nii completely ignores 'the emo'. "But this is my fight for now. Kakashi said we're doing one together later. Save your chakra for that. Okay?"

"Fine, fine. Just don't come back in pieces. It'll still take all my chakra to put you back together." I remind him, smiling at his ' _I'm so cool_ ' act. I roll my eyes anyway. I really need to step up my game with my medical jutsu... one day I might actually have to put that idiot back together, and I need to be able to when the time comes.

"Heh! Nothing to worry about! You know I'm not giving up until I become Hokage!" He claims. Yeah, we'll see about that whole 'Hokage thing'.

"Just so you know, I'm eating all your ramen if you make me worry too much!" Did he just body flicker? Nah, we don't know how to do that yet. I didn't know he was that fast.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

They'll stake out the place for two to three hours. Studying the people, studying the surroundings, getting a feel for the lay of the land. Nothing's wrong. It's only been two hours. He's fine, Aya. He's just fine.

"Aya-san, would you mind if I asked you a question?" Yasu-san asks me. Kinda late for that, aren't we. You just did.

"Careful. She usually gets the most violent when people talk to her when she isn't in the mood."

"Aren't we being helpful, Emo-san." I drone, glaring at Uchi-san dully. I take out my scroll and unseal another bar of chocolate, putting back my scroll where it belongs. "Go ahead, Yasu-san."

"Naruto-san, he isn't your biological brother, is he." She asks me if she can ask me a question, then doesn't ask me a question? I guess it balances? I mean, she did only ask me one question.

"No." I still answer her though. "I don't have any family left and he doesn't even remember ever having one to begin with. So we… kind of just fell in together. We watch each other's back, you know?"

You see how grateful I am to you, Uchiha-san!? I'm not even blaming you! Not even a little! Well, I blame you in my head, but I'm grateful so I'm not _actually_ blaming you… out loud!

"I understand." She smiles at me. I feel really bad that we can't find some decent clean water so they can clean themselves up. But really, I'm not going to be the one to suggest they jump in the river to get clean. And that's not even considering they have nothing clean to change into!

Still, they all seem happy enough that we freed them, so no one complains. It doesn't make me feel better, but I try not to complain either.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After the sun sets, Captain Ecchi takes Uchiha-san for his turn. I don't understand why they're going in at night. It's not like it'd be better or worse than any other time, but he's been so careful to avoid doing anything after the sun sets. I don't understand.

Still, I make sure to check Naruto-nii over – see if he's still in one piece. Even with him constantly telling me he's fine, I still force him to sit so I can check him. I'm still not very good with the diagnostic jutsu, but I'm good enough to tell if he's bleeding, bruised or hiding some other injury though his clothes – I mostly just pay attention for some kind of disruption, I just can't identify what that disruption is yet.

"Well, you're not dead." I tease. Honestly, he's in perfect health, as far as I can tell, but I don't want his head to swell.

"Well, that's a relief." He drones, obviously being sarcastic. "I've got a present for you, by the way!"

"Oh?" Aww, that's so sweet! He reaches into his jacket, taking out some things. A stack of Fuma shuriken, two windmill shuriken, and a tanto about the same length as my kodachis. "Aw, Naruto-nii!" I don't even ask how he kept all this hidden in there.

"Yoshino-sensei said you had to master long distance right? Well, I figure the shurikens would help you there. And Kakashi-sensei knows a really cool trick with those shuriken and some ninja wire! And the tanto… well, I kind of figured you could use a back up, just in case. You know?"

I hug him, thanking him over and over again.

"I also got some money to help us out." He murmurs into my ear. "So we'll have a backup." I smile. Ever the big brother, eh Naruto-nii?

"So, we're doing this. Moving into my parents' house." I don't know why I'm so emotional about this.

"If… if you want…" He's nervous. Aww, my poor Nii-san thinks I want to back out? He thinks he's forcing this on me?

"I brought this up with Yoshino-sensei the day we went to check the house, Nii-san. That's the reason she insisted you come along." I say, smiling at his suddenly so unsure attitude.

"… why's that?"

"Because you needed a comfortable home so you can feel worthy of a certain somebody?" I push him back so I can look at him; yes, I enjoy long hugs. I want him to understand just how deep this goes for me. "I really want to help you achieve your goals, Nii-san… you know?"

He gets all teary-eyed on me.

"I wasn't planning on moving in before making chuunin though. But… we're going to need a lot more space to train now, won't we."

"Yeah." He hugs me again, tighter this time. "I've also got a bunch of other weapons too, so we can restock those caches. No strolls, I'm afraid… I guess we'll have to come up with something."

"…" I want to tell him not to worry, that those caches are already as good as full, that my parents have more scrolls that I can shake a stick at. But… "We'll figure it out…" I don't.

"Hey… you okay?" He asks, pushing me back a little.

"No?" I sniffle, wiping away my tears. "I… need to talk to you… privately." His eyes roam, taking in the girls we'd saved. No, he didn't bring back more, but I still see this as a team effort.

"Alright. Pakkun, you mind coming with us. Kakashi-sensei will get grouchy if we wander off alone."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

So we wander a ways from camp. We climb up into a random tree, sitting down and listening to the crickets. I take a long moment, try to sort out my thoughts, what I need to tell him. He needs to know these things.

Deciding it's for the best, I unseal another bar of chocolate; my fourth for the day. After taking a bite, I start talking. I force myself to not hold anything back. My trust issues, my nightmares, my being uncomfortable showing any skin, the weapons I have sealed in a scroll, the money I'd found, my parents' bank accounts, the caches in their house I didn't show him (the ones that actually have weapons), the hidden library, the… unnatural lack of discomfort I have with killing. I tell it all.

The whole time, I keep petting Pakkun, trying to ease the rising panic. It helps, but not much. He needs to know though. I need to tell him.

"You know, I think you're right. You do have trust issues. Not that I'm any better." Naruto-nii says after I'm quiet for a while. "I keep wondering when you're going to 'snap out of it' and start treating me the way everyone else treats me." He admits, looking up at the stars. I lean into him.

"What a pair we make. Don't trust anyone, and we go and fall in love with clan heirs." I snort at my own words.

"Of two of the most prestigious clans too boot." He agrees with me. "…"

"What's up?" I ask, knowing he has something on his mind.

"We need to enter the next chuunin exams." He doesn't sound happy with that, but it's hard to disagree. "But I… I'm not strong enough yet."

"So train harder. Try figuring out a way to use your shadow clones to train, or to study, or whatever." That brings him up short. "I mean, they transfer memories to you, right? Try to test them and see exactly what the limits of it are. Try reading a book with one, seeing if you can remember what you read. Try doing the water walking thing, see if that helps you to learn to do it faster."

"What about you?" I snort.

I'm not going to be left behind. I'll figure out something. Besides, I have sound release, I have medical jutsu, I have my weapons, my taijustsu, and only Kami-sama knows what's actually in that hidden library. "I've got your back, you know that."

"Hey, you think we can start bugging sensei about elemental training when we get back? I mean, she did say we have to master chakra control exercises first, and we should have that done by then, right?"

"Sounds about right." I smile at him. He seems to have found that confidence of his again. I wish I could say the same.

"Something wrong, sis?"

"…" I don't want to put it into words. Please don't ask me to.

"I'm not going anywhere." I turn to him, shocked. "I'm not going to leave you behind. I'm not going to let you fall behind. I'm not going to go and get myself killed. And I **certainly** am not going to let you die either."

It takes a moment, but a smile eventually finds its way onto my features again – whether I want it to or not. "I can see why she likes you…" I look up at the moon, wondering what Hinata-san, Ino and… Chouji-kun are doing. "For someone with self confidence issues, you must seem like a drug."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Captain and Uchiha-san make it back to camp going on ten in the evening. Uchiha-san looks like he got into a fight. "Sit." I demand. He takes one look at me; he's too tired to argue.

I scan him from head to toe. Most of the problems are on his back, and I definitely smell blood. It's really dark though, and he's been facing me, soo… "Take off your shirt, I need to see your back." He hesitates. So I strip off his shirt for him. I thought so. He's bleeding, but not badly. Knicks and scrapes mostly. I reach into my hip pouch, taking out my first aid kit. I can do a diagnostic, but I can't do much else. I clean the wounds, carefully. I dress them. I check his heart rate, to see if there are any irregularities at all. Nothing special.

I go into his tent, taking out his bag and laying it next to him. "Grab a fresh shirt, or I'll do it for you." He reaches in, grabbing a shirt, but can't quite work his arms properly – the wounds are clotting and that sometimes makes it hard to move certain muscles. I help him into his shirt.

"You got in over your head." I don't ask. "You thought that if Naruto-nii could do it, if I could do it, then the almighty scion of the Uchiha clan most certainly can too. Didn't you."

He looks away from me.

"Moron. I didn't wipe out those bandits by being arrogant. Neither did Naruto-nii. We did it by planning, by thinking, by working with our strengths and covering our weaknesses."

"What do you think I was doing then? Twiddling my thumbs?" He's upset. Or he's pretending to be. That's mostly wounded pride, I see it in his eyes. _Thanks_ for looking at me so I can see that.

"You were basing your strategy on ' _I'm an Uchiha, an elite_ '." I take out my scroll, unseal a rations bar and a bottle of water, handing both to him. "After all, you were probably skilled enough to take on the Demon Brothers, so what are a few dozen bandits. Right?"

He takes the items from me, eating and drinking without a word. I leave him to it. My patient has been taken care of, after all. The rest isn't up to me.

"Ah, ah. Not so fast, Aya-chan." Captain stops me in my tracks. I turn to him, wondering what he needs. "I want to discuss today's results and I want to discuss what this will mean for the trainings I have in mind." I nod, taking a seat between Uchiha-san and Naruto-nii.

"Aya, I'll start with you. You assessed the situation well enough. You didn't take note of patrol routes and guard shifts, but that's better than I expected for a first-timer. You came up with a decent plan, and that genjutsu of yours is simply dangerous. Please don't use it unless you have to." I look at him, tilting my head to one side. It's just a D-rank genjutsu, what's so dangerous about that? "I couldn't break out of it. Or, perhaps I should say, it didn't matter how many times I broke out of it. I assume that you reapply the genjutsu with every sound wave?" I nod, unsure. I know that the book said that I'm in control so long as I have enough chakra and can continue making a sound that reaches my target(s).

"I thought so. I'd broken out so often that I'm not even sure what I was supposed to be seeing, but you kept placing me under it again. And to make it worse, because you sing so well, people who aren't in your effective range kept running closer to hear you sing. That is a dangerous combination. Frankly, you'd basically be finishing the fight solo. Please do not use that jutsu unless you absolutely have to." He explains. There's logic in that, so I nod. Still, my singing isn't that good!

"At any rate. You seem to have some basic knowledge of interrogation." I snort; you try handing around Ino and not learn a thing or two. The girl's a natural. He notices the snort, but continues. "And I'm glad you didn't let personal feelings get in the way of the objective. I'd have to say you are quite impressive, all things considered. For a genin." I'd have to agree with him there. Against random bandits, I rock. Against skilled opponents? Would I fare nearly as well? I'm not sure.

"Naruto. You're planning is horrible, but you're sneaky and studied your targets incredibly well. You knew where they were going to be and when, and you used your clones to your advantage. I'm actually amazed you didn't let a single one make a noise. You'd be one hell of an assassin, if you wanted to go down that path. You didn't have any patience when asking the leader any questions though. And you got annoyed when he started toying with you. Don't let an opponent get you emotional, they'll make you sloppy. And that will get you and your team killed. Understood?" Nii-san grumbles, but I smack him on the arm and give him a meaningful look when he looks my way.

"Yeah, I got it." He says, grumpy.

"Sasuke. I'd have to say, overall you showed the most skilled. In theory you plan well, you studied the targets well, and you had a sold grasp of the objectives and time limitations to execute them. However, Aya was right, your ego got in the way and you got cocky. If I hadn't stepped in, you'd be dead."

"… n-nn…" He doesn't like his nose being rubbed in the facts. Wrong profession then, moron.

"Now. The next camp is not like the three that were taken out today. The next one is organized, well guarded, and has hundreds of bandits crawling over every inch of it. It will need a solid team to get in and out alive. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Captain." I answer. The boys answer in their own way too – one with 'dattebayo' at the end, the other with a noise.

"We'll need to give Sasuke a week to properly recover. I'll be making a map and coming up with a plan. However, we need to start your training. Your **real** training. Now that you know what you're going to be facing, I want to make sure you understand what it takes to survive it." The three of us nod.

"Now here's what you'll be focusing on. Naruto. You're the better close range. Between your clones and your improvements in your taijutsu, you're the best choice. I'll be showing you some tricks to help you coordinate with your clones and I'll be teaching you some simple jutsus to make you even more dangerous."

"I'm the guy for the job!" Naruto-nii, you're an idiot.

"Sasuke. You're better for mid range. It gives you the space to plan, and most of your skills are centred on this already. I'll be showing you two new fire jutsus that will help you, and I'll be helping you to hone your Sharingan usage as well. However, I will warn you that I will not tolerate your ego-trips any longer. Another outburst like in that camp, and you _will_ **regret** it. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Ah, the strict drill sergeant thing does have its uses, just not with me.

"Aya. You're skilled in close range combat, but as the team's medic I cannot allow you to use those skills all the time. I will be helping you with your sound release, and I'll be showing you some other skills to make sure no one ever comes close to you. If they do, then you do what you need to in order to survive. Keep in mind if the medic dies, the team dies. Do you agree?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Good. I also have some more scrolls on medical jutsus for you. I know you're still working on the diagnostic jutsu, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. I can also show you a few tricks. I've learned a few medical jutsus myself, after all." He eye-smiles at me. I look away though. Too many conflicting emotions towards him.

"Sasuke, you won't be taking watch tonight. You need to rest. Aya, you're the best rested right now, so you'll take first watch. Naruto goes after. I'll take the last shift."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We got up at five again, like we're used to in Konoha. Captain ran Naruto-nii and I through a far more demanding workout – something that even Yoshino-sensei's workouts couldn't compare to, and we were expected to do this workout walking on water!

After that, we were put through evasion training – bring on the pebbles! And yes, this too was while walking on water. The water walking skill isn't very taxing, but after three straight hours, I'm running on empty.

We were allowed to rest, mostly for my sake, but Naruto-nii was instructed to get some food for us – and the girls in our care. The blonde blunder dashes off, over the water, in a random direction. I grumble, totally jealous.

"Sasuke, please go check on the girls for me." Huh? Uchiha-san is here? He drops down from a branch nearby, heading back to camp. "Aya-chan. You're different today."

"Different?" I wonder about that. I don't feel different.

"You haven complained once. No back-chat. No grumbling. And you actually seem a bit jealous of Naruto, for some reason." Huh, oh that.

"Being jealous of Naruto-nii is nothing new. I used to be much better than him, faster than him, more skilled than him. Now I'm not so sure. He's… not the dead last he used to be." That boy is growing so strong so quickly it's almost scary. All he needed was someone to guide him properly, someone he could trust. I feel… small standing next to him these days. Not because he tries to, but because I know he'll outgrow what little I can teach him in a month, maybe two. What took me six years of blood sweat and tears (mostly from frustration), he's soaking up in mere months. That boy is… amazing.

"You should have seen his parents then." He eye-smiles at me. I tilt my head at that. Captain knew Naruto-nii's parents? "I'll tell him in time. It's up to him if he tells you though." I smile at that. He told me about the Nine-tails, I won't worry about silly things like his heritage. "And about that other thing?"

"You're _finally_ training me. Why would I complain?"

"Ah. That's what that irritation was about." I don't comment. "I'll keep that in mind. Your chakra reserves are going to need some serious work, by the way. I think this workout will help you." I nod. Can we please stop standing on water now? It's not really draining, but I'm just tired of it! I've been on this water for four hours!

"You're not going to like my afternoon workout." He warns me. I shrug; we'll see. "The only way to increase your chakra reserves is to work you down to almost empty, then let them refill. That's what we're going to be doing, while working on your sound release to empty it. Genjutsus take too little chakra for this, so I'll be teaching you another far more taxing jutsu. And it just so happens to build on the exercise you were working on the other day too."

I nod. What else is there to do?

"I'll also be teaching you some more focused genjutsus to help your teammates during a fight. We'll work on that while your resting to maximise your time." I nod again. "And at night, you'll be working on your medical jutsu."

I nod for a third time.

"I'll be helping you with your weapons when we get back to Konoha. For now, I believe you have enough on your plate. And I don't believe you need too much help with your physique. I won't let you slack off during morning workouts, of course, but it just won't be as big a deal for the rest of the day. Is this agreeable?"

"It is, Captain."

"Good. Then we'll begin with your training. We'll take a break when Naruto returns with the food. Let's start with something really simple. Please snap with your fingers." I do so, wondering if we'll be using the sound waves from that for a jutsu. "What I want you to focus on, instead of just focusing your chakra into your vocal chords to infuse any sound you make with a genjutsu sequence, focus that chakra into the two fingers you just used and the spot on your palm that was hit. I want you to try place me under a simple genjutsu using this so we have a good place to start."

Well that sounds… simple enough. I suppose.

 **Snap-MREEEEEEEW!**

"Okay, try to keep in mind that you're no longer working on complex muscles like your vocal chords. Just the three points, roughly a centimetre in diameter. And please stop trying to enhance those sound waves. Let it be natural. We'll work on range and amplification another time." I nod.

 **Snap.**

Captain's one visible eye goes glassy for a fraction of a second. He shakes his head and looks at me again. "You know. I'm starting to think you're getting good at genjutsus."

I glare at him dully. "'Genjutsu made easy'. I know the theory behind thirty different genjutsus, though only D and C-ranked."

"Then why haven't you practiced with them?" He asks, curious.

"Because I already have too much to do? How many hours do you think a day has, exactly?" He shrugs.

"Well. No more reading for you then. I'm going to be keeping you way too busy for that." I role my eyes at his words. I happen to like my reading, thanks. "Aya. Let me let you in on a little secret. Your Naruto-nii? He's going to need a strong Anbu guard when he becomes Hokage."

My eyes bug out. Hearing Naruto-nii talk like that… that's one thing. Hearing an ex-Anbu captain talk like that…? **This** is a whole other box of chocolates.

"Be honest, Aya. Who in this world would Naruto want watching his back?" He asks. He pretends to think about that, but I'm not an idiot. He knows. I know.

"What's the next step?" I ask, my fingers already poised to snap again.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 19_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Well, well. Looks like Kakashi found an in with Aya. And it might almost seem as if Aya's warming up to Sasuke as well. What could this mean? What's the deal? But more importantly... what effect could this have on the future? I wonder..._**

 ** _By the way, for all my Broken readers, if you're reading this... my PC crapped out on me. So I have to restart that chapter from scratch. TT_TT Luckily I keep Butterflies on my laptop, but... still, it's kind of annoying to plan and plot and do all the writing, only for it to be lost. *Le sigh* Anyhoo, enough melodrama!_**

 ** _For those wondering, no Setokaiva isn't stopping with beta'ing for me, or this story. He's just busy. The chapters will get cleaned up once he has the time again. And he's still helping me plan and plot like he always does. So fret not! More juicy goodness is on the way!_**


	24. Work with me

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 20 – Work with me_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 **#Team. Time for evening workout.#** Captain begins. **#Hawk, continue elemental meditation. Frog, sealing. Make fifty seals, like I showed you. No clones. Point is speed. Learn to make seals faster and just as neatly.#**

 **#Wolf. Medic training. Diagnostic on Hawk. Keep up until you master it or pass out.#** I glare at him. **#I take your shift if you pass out.#** Still glaring.

Once he shrugs it off, showing that he knows I'm going to do it anyway, I get down to my training. That I have to focus too much to grumble doesn't really mean I don't want to grumble though.

"Captain was right… too busy to read." I still complain a little though, even though no one responds.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Sasuke, you need to keep in mind that your comrades won't like you stealing their jutsus." Captain actually explains it to him. He actually has to. I glare at Uchiha-san, wondering why he can't figure out something so simple, so basic, on his own. I mean, how would he like it is someone just strolled into his home and went through his family's library without asking him?

"…" Uchiha-san takes a subtle look at me, noticing my glare. He also looks at Naruto-nii, noticing the 'is this really a subject' look – it's kind of a surprised and annoyed look, just before a 'Sasuke, really?' look. "I understand. Is there a way for me to use my Sharingan without causing a fuss?"

"Not looking in their direction while they cast their jutsus. Otherwise, no." Captain says. I roll my eyes. Why does this even need to be discussed. I mean, these are things that should be considered common courtesy.

"Nn." Uchiha-san nods. "That will prove easier with Namiki, and harder with Naruto."

"Perhaps." Captain doesn't disagree, he just doesn't really agree. Still, I can kind of understand Uchiha's position. If Naruto-nii is close range, Uchiha-san will be facing him most. I'm supposed to be long range support, so he'll be facing away from me most of the time. That actually makes some sense.

"What if Naruto-nii keeps his back to Uchiha-san?" I wonder. I mean, I have no idea how the Sharingan works. All I know is that it copies things we wouldn't want him copying from us.

"Hmm. That might work." Captain thinks out loud, but he doesn't really think this is the end solution – he's still too busy thinking for that to be the case. "We'll try that during training tomorrow. For now, Sasuke, just don't activate your eyes or look at them while it's activated."

"Nn. Naruto, you're still pouring too much chakra into your feet. That's why I can feel you next to me." Uchiha-san explains. "I activated my eyes to try to confirm that."

"Hmm?" Naruto-nii looks at his feet, wondering about that. "Thanks, Sasuke! I'll try to work on that!"

"Why are you helping us?" I ask Uchiha-san. Sure, he isn't helping me in the least, but he should know by now that I consider Naruto-nii 'us', and not 'him'.

"Aya~aaa…!" Captain drawls, warning me to behave. I don't react to him though. I'm still gazing at Uchiha-san – gazing, not glaring. I'm more curious than anything.

"Because…" Uchiha-san trails off. I'm not sure what he's thinking, but I can tell he's thinking of unpleasant things. "If I don't help you when you need it, you won't help me when I need it."

"I'm not going weasel hunting with you." I tell him plainly. I'm not suicidal… usually.

"No. _He_ 's mine, but I need someone to watch my back until I'm strong enough to hunt _him_ myself." He says, meeting my gaze easily. He's telling the truth.

Hmm. Naruto-nii and I need to become chuunin in less than six months. Working with Uchiha-san will be annoying, at best, but he's definitely someone that wants to advance quickly. He'll be at least as driven as we are to not just take the exams, but to pass with flying colours.

"Watch Naruto-nii's back and I'll watch yours." I offer, putting out my right fist for a fist-bump. He looks at me, curious at first, then cautious… then cocky.

"I can handle that." We bump fists. "Besides, not pissing off the team medic would be nice." He smirks at me. I roll my eyes.

"Oi, while we're at it. Kakashi-sensei, Aya and I need to ace the next chuunin exams." Uchiha-san's eyes go wide with shock, before a cocky smirk peeks out.

"I figured working with you would be in my best interest…" Uchiha-san seems amused. "Now it seems the once dead last is being ambitious as well." Uchiha-san turns to Naruto-nii, still smirking.

"And why is that, Naruto?" Captain wonders, his eye sharp.

"Oh, you know… this and that." Nii-san grins, obviously not willing to say more than he needs to about this. I smile a little myself. Naruto-nii is really sneaking when he wants to be, and he know we need this and that we need to keep our heads down while doing it!

"Hmm? To not only want to take them, but to ace them? What do you think, Sasuke? Are you three ready to face a level of training that might guarantee such results?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Ah… crap… Yesterday was tiring enough! The evil looking glint in Captain Ecchi's eyes aren't really convincing me that yesterday was a challenging day…

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

This is madness! Pure and utter madness! Stealth training on a river! And no, not the calm spot we started on, this is a RAGING RIVER RAPIDS! And we're now suddenly expected to not only magically not drown here, but also we're expected to stealthily cross this blasted river! And if Captain decides we're not stealthy enough? Live kunai! We're supposed to steal our lunch from him! Seriously! And the longer we take, the hungrier we get!

I miss yesterday's training already.

A kunai is flying at me. I try to check if it has a tag or some funny trick to it. It doesn't seem to, so I dodge it – I tried grabbing the last one… stopping the bleeding was NOT fun. I roll back to far side of the river, ducking behind a tree again. Obviously I messed up. But this camouflage jutsu is HARD! Adding the rapids, the water walking, and making no sounds at all! I mean, even when I breathe too hard Captain spots me!

This is some messed up training!

Still… even though I don't want to admit it, I know I'll be better for it. Naruto-nii's getting too sneaky for words, too. I mean, he already nearly made it across a few times. Uchiha-san is far more skilled in this than I'd hoped as well. So… it's mostly just me struggling along.

I huff as silently as I can. I'm already running dangerously low on chakra. And I'm hungry. And I'm not allowed to unseal anything – Naruto-nii made me promise.

I want to try using sound release, even if only to cover any sounds I make, but really I'm too low on chakra for that. I used to think I knew what low chakra meant… but after passing out yesterday, twice, from low reserves…

You think that would mean I should rest today, right? I mean, a worn out medic is useless to her team! Nope. That just means that the boys need to not get messed up, because I'll still be ordered to heal them. Thank Kami-sama they're being super careful!

And just think! After this, I still have my sound release training! And medic training tonight! Well, Aya, be careful what you wish for. You got it; the man's training you.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I sigh. This isn't exactly what I was hoping for. At all.

"Aya-chan, do you understand what your task is?" Captain asks. I sigh again, nodding anyway. Because he sees that I'm too low on chakra for that new jutsu, he's instructing me to practice my genjutsus. Not my sound release one either, no, this is a D-rank genjutsu he wants me to master. It's not too chakra intensive –genjutsus almost never are– but it's… demanding. And to boot, I'm supposed to cast it on Uchiha-san and Naruto-nii, so they can practice the genjutsu-release. And if they don't get out in less than a minute, the other needs to realise this and help them. Meaning, that I'm supposed to keep an eye on how long they're under the genjutsu, and make sure to warn the other to help them.

I sigh again. This is… hard.

 **Snake – Rat – Demonic Illusion: Hell viewing jutsu.**

Both boys' eyes gloss over. I cast it right. Thank Kami-sama. Now for the countdown. At thirty seconds, Uchiha-san's eyes blink and come into focus once again. Whatever he saw, it can't have been pleasant, given the frowning eyes now looking at me. It's almost a minute later, so I nod to Uchiha-san, and he releases Naruto-nii.

"Again." I'm instructed.

 **Snake – Rat – Demonic Illusion: Hell viewing jutsu.**

Their eyes gloss over again. Uchiha-san is quicker to release it, and Naruto-nii releases it in just over thirty seconds. "Again." So I do it. I cast the most horrid genjutsu on my brother and an idiot over and over again. One thing I'm really glad for, is that they slowly start getting used to it –desensitized to it– and start releasing it faster and faster. In just over three hours, Uchiha-san can release this genjutsu almost instinctively. Naruto-nii still needs a second though.

"Good. D-ranks are as good as mastered. Aya-chan, C-rank now please. Use Demonic Illusion: Hellfire." I'm instructed. I really wished he didn't pick this one! I mean, it's just cruel! The genjutsu makes you think every part of you is burning up so badly that you're melting!

 **Rat – Snake – Tiger – Tiger – Rat – Demonic Illusion: Hellfire.**

This one takes far more concentration, far more chakra, far better chakra control. Still, it isn't impossible to do. And really, the chakra needed for it isn't any more than a standard transformation. It's just… so sensitive. I mean, I thought the diagnostic jutsu was sensitive! No, this one makes the diagnostic jutsu look like a walk in the park!

It takes Uchiha-san nearly a minute to release the genjutsu this time – Naruto-nii gets helped immediately after. "Again." I sigh, but cast the genjutsu again. The results are exactly the same. "Again." This is… heartbreaking.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Captain, his wounds are completely closed. His skin still hasn't thickened enough to not risk them reopening in a fight though." I announce after dinner.

"Good. You will start reading the scroll on the Mystic Palm technique then." My eyes bug out! Even as I catch the scroll tossed to me, I can't hardly believe this is real!

"C-captain! That's an A-rank jutsu!"

"It is, but you are only learning the theory for now. After all, what use is the diagnostic jutsu, if you can do nothing with the information?" He says, eye-smiling. I sigh; can't really argue with that. I'd have to learn it eventually. "Besides, you're going to start learning the chakra scalpel jutsu tonight. So you won't have too much time to complain about it. Now pay attention. The handsigns are: tiger, horse, rabbit, rat, dog."

Tiger. Horse. Rabbit. Rat. Dog. Okay, I can live with that.

"You need to coat your hands with the moulded chakra. Only coat them. The first level of this jutsu allows you to use that chakra to cut through little more than paper, but if you can balance it well enough, I've seen people cut through trees." I nod, remembering mama telling me about things like that. "It'll take about the same amount of chakra as three substitution jutsus. But remember just how delicate the balance needs to be. Do the signs slowly, mould the chakra properly. We'll work on speed in time." I nod.

"Naruto, Sasuke, I believe it's time for the two of you to start on the body flicker jutsu. Aya will learn that one in the morning, but she needs this one more." Captain makes a single clone, which leads the boys off somewhere. He turns back to me. "Aya. I know you like to read up on jutsu before trying them. That's why I want you to start studying this jutsu now. You won't be learning it during this mission. If you manage to master the chakra scalpel, I'll probably show you the Healing jutsu. Sasuke and Naruto will probably need you to learn that quickly, after all."

"Isn't that the same as the Mystic Palm jutsu?" I ask, confused.

"No. The Healing jutsu can mend muscle tissue and close superficial wounds. The Mystic Palm can reverse bruises, mend veins and arteries, mend bones, and even force the patient's body to heal far more quickly. Because Mystic Palm is so demanding and so complex, it's ranked as an A – not to mention all the variations of it. The Healing jutsu is a high C-rank jutsu. Furthermore, you can use the Mystic Palm without needing to use the diagnostic jutsu, because you'd still manage to receive information from the Mystic Palm. The Healing jutsu doesn't do that. You need to do a diagnostic beforehand, and afterwards to check if it was done properly. You see?"

I shake my head, trying to figure out who this man is. I mean, he sounds like a medic! He shouldn't even know half of what he knows!

"Look, simply put, the Mystic Palm is like using the diagnostic jutsu, the healing jutsu, the bone mending jutsu and the blood detoxify jutsu at the same time. It's… dificult." He says, probably mistaking my awe with confusion or something. I shake myself out of my shock, looking away from him.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Oh. My. Kami-sama! That was GOOD! I pat my belly, more than satisfied with the meal I just had. I make sure to suppress a burp though! Most unladylike.

I feel quite happy right now! Especially seeing as Naruto-nii decided to spoil me and catch six fish just for me! Heaven knows I need the extra calories!

Looking around, I see the somewhat familiar faces of the ladies we'd rescued. Most of them are looking at me with a warm smile, but Yasu-san and Sakiko-chan are mostly glowing at Naruto-nii for spoiling me a little. I soooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOO deserve it!

"Naruto-nii! Thank you for taking such good care of Aya-nee! She looks so happy!" Sakiko-chan announces, smiling from ear to ear.

"Yeah, she kind of does. She's worth it." I couldn't agree with you more, Nii-san! "I mean, with how hard she's working, and how awesome she is with all those new jutsus? I don't doubt she'll be the most awesome kunoichi Konoha's ever seen!" And there he goes, bragging again. I role my eyes, too happy to care… too much.

"Nn. I think she's trying to not get left behind." Uchiha-san smirks a little, looking away from me. That boy is so weird sometimes. I mean, he talks as if he has a crush on me, but refuses to admit it – probably because he knows what I'd do to him if he does dare develop a crush on me.

"What are you talking about!? Sis has always been the most amazing kunoichi! She'd never get left behind! And I certainly wouldn't ever let her!" I smile, wondering at blondie's words. I mean, Uchiha-san is kind of right. I don't want to get left behind. And with how those two are obviously growing by leaps and bounds… I need to give every day, every training, every second my all to make sure I don't feel small around them.

Naruto had taken my advice, studying the book on elemental jutsu with a clone, doing Captain's insane trainings with twenty clones, the jutsu practices with just as many clones… he's… dangerously fast at learning things like that. And Uchiha-san? He takes three, maybe four tries to get the basics down. After that, it's all polishing work.

Me? It took me three days to stay dry while walking on water, and another day and a half for it to be semi-graceful. How in Kami's name do those two do it?

"Alright, alright. Enough of that. You've got twenty minutes to relax. Training starts soon. And you're not going to like it." Yeah. Because I loved yesterday's training?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Aya. Screw you. Screw you and your stupid assumptions that trainings can't possibly get worse. They didn't just get worse. They got MUCH worse!

Same workout as two days ago. Only this time on the rapids, wearing weighs on my shins and forearms, and while Captain's throwing pebbles at us to see if we're paying attention. That means that if we're mid push-up, we need to raise a hand to deflect the pebble, while continuing the push-up, while still on water and the weights are still very much attached.

Evil genius. Mostly just evil, but definitely some genius in there somewhere.

The weights aren't too bad, mind you. Just two and a half kilos each. But, adding that little extra weight for six hundred push-ups while defending yourself from an obviously bored ex-Anbu captain? And while having to constantly do little 'jumps' to force ourselves to do downstream slower. If we go too far, we have to do 'stealth evasion training', with live kunai again, to get back to our starting position. Sigh. Why'd I agree to this again? Oh, right. Naruto-nii. It's too bad I don't have the energy to slap him.

And after lunch, it's 'private instruction time' once again. Captain makes two clones, and I'm once again brought to a much quieter section of the river so I can focus. Not dry land, of course. That would be silly. I mean, why train on dry land when you can train on a river? It's just sooooo illogical.

"Aya. Time for the second step. I want you to snap, amplify the sound, and contain that sound into a little ball. Try to make it about the size of your finger tip if you can." Captain instructs. Hey, can I try to see if I can still feel my fingers first? I mean, six hundred push-ups aren't exactly an easy thing to do! Let alone the sit-ups, crunches, stretches, squats, and what ever other crap we've been doing all morning!

 **Snap.**

Come on, Aya. You were amplifying these stupid snaps just fine yesterday.

 **SNAP.**

Better. Better.

 **SNAP!**

There we go. Now, how do you contain those sound waves into a ball?

 **SNAP!**

Nope, that didn't work.

 **SNAP!**

Yeah, no.

…

I didn't hear that, at all. I look to my fingers and snap again.

…

Nothing. I don't hear anything when I snap.

"Good. Good. Now, try to amplify it even more, while still keeping it contained." Yeah, how could that _possibly_ go wrong…

I snap. I shake my head. I snap again. I can almost see something happening. And I mean, visually **see** something happening. It's almost as if the air is being distorted! I snap again and again and again. I try to control that little ball as best I can, trying to force the sound waves to do what I want them to.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 **#We have four more days. After that, two days to rest, and we head to the camp at noon.#** I shrug, not caring. I'm too busy practicing that thing to soothe my muscles. Not that it's helping. Or that my fingers and palms look any less red from snapping all afternoon.

 **#Day after tomorrow we do a mock infiltration on one of the emptied camps. Frog will fill that camp with clones, you three will take them out.#** Whatever. Can I eat in peace please? I'm starving!

"Hey, Kakashi. Have you heard anything from Asami's team?" Naruto-nii asks.

"No. Why?"

"Well, supposedly Gatou's behind this right? The same Gatou that's after Tazuna. So wouldn't there be some kind of connection? Maybe the things we're looking for are in Gatou's office by now? It would be smart to see what they know, or tell them what we know." Hmm, someone's been using their brains lately. Or, he just really wants to know how Sarutobi-san is doing. Either way is fine, so long as he doesn't forget where his heart belongs!

"Hmm. I'll send word, see what's going on over there." Captain seems impressed.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Uchiha-san, eyes please." I demand. I'm not in the mood. I'm too tired, too hungry, too annoyed. I still make sure he's facing the other way though. When he nods, use Sound Release: Siren's call, singing some random song that's stuck in my head this time.

The singing isn't even all that important, really. It's having my vocal chords laced with chakra to cast the genjutsu.

"Can you see through the genjutsu?" Naruto-nii asks from a distance.

"I can. But I see the genjutsu as well. No wonder you weren't hurt. No one would want to break out of this." Uchiha-san says. I shrugs, still singing. "Naruto. Come see if you can work your way through this as well."

Another of Captain's absolutely evil genius plans. Have Uchiha-san use his Sharingan to break through the genjutsu, or at least work through it, it seems. This way, I can still use my jutsu in the future with him. And Naruto-nii? He's been working on coating every inch of himself with chakra to stop the sound waves from reaching him in the first place. If we work this right, they will be able to fight while I cast my jutsu and we can take out the bandit camp with ease – in theory.

Seeing as Naruto-nii's obviously trapped in my genjutsu… nope. Not anytime soon.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Frog in the lead. Hawk on his heels. I'm bringing up the rear. Eighty bandits. Thirty minutes to take them out. Kami-sama, Captain's really pushing us hard! I'd been expecting Yoshino-sensei to be the one to help us train for the chuunin exams, but really, I can tell that Captain is better suited – just not better liked.

Without a word, Frog engages the first four man group of 'bandits'. Hawk uses a kunai he tied to ninja wire so he can keep pulling it back to throw it again – no point in being wasteful. After all, one kunai costs about as much as a ten metres of ninja wire!

I'm mostly just the distraction. My genjutsus are good enough for that. I focus on who the boys are attacking, cast the genjutsu about a second before the attack should land, and we take out the groups with relative ease. I'm annoyed though. This isn't what I've been working my butt off for. Yes, I'm definitely keeping my team alive this way, but… this isn't what I want. I want to do more, to be more, to help more. I want to have my team know that without me, this simply wouldn't work.

One can always hope.

It takes us fifteen minutes in total. Not bad, but Captain just halved the time and says we need to do even better next time. I sigh. I really just want to get out of this place. I want to get back to Konoha. I want to train more, just not in the things Captain's teaching me. Yes, genjutsu is an incredible art, yes I'm helping in so many ways. But… I… I just didn't think I'd be reduced to this. To the back up. Yes, I'm in charge of keeping my team alive, should things hit the fan. But…

This just isn't what I want.

"Jeez, sis! You're really scary, you know!" Naruto-nii complains about something. I'm just not sure what. I turn to him, questions in my eyes. "My clones, they couldn't defend themselves at all! You timed your genjutsus perfectly, so every time they tried to block, we could just shift our attack at the last second and still take them out!" If you say so.

"He's serious, Namiki." And who asked you, Uchiha-san? "Set them up, let us take them down. You can work on other long distance skills once we get back." Yeah, whatever.

"I know you're not too happy about this. But for the time we have, you're seriously killing it! I know you're going to be awesome once you figure out how to combine your genjutsus with your taijutsu! And if you add the chakra scalpel as well!?" Whatever, Nii-san. You can't expect me to work on only my taijutsu and three basic academy jutsus for years and then suddenly become happy with a supporting role!

Whatever. It's not as if I'll ever be anything more than a supporting role anyway. No, it's Uchiha-san, it's Naruto-nii… they're the stars. I'm just the one meant to keep them alive until they can shine bright. I'm the sidekick; the good little girl meant to piece them back together when the world cuts them up.

I sigh.

Well, at least this is for Naruto-nii. "Come on, team. Let's head back to camp. Naruto, I'm going to need you to gather food again. Sasuke, you're in charge of checking on the girls. Make sure they're comfortable, warm, and have everything they need."

"Sure thing, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Nn."

"Aya-chan. You're coming with me. There's something I want to show you."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I'm led down the river. Past the camp I'd cleaned out, to another such a camp. Bodies were decomposing where they'd been slain. Some half eaten by local wildlife. It looks like there's been a battle here. Burn marks on the wood, slashes from all kinds of blades.

"This was Sasuke's camp. Notice anything?" I'm asked. I give him the rundown about the obvious battle, the traces, the jutsu being used. Everything. "Exactly. Sasuke is very much a fighter. He leaves obvious traces, obvious marks that I can use to identify a fire release user, and the scent in the air is of jutsus being cast. He's skilled as a fighter, but not stealthy. Come, let's take another look."

I'm lead to another camp. This time the scene is very different. Guards obviously on patrol, their throats slit. It looks like an assassin had been through here, just like Captain said. When I'm asked, I tell Captain just that. "You're right. Naruto is incredibly talented as an assassin. With some proper training, he could be one of the best. But he's also very obvious. I look around here, and I see that this place was targeted, picked off and looted. Traces are everywhere, scents everywhere. Still, a very good show of skill here. Now come. Remember this camp and the last. And try to look at the next one with fresh eyes."

I'm lead back to the camp I took out. I look at the bodies carefully lined up, the odd way blood is splattered everywhere. I don't know what to make of it. "When I look at this, I can't tell what to think. There's been no obvious battle, no sings of jutsu being cast, no scuff marks or markings of any kind. There's only the scent of a little girl, which considering there's the scent of thirty females here, isn't that odd. Was it an assassin? Was it gang related? If I didn't know what happened here, I wouldn't have a clue. And that's ignoring the obvious smiles on the victims' faces. This could be written off as a mass suicide on their leaders orders."

Why are you telling me this? Why are you showing me this? "What's your point?" I ask, frustrated beyond belief.

"My point is to show the skill similarities and differences. You took out just as many as your teammates. You showed your own skills. And you continue to sharpen those skills, to grow at an incredible rate. So, what I want to know… is why you seem to feel so small around your team?"

I snort. Goes to show what you know. Me growing at an incredible rate? Have you seen Naruto-nii? It wouldn't surprise me if he could unlock his primary element in a week. Uchiha-san mastered two new first jutsus in two days. And I'm still stuck fumbling with one jutsu.

Sure, I've gotten some smaller skills down in between that, and yes I've finally gotten the diagnostic jutsu under my belt, but I've been working on that jutsu for two weeks!

"Aya, listen to me." Captain gets my attention. I look back towards him, wondering when I'd looked away from him. "You're unlocking a unique jutsu style, keeping up with two future powerhouses in their training. Training in genjutsu. Training in medical jutsu. Most people couldn't progress as fast in one of these fields as you are in all three individually. Just because you're teamed up with two exceptional shinobi, doesn't mean you're worthless by comparison."

Whatever you say, Captain.

"Aya." I look to him again, looking right into his one eye – and I'm kind of annoyed he keeps the other one hidden away all the time, like he has something to hide. "Even if you aren't… I'm proud of you." I sigh. Whatever. Can we go now?

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 20_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: The next chapter is going to be about the final bandit camp. After that, there's only the trip back to Konoha. Sorry, guys, no teasers this time ^_^ All I'm saying is that I've foreshadowed that which is to come enough, for now._**


	25. Stay with me

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 21 – Stay with me_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Ladies, if you would please listen up?" Captain begins. Everyone settles down, offering the grey haired man their attention. Other than Sakiko-chan. I turn to her narrow my eyes and nod to Captain. She nods, to show she understands, and pays better attention. "Thank you. My team and I will be heading out in a bit. I'm leaving four of my dogs here to guard you. Let me assure you that they will protect you with their lives, just as we would. Please understand that we will be leaving soon. When I know more details, I will let you know."

The ladies nod, most not even wondering what this is all about. They're quite happy right now, even though they're mostly still covered in dirt. River water isn't the best option to bath in, even though they bathe twice a day in it.

Still, they accept the situation as it comes. We've already proven willing to protect them from anything, and Naruto-nii has been providing for them; three square meals a day. They've been doing all they can to help with everything, but most of the time we just don't have anything for them to do.

"Sasuke, Naruto, Aya. We move out in ten minutes. Make sure you're ready." I nod. Finally, we can just get this over with.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

A two hour run later, and we're resting in a tree just outside the latest camp. Well, I say camp, but this is more like a fort. There're decent walls, a closed gate with four guards posted outside. More guards clearly on patrol on the gangway between two towers. These guys aren't playing around.

Same basic set up though. Rough looking characters all talking just like low-lives. We've gone over the map time and time again. We've gone over the patrols. We studied how they act, how they move. Lunch is going to be served in less than an hour. That's when we strike – they're less likely to be alert then.

The problem with this bunch… is that I see far more disciplined bandits. This isn't just some loose band of misfits, this is a miniature army someone trained – just one without a uniform.

 **#Two-five-seven targets total. Go in formation. Frog, shadow clone to watch Wolf's six. No casualties. I watch from shadows. Interfere only if needed.#** Back to this again? Captain, you're too lazy for your own good.

 **#Roger.#** We sign back as one.

And so, we start making our way into the fortress. Frog in the lead, Hawk signing to him when we need to move, and me (and my Froggy shadow) taking up the rear. We're supposed to take everyone out we can as quietly as we can. That means Hawk is mostly here in case things go wrong. And seeing as we're essentially going to be killing trained bandits… things will go wrong.

I look around, trying to keep my wits about me. We're on the upper gangway. Frog leads us to the tower on the right… left? I look at the back of my hands. Yes, left. My left hand is the one that makes an 'L' with my index finger and thumb.

Once we're close enough, I cast a genjutsu, a pleasant one, and Frog takes out the guard. Why have one guard per tower? Who cares if there's not a lot of room? One per tower is stupid!

Whatever. Frog opens the latch and we start going down the ladder to the lower level. There should be three levels, and we need to travel on the second, because it offers more cover. Who cares. We stick together, Frog taking out anyone we encounter, after I cast a genjutsu on them to keep them quiet. Sure, Frog could take them out without a problem, but this way we have a one-hundred percent guarantee. I like that.

 **#Hide bodies?#** Hawk asks. With what? I don't have a genjutsu that would cover that, and I'm certainly not touching them! Unless you plan on dragging all of them somewhere, I say leave them to their fate.

 **#Negative. Stick to plan.#** I sign back. Frog agrees with me. We're a combat unit anyway… I think. Then again, I can't really tell what we are anymore. We're focusing on combat, but knowing Captain Ecchi, he'd consider this infiltration training, or whatever.

We go about all the towers, taking out all the guards – well, Frog does. Once we're done, we make our way down into the courtyard. All the remaining bandits should be here. I sigh. It's my turn. I'm supposed to lure them, Hawk and I take them out. I'm supposed to just leave Frog wherever he stands, but forget that! I'm dragging my Froggy-nii with me!

Frog makes ten clones, which are meant to scout out the main building in the centre, and know to simply ignore my singing – no matter how good everyone claims it is.

 **#Hawk. Mark in five.#** Hawk activates his eyes, turning towards the crowd. Why do they eat outside, by the way? Whatever. I focus my chakra into my vocal chords, walking ahead like I was born to do this. I start singing the second the countdown reaches zero.

Heads start turning towards me. Almost by the dozen, I see pairs of eyes glaze over. I keep walking, dragging an obviously out of it Froggy-nii with me. Hawk wastes no time, hacking and slashing as he goes. I don't care. Killing and blood and all that… doesn't bother me. I'm still not sure why.

More bandits start pouring out from the building. These wearing headbands? With slashes through them? Rogue Ninjas? Seriously? Only genin from the look of it, but still! This wasn't in the plan!

Ooh! Ecchi!

Whatever. Our orders are to slay the bandits. These genin look to be our age. I'm not killing them if I can help it! And I can help it! They're all under my genjutsu after all! I keep walking with Hawk, letting him slaughter the bandits as he goes. Once the last one falls, it's time for another plan.

 **#I'm letting kids our age die. Tie them up.#** I demand. Even though I'm still singing, I glare at Hawk, daring him to argue with me. He shrugs. Obviously he doesn't care – it's not against orders.

I drag Froggy-nii along, towards the genin, and take out my ninja wire. Hawk is quick to do the same. And we set about tying up our newest charges. Captain Ecchi had BEST have an explanation for this! He scouted the place himself! There's no way he should have missed this!

And why do all these genin have Mist headbands with a strike through them? I don't understand.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Good work team." Captain says, eyeing me. Yes, he can tell I'm not happy with him – I'm not the type to hide such a thing. I tilt my head, crossing my arms; _explain, now_. "This is a Mist rebel base. They work with bandits to keep up appearances. This is where they train new recruits and whatnot." I glare at him. Hard. He sent us into a Mist rebel base? Alone? To do what no genin is even allowed to? Why? What does Konoha profit from taking out rebels of someone else's country?

"Would you relax? There are only genin and chuunins here. While you guys were busy with the bandits and the genin, I already took out the chuunin." And that changes… what, exactly? "Aya. Think. Mist rebels have a base in the Land of Fire, and have been doing business with Gatou. What good would come from leaving them go about their business?"

"And this has what to do with a genin team just only graduated from the academy a month ago?" I ask, my tone dripping with annoyance.

"NO WAY! YOU GUYS ARE GENIN!?" One of the morons we tied up asks. I slap him, wondering why he's stupid enough to talk with me so close to him. "HEY!" I slap him again.

"She's gonna keep doing that until you shut up." Naruto-nii warns.

"So what was the intention of this then? Just to find a ledger?" I ask.

"No. The ledger's already been found in Wave. Ito sent word yesterday. This was about showing you three just what I can help you achieve." He says honestly. "Well, that and helping you three out with stocking up. What do you want us to do with the kids?"

I glare… but… then again… why glare at him? I can just tell Yoshino-sensei and let her deal with him. In fact, strolling into Konoha with fifty Mist rebels is just the kind of scene we need to get him into so much trouble that he's junk would fry just from the look Sensei will give him.

"I say we take them with us!" Of course Naruto-nii would say that. I don't really ca… no, I do care. But… look. Aya, not your problem. Let's just go scout out the place and see what we can take with us.

 **#Frog, Clones. Scout. Find armoury.#**

 **#On it!#** How can that boy seem so excited even when he's signing to me? Whatever.

"Taking this amount of genin with us will require permission. I'd need to speak to Hokage-sama about that." Kakashi offers.

"Well, how about simply asking them what they want? I mean, don't they have a say in this!?" Nii-san really is too much. He still makes like twenty clones though, which go scouting around.

"There's that too." He turns to the lined up genins, all tied up and sitting with just enough space between them so that we can tell if they're up to something. "What do you guys want to do? I mean, you could come with us to Konoha. If the Hokage approves of course, which I think he will. Or you could go back to Mist… things should be better now right?" All of the genins look… depressed about that. Crap! Aya! Stop caring so much about them! They aren't your problem!

I hate doing this to myself! I really do.

"How about this. All those who want to go back to Mist, raise your hand!" Naruto-nii… really? They're tied up.

"Thanks, but I just barely got out of there with my life!" One of the genins shouts, upset. Then why in Kami-sama's name are you still wearing the headband? Morons.

"Alright, so who would like to come with us to Konoha to live a better life?" Captain asks. Forty-nine tied up hands are wiggled into the air. The last one, looks at her comrades and sighs. She raises her hand as well. Sort of. They were tied up really, really well. "Good. I'll send word to Hokage-sama. If we release you, would you be a threat to us?"

Yeah, they'll tell us. 'Hey, yeah, I might try to kill you in your sleep! Now let me out!'

"Captain… really?" I ask, not really buying this stupidity. There has to be more intelligence in him somewhere.

"How about this, untie the girls." He offers, but winces once I glare at him; _what's that supposed to mean?_

"Aya-chan, that's not what he means." Naruto-nii is back to calling me by my name… crap. These people might spread the word in Konoha if they come with us. "Anyway, I'll be back. Something I need to check." Naruto-nii heads off. No idea what for. Not my concern.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I hate this. I hate this sooooooo much! But whatever. Aya. Just suck it up for now. It's only for three days. "Naruto, I'm going to need twenty of your clones. We need a list of these kids names, skills, and any additional information they'd be willing to tell you. Having a bloodline for example. And no, you don't have to worry about us hating you for it. In fact, Sasuke here is an Uchiha, he has a bloodline as well."

Yup, that has nothing to do with my hating him! I hate him for his stupid attitude!

Aya, stop. Just eat your chocolate, and suck it up. Whatever. This is just for Captain Ecchi's kicks. I hope Naruto-nii found some REALLY awesome stuff, because this is just going to upset me otherwise.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Alright, team! Good news! Hokage-sama's approved. The genins will be given asylum in Konoha, provided they want to join our shinobi ranks." Goodie. "So, who's interested?"

I don't bother glaring. It'd be pointless. Those who accepted are immediately untied – after four days, mind you. I still can't believe we had to end up sending Naruto-nii's clones to collect the other girls we'd rescued. How heroic are we trying to be here?

Whatever.

I've mostly been staying away from people. I'm just not in a people mood these days. Naruto-nii's back to calling me 'Aya-chan' every tick of the clock. Uchiha-san's back to his moody ways. Everything's all messed up.

At least Naruto-nii's in a good mood. I mean, Sarutobi-san's team is here. So he's enjoying her company at least.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes us almost two weeks to make it back to Konoha after that. I don't care to interact with anyone, other than Naruto-nii and Sakiko-chan, but even them I barely speak to. Too many people here. Way too many.

Once back, a team greets us at the gate, to 'process' the new arrivals. We're informed that Hokage-dono is expecting us in his office, so we start heading that way. Sakiko-chan wants to give me one last hug, and Yasu-san wants the same from Naruto-nii. After that, it's trying to get used to being back home – and sneaking into a store to buy something chocolaty so I'll be on my best behaviour in front of Hokage-sama.

On entering his office, the first thing I notice: "Yosshino-sensei!" I run to her, glomping her and simply refusing to let her go.

"Welcome back, guys." Sensei says, smiling at us, and glaring at Captain Ecchi.

"Yoshino-chan, we will deal with that later. First I would like a full report on your mission, Kakashi. And I mean _everything_." Hokage-dono demands.

This isn't going to end in Captain's favour. Not if logic and reasoning have any sway in this world.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Logic and reasoning have no sway in this world. That we, fresh genins, were allowed to clear out three bandit camps and a Mist rebel base is seen as a good thing. Seeing as Captain Ecchi worded it in such a way that he knew from testing and training us that we could handle it. And that we brought back thirty now free slaves, and fifty genins… these are good things to Hokage-dono. So what does Captain Ecchi get?

"I see. Good work, Kakashi."

"Excuse me!?" Yes, logic rings in. "He went against my **direct** orders on how **my** team was to be trained and the missions they were to take. And **_that_** is what you have to say!?"

"Yoshino-chan, you of all people should see what this could mean for Sasuke, Naruto and Aya. They've not only successfully completed their first C-rank mission, they've also taken out bandits that were aiding in terrorizing the Land of Waves, and a Mist rebel base that somehow got set up without us knowing. They are heroes!" Hokage-dono announces. "And they should be paid accordingly. I believe C-rank pay for each base, and B-rank pay for the Mist Rebel base should be suffice. And a generous bonus for bringing those genin to Konoha as well!"

"Hokage-sama, though I agree that Team Seven performed admirably, it is Kakashi's attitude that I am having a problem with." Yoshino-sensei announces.

There's a knock on the door. "Sorry to barge in, daddy, but you guys are taking forever. Look, we brought back Momochi Zabuza and his apprentice Yuki Haku from Wave with us. They're being processed down in T&I. If there's anything else, I'm sure I'll hear about it when you get home tonight."

"Actually, Asami. Your timing is quite perfect." I sigh. This is just a bunch of political manipulation going on here. Hokage-dono is trying to use his daughter as a smokescreen against Yoshino-sensei's outrage, Captain Ecchi is encouraging it, and Sensei is only getting more and more upset as time passes.

"Hokage-dono. I'm afraid I have far more important things to deal with today. If that is all you need us for?" I announce that I really am not in the mood to be someone else's pawn!

"Such as?" Yoshino-sensie is the one to ask.

"Moving into my parents house, giving up my old apartment, going through my bills and making sure they are all paid… getting away from three people trying to out-manipulate the other. I don't know, pick one."

"Aya-chan, breathe." Naruto-nii nudges me.

"Look." I growl, really not in the mood to be told to calm down. Not even by Nii-san. "Captain Ecchi wants to prove he's the better sensei, but he isn't. Sensei's well within her rights to be upset. Sarutobi-san is being used as a shield from Sensei, and I'm not dancing to someone else's tune. Now, unless someone here has something important to say, then you are all wasting my time." I grind out.

"Hmm, Aya makes sense. You two need to grow up." Sarutobi-san announces, aiming that at Hokage-dono and Captain Ecchi.

"Perhaps. But Aya, you will n-"

"Captain. Stop." I warn him. "I respect your rank, your skill, your techniques and your training regimen. I do not respect you." I tell him plainly.

"Now, Hokage-dono. May I be excused, yes or no?"

"Not yet." I'm informed. I stand at attention, awaiting whatever orders come my way. "I want to arrange a test for you three. In three days time. If Kakashi's report is accurate, the three of you have made exceptional leaps in your training. I wish to see this for myself." I growl. Actually growl. At Hokage-dono.

"Sis, breathe. This is a good thing, I promise." Naruto-nii soothes me, rubbing my back to calm me down.

That's a lie. This isn't a good thing. Captain is trying to take away Yoshino-sensei from me! How could that be a good thing!?

"Aya, what seems to be the problem?" Hokage-dono asks. I look away from him, even though it's bad form, even though Sensei will be upset about this. I don't care! This wasn't… Aya. Stop. This isn't your call to make.

"Nothing." I say simply.

"Good. I'll see the three of you on Friday at ten in the morning. Training ground seven. Other than Yoshino and Kakashi, everyone's dismissed."

"Come on, Aya-chan. I'll help you pack." Naruto-nii tugs me along.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once back in my apartment, the first thing I do is throw a hissy-fit! I curse and complain and curse some more. That Ecchi! How could he do this to me? For what? For pride? Bragging rights? Just for the right to train Naruto-nii? And of course, no one is ever going to explain any of it to me! Why would they? They're 'doing this in my best interest' after all!

"Sis, come on. You know you want to." I look to Nii-san – well, glare at him, really. He has his arms open, motioning for me to come get a nice warm hug. Yeah… I think I need one right now. Once I'm close enough, he wraps his arms around me, holding me close, holding me tight. I sigh. I just feel annoyed, and upset, and hurt, and betrayed. And how could Captain do this to me? I've done my best to follow orders, even if I complained, but I don't call him 'sensei'. Yoshino-sensei is the only sensei I want. So why is he doing this?

"I don't have a clue what's going on in your head right now." Naruto-nii admits. "Do you want to tell me?"

"We're going to end up with Captain as our sensei. There's no other logical outcome. I mean, come on! He's an amazing trainer, and he's probably even better a shinobi… but he isn't Yoshino-sensei! He'll never be Yoshino-sensei."

"So who says we can't have both?" He asks. He's still massaging my back, trying to help me to calm down a bit.

"You don't get it. Captain is trying to train us, to tame us. Yoshino-sensei is trying to educated us." I say, trying with all my might to stop crying. This isn't something we can do anything about after all. But it just… hurts.

"Sis, you're being silly. Kakashi is a means to an end." I snort. That I can agree to. Captain would definitely make us ready for the chuunin exams. "And you still haven't answered my question, why do we have to choose?"

"… I don't understand."

"Kakashi's late for everything. We know this. So we go to Yoshino-sensei for training until he decides to show up. We're not hurting for money right now, so if we miss some D-rank missions, we won't even feel it. Yoshino-sensei can help us with a million different things, but only Kakashi can really train us as if we're joining Anbu."

I wonder about that. Hmm, Nii-san's got a point. I mean, he wants to manipulate us? Manipulate him right back so we get what we want…

"You're almost as bad as I am." I say, smiling. He pushes me back a bit, wiping away my tears for me. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me, sis. I mean, come on! I've been learning this stuff from you, remember!" He teases, rubbing the back of his head. "Now come on! Let's get everything packed and ready to go! We've got soo much stuff to sort through, and I've got some really cool surprises for you! Sis, this is just going to be so completely awesome!"

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"I thought I'd find you two here." Yoshino-sensei is waiting for us at the gate to… well, our home. Still, it could just as easily be some prick using a transformation. I'm in no mood for people I can't trust implicitly right now.

"Who helps you the most with cooking? And why?" I ask, my voice demanding but professional.

"Naruto-kun. And that's because he needs the most help with it. He's getting better, but that boy chops the vegetables all wrong!" Sensei teases. I smile, glomping her. "Now, come on, let's get inside! I'm dying to hear all about your grand adventure!"

I cut my finger, smear some blood on the seal, and grin when the gate pops open. We enter, carefully closing the gate behind us. "It was actually pretty amazing, you know." I admit, now that Captain and Uchiha-san aren't here to hear me. "We met some really nice people, and you heard about those girls we saved? That was just so awesome, being able to save them from such a horrible fate." I palm the seal next to the door, feeling the warmth. I unlock the front door and we enter the house again. Bazu-chan is still waiting there with my house slippers, right where I left him.

"The way I hear it, you're the one that did the saving, Aya-chan." Sensei teases. I blush a little.

"Not really. I mean, Naruto-nii's really the one that did it. If it wasn't for him, I'd have refused to go in the first place. Orders or no." I say honestly. I kick off my slippers, stepping up and sliding the door open. I wait on them this time. "Naruto-nii, we really need to get this place cleaned up. But I'm kinda hungry too." I say.

"Not a problem!" Nii-san makes like fifty clones. How does that boy do that so easily!? He sends one back out and into the village, transformed as me to be safe. The others, all head into the house to start cleaning. "Hey, Yoshino-sensei, you really have GOT to see some of the awesome stuff we scored! I mean, seriously! First the Demon Brothers, then those camps! And Sasuke didn't want anything from that camp he did, so I kind took everything from there too! And then the rebel camp too! I must have gotten like fifty training scrolls! Some elemental ones too!"

I muss Nii-san's hair a bit. I love this idiot of mine. Once Sensei and Nii-san take off their sandals, we enter the house and move to the family sitting room. Clones are already halfway down wiping down the table, sweeping and mopping. Wow. Efficient! Still, Nii-san did make a lot of them.

Whatever. I go to the sliding paper screens and open them up all the way. We sit to the table, and we start chatting a bit with Sensei, telling her about the trainings, about Naruto-nii's progress with sealing, my progress with sound release, the tactics we've been using, the argument we got into after the Demon Brothers – I still kind of feel bad, but Nii-san waves it off when I try to apologize.

It isn't more than twenty minutes later that Nii-san's clone rings on the bell. He's not keyed into the security, so he can't get in, and even if he was, his clone can't bleed. I shake it off, rushing to go open the gate for him. He doesn't enter though. He just hands me the three bags he has with him – transformed as me or not, I can recognize Nii-san's body language. Then I slide the gate closed again. I want to walk into the wide open family sitting room, but I'm not going through that jungle, and Nii-san's clones are still busy inside, so I go back through the front door. Once back with Nii-san and Sensei, I place the bags on the table, curious what Nii-san even got.

"This one's for Sensei." He slides a bag to her. "This one's for me, and the last one's for you, sis." He slides my bag to me. I open it, already smelling barbeque ribs, steak and some other goodies I've been craving! No chocolate, but it's forgivable – I packed the chocolate I still had at my old apartment. We chorus 'Itatakimasu!' and dig in. It's been four weeks since I've had something yummy to eat. Kami-sama, how time flies! I mean, seriously!

We eat mostly in silence, simply enjoying being together again. It's a bit weird that we're doing this here and not by Sensei, but… still. "How was your mission, by the way!? Wow, I can't believe it was that long ago!" I ask Sensei. I'm still munching down on some beef, but I don't mind being a bit social if she doesn't mind either.

"Boring. Had to escort some prissy little prince back to his supposed castle. Turned out to be a compound. I guess he was trying to impress me." She shrugs, not caring. She already found the love of her life anyway. "But, as I hear it, there's going to be a very happy someone, now that Aya-chan's back."

"Oh?" I ask, actually curious. I mean, who'd miss me that badly?

"Yes, a certain Akimichi." She offers with a knowing smile. Ohhhh...! Poor Chouji-kun! "He's been getting by alright, don't worry. Mostly he's been bugging his dad for more and more training to pass the time."

"And she isn't the only one leaving broken hearts behind either! A certain Hyuuga's been asking Shikamaru if there's been any word on you." Aww! Nii-san's blushing up a storm now! "I'm sure they'll both be very happy once they hear who's home."

Heh. Home. Yeah… we're finally home.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Sensei decides she's left her home unattended long enough – she needs to get started on dinner, seeing as she doesn't have her two usual assistant chefs. She promises to come see us again soon though.

I don't know how Naruto-nii manages, but the entire house, front yard and back yard are neat and organized in less than two hours. He just didn't know what to do with the clothes, but I tell him to just throw those in my bathroom – I'll deal with them myself.

"For now, there are things we need to arrange." I tell him honestly. He gulps, looking nervous. "Nii-san, stop being silly. I mean we need to figure out how to key you into the security system, and you need to pick out a cache for your weapons. And we both need to pick a room, really. And I really think we should go through all the weapons and stuff we got during the mission. We've got three days before we officially need to do anything. Let's see if we can't turn my parents' house… into our home."

He smiles; warmly, brightly, but a little shyly too. Our eyes meet, just as he nods. "Home…" He says, almost testing the word. From the goofy smile, I think he likes it.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 21_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: As I'm sure you can imagine, things are going to change drastically now. There's so much going on, but there's even more going on behind the scenes. The next chapter is really going to focus on smaller things, but the chapter after ^_^_**


	26. Help me

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 22 – Help me_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We take out our scrolls and lay them all on the table. We take our time going through it all, sorting through them. Then a thought hits me, all the weapons currently in the house hadn't been sharpened in at least six years. It's long past time. And it would help give Nii-san an idea of where he could find what.

"I'll be taking the master bedroom. That has a cache already built in for my weapons. If you take the bedroom at the end of the hall, that room has one as well. I'd have to show you where it is and how to open it though. We can use the other caches around the house to hide the weapons in there we don't want. And, as much as I love you, Nii-san, we're not sharing a bathroom. I don't want to hurt you for walking in while I'm bathing. Right across the hall from the bedroom I mentioned is a bathroom. It has everything other than a washing machine and dryer. I'll take the one across from the master bedroom, which does have a washing machine and dryer. If you keep your dirty clothes in the hamper in your bathroom, I can find them easily when it's time. Okay?"

"Sounds perfect to me! Hey! That's a really cool katana!" He says, pointing at one I just unsealed. I shrug, carefully tossing it to him. It's kind of boring; black sheath and grip? I see a wakizashi with the same colour scheme, so I give him a heads up and toss him that one too.

Once I unseal the shuriken and tanto Nii-san gave me, I place them on the table – the others are all being arranged along the wall so we can sort of set up a system for them. Eventually Nii-san unseals a cute pink tanto! I squeal the second I see it!

"What is it with you and pink?"

"I don't know, but it's a really cute colour!" I tell him, thanking him when he tosses me the tanto. It turns out that he sealed a lot of pretty cool weapons from that rebel base, which is where he found my new (pink) tanto. There's also some much bigger weapons, but neither of us has much use for those – we're strong, but we're too short for something like that.

There are also hundreds of kunai and regular shuriken. We split those up evenly between us. And quite the collection to kodachis and tantos and other shorter swords. I'm actually rather impressed with the collection they had.

We get to the scrolls, but we really have no idea what to do with most of them. The elemental ones will be a wonderful addition to the hidden library, so I tell him I'll put them there later. But a scroll on tree walking? Water walking? No. We've got that down, thanks. Still, it might be handy to read through just to see what their training methods were. Just not now.

"Come on, let me show you your room and where that cache is."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I walk through the hall upstairs. Eight bedrooms, only two being used. I still haven't unsealed my things from my old apartment. Not really sure where I want them, really. The two offices are downstairs, along with a smallish dojo – it's big enough for taijutsu, but not much else. Still, to the point of this.

I enter the master bathroom, finding a mountain of old clothes, sheets and linens, everything really. I go about sorting through it all. The linens are the first to get tossed into the washing machine. But… the detergent dried up, the fabric softener too. We need to get some shopping done. And we need some food too, and some of our vices. And we need… Stuff. We just need stuff.

"Naruto-nii!" I call out to him once I'm in the hallway again. His head pops out from his bedroom. "We need to go shopping." I tell him. He nods, saying that he'll just unload everything from his scroll so we can seal what we need in there. I nod, heading into my bedroom as well. I unload the money I'd found – I'm soo taking that to the bank tomorrow, or something – and take out about a hundred-thousand Ryou. Sure, it's WAY more than I'll need, but frankly I'd rather have it on me. And Naruto-nii's going to be with me the whole time, so I know I'll be safe.

With everything –more or less– the way I want it, I go back into the hallway and tell Nii-san I'll be by the door waiting on him. He's right behind me though.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's too late to head to the market – they're closed for the day – so we head to the convenience store. I wince, already hating this, but we need a few things for now. I pick up a detergent and fabric softener, we discuss what we want for dinner and pick up what we'd need for that and breakfast, and we kind of look around a bit. I decide to spoil myself with some chocolate, he decides he'd like to try this new ramen flavour.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm looking for work. Would your store happen to-" I hear a familiar voice.

"We don't deal with vagrants." Comes a cold response. I look over to see what's going on. Yasu-san is standing there, tears in her eyes, and Sakiko-chan looking at some of the food longingly. I turn to Naruto-nii, finding that he's turning to me at the same time. He nods, already heading back to the food section and picking up more ingredients – we'll have two more mouths to feed tonight.

"Hello, Yasu-san, Sakiko-chan." They turn to me, shocked. Sakiko-chan jumps into my arms not a moment later though. I smile a little. "I take it you have somewhere to stay?" I ask, wondering at the sad state they're still in. I mean, the same clothes they were wearing when we found them, are the same clothes they're in now. It's just sad.

"Aya-san! It's so good to see you. What are you doing here?" Yasu-san asks me politely. I can tell she's halfway to tears.

"Just picking up some small things. We kind of have a lot to do at home, you know?" I say vaguely. "By the way, would you two care to join us for dinner? I mean, it wouldn't be any trouble."

Sakiko's tummy rumbles at the thought of food. She turns a pretty red, clearly embarrassed about that. "That would be lovely. Thank you." Yasu-san bows to me. Sakiko-chan's in my arms, so she can't bow, but I see her bowing her head all the same. "You say 'we'? Are you here with someone?" She probably remembers me saying that I don't have any family, so she must be wondering who I'm with.

"Uzumaki-san, naturally." I say smiling at the blonde taking out another pack of instant ramen, just in case.

"Ah, of course." She smiles. When Naruto-nii comes over with the things we need, he hands them to the shopkeeper. He looks at Naruto-nii a little funny, but when I glare at him, he knows not to make a scene.

"Sakiko-chan, please do not do that." Yasu-san says. I wonder what she's talking about though. I turn to the redhead in my arms, following her gaze to a pack of chocolate. She's longing for them; I know the look.

"Don't worry about that, Sakiko-chan. I have plenty of chocolate we're already buying. And after dinner, I'll share some with you, okay?" We're told the total, and I pay for it. I do ask for the receipt though – which I carefully study before we leave the store. We might be financially better off now, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be careless.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We take our time walking home. Sakiko-chan is telling us about the little apartment they live in together, about how there's no furniture, no food, nothing. She even told me about how Yasu-san looked worried when she counted the money they were given. My heart aches for them.

Once we're home, I welcome them warmly. "Please forgive us if they house is a bit of a mess, we're kind of still organizing everything." I say, a bit embarrassed. Sure, we already put away all the weapons and whatnot, but… I might have overlooked something, you know?

"You have a lovely home." Yasu-san says, looking around. I smile, looking around a bit too.

"My parents left it to me. We've only moved in today." I say. Once we've shed out footwear, we head into the family sitting room. I ask them to make themselves comfortable, before heading across the hall and into the kitchen. I hear Naruto-nii sliding the paper screens open again, and how Sakiko-chan squeals and asks if she can run around in our front yard.

"Alright, but only if you go and out on your slippers again." Yasu-san gives in, after discussing it with Nii-san a bit. A moment later, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn, finding the green haired Yasu with a soft smile. "May I help with anything?" She asks.

"If you're willing, sure. I prefer having company while I cook." I ask her to start chopping the veggies, while I start cutting the rabbit and seasoning it. We keep chatting about this and that as we go. Yasu-san talks about how lovely our village is, I tell her funny little stories about the things I've been through here. It's… nice.

Between the two of us –and her lighting the burners– it doesn't take too long to have dinner ready. The whole time, I hear Sakiko-chan's laughter in the front yard; sometimes with Naruto-nii calling out something.

However, there's just something I cannot not do before they sit to the table. "Yasu-san, I'll bring the food to the table. Could you make sure Sakiko-chan and Naruto-nii wash their hands please?"

She smiles, nods, and heads off to see to it.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After dinner, Yasu-san insists she be allowed to help wash up, so she and Naruto-nii see to that. It's already getting dark, so I don't want Sakiko-chan running around outside. We close the paper screens, to keep the warmth in. I take one look at Sakiko-chan though, and I decide that she might just fit my old clothes. Still, they're all still dirty…

And… Yasu-san might just fit mama's old clothes. I mean, it's not as if they'll do anyone any good, just collecting dust.

I head upstairs with the detergent and fabric softener, thoughts racing through my head. Once in the master bathroom, I put in the liquids in the right slots and turn on the washing machine. We're going to have to work a bit to make sure we have clean linens to sleep on tonight. Still, it shouldn't be too hard, since we have a dryer.

"Aya-san! Are you up here?" Yasu-san calls to me. I tell her where to find me, already looking through my old clothes. Hmm, they do look to be about Sakiko's size, don't they?

"Come on in, I'm just sorting through the laundry." I tell her. The bathroom door slides open, and her eyes bulge out a bit. She takes one look at the mountain of laundry, already feeling guilty. I'm not sure why though. "Do you think this would fit Sakiko?" I ask, motioning to the pile of my old clothes.

She looks, taking up one, then another. She turns them this way then that. "Yes, they might."

"Good. They're obviously too small for me." I smile a little. Yasu looks at me, curious. "They're not doing me any good, Yasu-san. If I give them to Sakiko, it'll save you a lot of money. And I have some clothes here that might fit you as well." I point to a stack behind me. Yasu takes a look there as well.

"Exactly my size!" She announces happily. I smile, grateful for that. Mama always was the type to put other's needs before her own.

"Good. Once they're clean, they're yours." I tell her simply. She looks to me, tears in her eyes. I'm wrapped in a warm hug almost instantly.

"… I… you… thank you." She manages, overwhelmed. The warmth in my chest tells me I did the right thing. "But… I really can't accept all of this."

"Do you really have a choice?" I ask her simply. "Could you find a job as you are now?" She looks embarrassed, but can't really argue with me.

"I'm not saying this to make you feel bad, Yasu-san. I'm saying this because this isn't a big deal." I tell her.

"I understand. But… please, is there some way to repay you?" She begs. Her pride won't let her accept this just like that.

There's only one thing I'd want though. There's only one thing that could really make this worthwhile. "Yes. Be there for Sakiko-chan." I say. "She's about the age I was when I lost mama, seeing her happy, knowing someone's taking care of her…" I trail off, unwilling to continue.

"That goes without saying, Aya-san. Hmm. Would you mind if I come here tomorrow and help you around the house?" She offers. I smile, liking that idea too.

"Nn. Be here for six though. We tend to be early birds." I say. I also make sure to tell her that they're expected to have breakfast with us – I won't have them come so early and not feed them, that's just rude. "Oh, but you came up here looking for me. Is there something you needed?"

"Ah… umm… Naruto-san was saying that it's getting a bit chilly out, for us to walk home without a jacket. He suggested…"

"That you spend the night here?" I finish for her. That sounds just like my Nii-san. She nods, blushing a bit. She really doesn't like being a burden, but this isn't in any way a burden on us. "That's a good idea, actually. And this way, you won't have to worry about finding your way here in the morning. You could even help us tonight, if you're willing? I mean, we obviously have enough to do around here!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

So that's how the evening goes. Yasu-san washes some clothes for herself and Sakiko by hand –house clothes, pyjamas and underwear– tossing them into the dryer for when the linens are done. She also assures me that she will see to the laundry for me.

Meanwhile, I'm kind of focusing on bigger things. Or I'm trying to. I'm a bit tired after the long day, the long journey home, and everything else that's on my mind. So I figure I can just figure it out in the morning. You know what, forget it. I'll just let this be a lazy evening.

I do take out my flute and the scroll Hinata-san gave me though! I haven't had much time with my flute at all lately! I go through a few songs, warming up, trying to get back into the feel of playing my flute again. Then I start working on song after song from the scroll, a warm feeling in my chest the whole time.

Sakiko-chan is listening to me play, cheering between songs, encouraging me when I mess up – not that she even notices, unless I stop playing and complain about it. I… I just love this. I love this so much.

Every once in a while, Yasu-san would come into the family sitting room and listen as well. There'd always be a little smile on her face and warmth in her eyes. Sometimes she'd tell me something, like when my bed was made, if I was feeling tired. But mostly, she just listens.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next morning, after breakfast, a good work out for Naruto-nii and I, and making a list of things to do, we head out into the village again. The market is already open, so we head straight there. I'm wearing my usual outfit, so is Naruto-nii. But… Yasu-san and Sakiko-chan are wearing some much nicer clothes now. Yasu-san is wearing a house dress, some leggings under it to keep warm, and a light jacket against the cold. She looks nice, and both Nii-san and I make sure to tell her so.

Sakiko-chan on the other hand, seems to like pink as much as I do. So she's in a pink and black top, dark pink skirt and black leggings. She's also taken a liking to my old pink and purple jacket – thank Kami-sama the clothes fit her with a little space left to grow.

Once at the market, we go from stall to stall, picking up the things we need. Two five kilo bags of rice. Different meats. Lots of veggies. My assortment of chocolates. Nii-san's not finding any instant ramen at all here, but if it's just the one thing, we can go to the convenience store for it. We also pick up an assortment of tea blends, all the seasonings we'd need… the works. I love the market for this. All the things we need are here. And everyone's getting used to me glaring at them if they act funny around Naruto-nii, so they've learned to just not give him any hassle.

Sakiko-chan seems to enjoy Naruto-nii sealing our things in a scroll though. She squeals each time, asking him to do it again.

Eventually, Yasu-san works up the courage to ask why we're still armed to the teeth. I mean, I'm wearing my twin kodachis and I've taken to wearing my pink tanto horizontally across my lower back as well. Nii-san's still wears his kodachis like he always does, but he's also wearing that katana and wakizashi I gave him in an 'X' with the two grips peaking up over his shoulders.

We shrug, saying that we're too used to wearing them not to. Which isn't a complete lie. I mean, sure some of the weapons are new, but we're just so used to being armed that it'd be weird not to be.

I point out that I really need new slippers, so we decide to go deal with that as well. We head into Kuruta's, seeing as they sell proper shinobi wares. I take a look at Naruto-nii's shinobi sandals, telling him that he could use a new pair as well. He shrugs, looking around. I decide to go with a black pair of shinobi sandals, with a metal shin guard. Nii-san goes with the same style and colour.

Sakiko-chan decides she really likes this wooden tanto –with sheath and all to really make it look and feel like a tanto– and the price isn't too steep, so I buy it for her. But I make her promise she won't hit people with it. I show her how to strap it to her hip, but she says she likes how I wear mine, so I shift the tanto around until it's horizontally strapped on her lower back, just like mine. I tease her a little, saying how she looks like a little kunoichi; she beams at me, obviously liking the idea.

After that, we head to a civilian clothing store, for some house slippers for me. I hate walking around barefoot. It just feels weird. Yasu-san is looking at a pair for herself as well, so I offer to buy her a pair if she finds one she really likes. She turns me down though.

Naruto-nii decides he's running low on some sealing equipment –not sure about any of that though, but I'll trust him– so we head to Murasama's so he can stock up. They also have some medical supplies, so I restock my first aid kit, and I pick up some better antidotes – the general ones, of course, but also a few specialized ones that I know Nii-san likes to work with the poisons for.

I point out to Nii-san how they have the ingredients for some of our more exotic poisons, so Nii-san goes a bit nuts in that section. He also tries to convince me to start learning sealing – he's more than willing to teach me, but I turn him down. I have enough I need to focus on.

All in all, a very productive, if a bit boring, morning.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Naruto, Aya, what a surprise to find you two here!" Sarutobi-san say the second we step outside of Murasama's.

"Hey, Asami-chan! Yeah, we needed to pick up some stuff, you know how it goes." Nii-san says neutrally. Hmm, he trusts the girl, but not enough to tell her what we needed or why. I can respect that. "Oh, introductions. Sarutobi Asami, these are Yasu-chan and Sakiko-chan."

"A pleasure to meet you, Sarutobi-san." Yasu-san bows politely, nudging Sakiko-chan to do the same, which she does a second later.

"Likewise, Yasu-san. I'm happy to see you're being taken care of." I mostly keep out of the conversation – it has nothing to do with me after all. "Oh, Naruto-kun. I still have those two sealed for you. You really shouldn't just let other people walk off with your bounties, you know!"

"Heh, sorry. Kinda had a lot on my mind that day." Ah, probably the Demon Brothers. Whatever. Still, I'm glad Sarutobi-san didn't just go and claim it herself. "Hey, Aya-chan, you mind if I go deal with this now?" I shrug. It doesn't bother me. And Sarutobi-san seems to at least respect Nii-san, so I think I can trust her with him for a while.

"Nn. I'll see you at home." I say, motioning for Yasu-san and Sakiko-chan to come along.

We make it a good fifty, sixty metres, before we're stopped. But a chuunin, no less. The man must be in his twenties, messy brown hair, angry red eyes – no really, angry red, and angry-looking eyes as well.

"So, you're the one playing nice with the demon. And teaching civilians to be nice to it as well." He snarls, glaring at me.

 **Twitch.**

This is not a good day for him to be this way. And calling my Nii-san a demon isn't helping him in the least. I stop, glaring back – showing him what a **true glare** is. I tilt my head to one side, cross my arms, and tense my muscles for the attack I can tell is coming. "Yasu, stand back." Is all I say. She takes Sakiko and moves back a bit, giving me the room I may or may not need.

The man tries glaring harder at me, he's even adding killing intent. I snort. But I won't have him scaring Yasu or Sakiko, so I counter with as much positive intent as I can so they aren't too badly affected.

"You're in my way." I warn him – his only warning to leave while he still can. I don't care for silly things like rank or skills. If he upsets me enough, I **will** hurt him.

He snorts, annoyed. "You think a wet behind the ears genin can take on a chuunin!?" He points out, upset that I'm not afraid of him. A kunai will kill a Kage and a complete idiot, so I'm not going to go worrying about silly things.

He body flickers. I don't know where to, but I snap my fingers, casting my genjutsu before looking around to find him. He's right behind me, and he looks like he was about to kill me. I snort. Oh really? I focus my chakra into my vocal chords and start to sing, keeping him in my genjutsu. I want to use a really mean one, let him suffer for what he tried to do, but that would mean that Yasu and Sakiko suffer the same fate. I'm not doing that to them.

While still singing, I tie him up and relieve him of all his weapons – including a nice little tanto. It's not something I'd likely use, but it looks half decent. When I'm satisfied, I stop singing. He snaps out of the genjutsu a second later, as do Yasu and Sakiko.

"You alright?" I turn, finding Captain walking towards me. "I felt someone releasing killing intent so I decided to investigate, and who do I happen to find?"

I snort. "You mind taking this one to T&I? He tried to kill me, after call Uzumaki-san _that_ name."

Captain looks hurt, but he nods anyway. "Hokage-sama will need to hear about this." He says.

"I'll be at home." Is all I say, motioning for Yasu and Sakiko to come along.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

It's not even an hour later, when an Anbu operative rings on. I slip into my slippers, not intending to go anywhere just yet, and go out to see what he wants. "Hokage-sama has summoned you. Please report to his office at your earliest convenience." The cat masked Anbu tells me. I nod, heading back into the house without a word.

I ask Yasu if she would mind starting on lunch, and tell her that I'll be in the Hokage's office for a meeting about 'that incident'. I'd talked to both her and Sakiko, to make sure they were okay about it. They were fine, mostly. After all, they know I'll protect them with my life.

I make sure to tell them not to leave the gate for now. There's enough food to last at least a week after all, and Sakiko can run around all she wants. Everything I don't want them touching is guarded by seals they can't even find, so leaving them alone there doesn't bother me in the least.

Once I put on my new shinobi sandals, I head out. It's kind of weird walking alone, but I'm not worried.

It takes me a bout thirty minutes to make it to the Hokage Tower – I'm not in a rush after all. Once there, I report to Hokage-dono's secretary that I'd been summoned. She asks me to take a seat. I nod, sitting down in a comfy sofa-type-thing. I'm shown in a few minutes later.

"Aya-chan, thank you for coming. Kakashi has already filed a report on what he saw. I would, however, like to hear from you what happened." Hokage-dono doesn't ask, he doesn't need to. I nod, reporting every detail. How the man (I describe him in detail) acted, the words he used, the tone he used, the body flicker to appear behind me, how he fell into my genjutsu, how I found a kunai in his hand, aiming for my liver from behind. I spare no detail. I even tell him how I robbed the man blind – to ensure he wouldn't be able to attack me again, but mostly just to show him just who he's messing with. And yes, I explain that as well. I don't like to hide things from Hokage-dono if I can help it.

"I see." He eventually says, after I stop talking for a bit to show I'm done. "And what would you suggest we do with this man?" He asks.

"If I had not been there with two civilians, he'd already be dead." I say plainly. "To attack a comrade is unforgiveable."

"What if he only meant to scare you?" You can't be serious! Scare me?

"What if he meant to kill me?" I counter. "Would he leave two witnesses?"

He sighs, knowing I'm right. "Unfortunately, regardless of his intentions, his fate is in your hands. He did attack you, unprovoked. How would you like to handle this?" I'm asked. I think about it for a long moment.

"The ladies my team rescued. Have him buy all of them a new wardrobe and furnish their apartments. If he cannot afford it, force him to work D-ranks until he can. And make it his main focus to find all of them work." I suggest. I still want his blood, but their needs come before my wants. "Once he completes this, I will leave it up to Hokage-dono's wisdom if he should be punished further."

"Hmm. That is a fair punishment. A bit light, but fair." He's eyeing my closer than is polite. "Why are you being so understanding?"

"I'm not. I want his head." I say, completely honest. "But their needs come first." I promised them I'd take care of them after all.

"Please warn your shinobi though. Should I be attacked again, there **will** be blood." I warn him seriously. "Naruto-nii was worried that associating with him would make me a target. He was right. So if I have to, I will kill anyone who tries to keep me from coming home to my family."

Hokage-dono doesn't react.

"And that only gets worse if I find out someone is trying to hurt Naruto-nii, Yasu-san or Sakiko-chan. You'll tell those that are at risk for me, won't you?"

"It would be foolish not to." He assures me. I nod, agreeing with him. "Thank you." Okay, **that** brings me up short. He's thanking me for threatening his shinobi?

"For?"

"Offering Naruto-kun what I could not." He lowers his hands, showing a grandfatherly smile. "He needs someone like you more than you know."

I shrug. It's not something I worry with too much. "And Aya-chan. I'd prefer it if Kakashi stayed close for a while. Just to be on the safe side. We don't want something to happen to Naruto-kun's precious people, right?"

"I can take care of myself." I tell him, my mood and tone souring. Anyone but that Ecchi.

"I don't doubt you can. After all, you didn't need any help with a chuunin. I'm just saying, that being cautious is always wisest. Don't you agree?"

I grumble, but don't disagree. I'm not letting that Ecchi into my home though!

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 22_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: It often amazes me how many shinobi (and writers) overlook the power of a low ranked genjutsu. Heck, even Aya doesn't think much of her skills because everyone's so used to the big, flashy jutsus that makes your socks explode (or something). But, considering that Uchiha Itachi uses genjutsu almost exclusively, tells me there's so much more to the subtle art than most can see. Not to mention Kurenai._**

 ** _Alright, that's enough of that. Next up: the test. Hiruzen is becoming quite curious now. I mean, Team 7's been genin for two months now... what are they really capable of?_**


	27. Throw me to the wolves

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 23 – Throw me to the wolves_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

When Naruto-nii heard what happened… he hit the roof. So it goes without saying that he wouldn't hear a word about Yasu-san or Sakiko-chan going back to their apartment. I shrug it off. Yasu-san's a good cook, and she's been helping us with everything around the house; I won't mind if she moves in.

I help Yasu-san set up a room where she can be a bit more comfortable – unsealing my old bed and closet and nightstand and whatnot for her to use as she pleases. Sakiko-chan gets my old room – stuffed animals and all, even Bazu. She cried, of course, but they were happy tears.

Naruto-nii and I spent the rest of the day training though. And the next day as well. He helped me to perfect the body flicker jutsu, and I've been working on a variation to make sure I can take out people quickly. I know I'm not skilled enough to take out everyone that would try to hurt me, but… if you combine a genjutsu, a body flicker and a tanto slice to your throat… I think I should be able to handle a few idiots now and again.

"Hey, Nii-san. I've been thinking. It's so nice to have a back porch, but wouldn't it be nice to have a front porch too? I mean, we could have it wrap around the house, you know?" The house is kind of designed weird, I think. I mean, the family sitting room and the visitors' sitting room are both facing the front yard, while the two offices, the dojo and the kitchen face the back yard? There's enough space for a wrap around porch though, without it having to touch the retaining walls. It should work, right?

"We'll see what we can come up with." He says, thinking about it.

"And what if we switched the rooms up a bit. I mean, it would be so much more practical if we turned that office into a sitting room if we have people over and want to train. Otherwise they'd either have to walk through an office or walk around the house. And we really need to organize those offices anyway, you know?"

"Hmm, that sounds like a really good idea! I think the corner office is the better choice?" He suggests.

"I was thinking that too!" After all, the other office is much smaller – perfect for paperwork and whatnot, but horrible for a sittingroom. We could have them go through the dojo, but that's just silly. We go back and forth a bit, trying to plan how we're going to set the room up, even though we're still having a light spar on the pond in the back yard. "Ooh, you think we should invite Moegi and her friends over? They are a bit older, but I'm sure Sakiko-chan would love to have someone to play with."

"We can ask. What about your cache, by the way? Already organized?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next day, Friday, Naruto-nii and I start the day as any other. An early breakfast, a good morning workout, a light spar on the pond – which we agree should really be made larger. We talk about looking into some targets for the back yard, maybe some training dummies. We agree that we'll set aside some money from future missions for that though – we like knowing we have a bit of a buffer in case we fall on hard times.

Around nine-thirty, we have a light snack –me with my chocolate mousse, Nii-san with some ramen– and we tell Yasu-san that we'll be out for a bit. She makes us promise to stick together, just in case, so we tell her that we will and not to worry.

Outside the gate, we run into Captain Ecchi. I roll my eyes, but greet him more or less politely. We make our way to training ground seven, finding Uchiha-san already there. I nod to him, he nods back. See, we're all one big (cr)happy family.

"There's still twenty minutes before the test. Are the three of you prepared?" Captain asks. I nod, as does Nii-san. We've packed for a full-on mission, so we should be alright.

"I heard about your message, Namiki. Harsh." Uchiha says.

I turn to him, offering a dull glare. "Like you'd be any different if you found someone worth protecting?" He smirks, obviously agreeing with me.

"If you need a hand with that… let me know." He offers. I raise an eyebrow, wondering what brought this on. "I don't want to run the risk of getting stuck with fangirls." Ah. That makes sense. I nod, but don't comment.

"Here they come." Naruto-nii gives me the heads up. I follow his gaze, finding Yoshino-sensei, Hokage-dono and Umino-sensei coming our way. That means the there's at least two Anbu in hiding somewhere. Whatever.

"Good morning. Thank you for being on time." Hokage-dono greets us. Nii-san and I bow to him properly, and I see Uchiha-san doing the same from the corner of my eye. Hmm, he's been learning. "Now, the test. I would like to see the three of you face three opponents each for three rounds. First will be Iruka-kun, then Yoshino-chan, and last is Kakashi himself. I want you three to show me what you can do. Each round will be considered won or lost by a mock kill-move. Meaning: a kunai to the throat but not piercing skin, or something similar."

We nod, but I'm the only one that works her shoulders to loosen them a bit. Uchiha-san is instructed to go first. He's at a major disadvantage, seeing as his moves are all flashy and showy and likely to kill his opponent with caught in it. Still, his taijutsu is really good, and he presses Umino-sensei for each round. Against Yoshino-sensei, Uchiha-san is a bit more relaxed. We regularly spar against her, so we know what she'll get out of without question. Then Uchiha-san is up against Captain Ecchi. This time, Uchiha-san goes all out, showy, flashy, fiery, the whole nine yards. He loses all three rounds, of course. Which was true against Yoshino-sensei as well.

I'm instructed to go next.

Umino-sensei makes the seal of confrontation, I mirror him, and we begin. He comes at me with a kunai in his hand, but I'm not in the mood to figure out his plan.

 **Snap.**

The second his eyes gloss over, I body flicker behind him and place my kodachi against his windpipe. One for me.

The second round is started a moment later. He is more cautious this time, but really I don't like using the same tactic on the same opponent twice. So when he's close enough, I kick at his right knee, which he sidesteps, then I seallessly cast the Hell viewing jutsu on him and place a kodachi against his windpipe again. Totally different this time! The sound release genjutsu is a nice one! Hell viewing jutsu isn't. And it's actually harder to do. Let alone doing it seallessly, but the sound release one is sealless as well… whatever! Totally different tactic!

"That's quite impressive, Aya-chan! Two genjutsus done seallessly!" He praises, but I shrug it off. He comes at me again for the third round, so I engage him in taijutsu this time. Medic style – meaning using the chakra scalpels and sweeping motions with my hands to cut him up.

No, this jutsu isn't combat ready, but he doesn't need to know that.

It's really hard to swipe for his throat, considering how much taller he is than me. I had to use the tree-climbing skill to stick to him just to reach! But, now, I'm not sure if I can do that and keep the chakra scalpel active. Well, there are other options, like his heart, his liver, some fairly major arteries. But he's fought against medics before, so he knows to simply avoid me – and when he does attack, I make sure to avoid him as well.

This goes on for another minute or two, before I get bored of the tactic. So I release the jutsu, switch to Muay Thai, and… Crap, he slips a kunai through my defence and places it against my windpipe. I nod, accepting my defeat.

"You should have used another genjutsu. If a tactic works, use it. Even if they can see it coming, so long as they cannot counter it in time, you won't risk getting killed." He lectures me, ever the sensei.

"Nn." I nod, promising myself to keep his lesson close to heart.

"Still, very impressive, Aya-chan. You've come a long way in a very short time. I'm proud of you." He praises me again. I just nod, getting back to starting position for Yoshino-sensei.

I know not to bother holding back with her. Even with the new skills I've learned, I know she's by far the better kunoichi.

The first match I begin with that move I've been working on. I snap, place her in a simple genjutsu, body flicker to her and place my kodachi's tip over her liver. Or, I try to. She release the genjutsu as fast as Captain would, knocking my kodachi off course and places a kunai against my windpipe. Easy point for her. I nod, knowing that I'd never be able to go up against her if she's even sort of serious.

The second round, I do the Hellfire genjutsu, but she releases that just as quickly as the first. Luckily, I'm still a ways away, so I'm not risking anything this time. "Good. Checking my reaction time first before attacking. Smart." She compliments me. I nod, to show I heard her. She's not going to lose so much as a point against me. I know that. But that means that I can show her where I am in my training. Show her just what I can do.

So, I prepare the Siren's Call and I start to sing. Her eyes gloss over, focus, gloss over and keep going through that sequence over and over again. It's fascinating to watch on her. I walk up to her, placing the tip of my kodachi right over her liver again, and stop singing. Her eyes focus immediately.

"Very good! I thought Kakashi was exaggerating how dangerous that jutsu is, but… wow." I blush at her praise, smiling brightly at her. She pets my hair, then motions for me to get ready again.

Round three against Sensei. And all I have left is _that_ jutsu. It's still too chakra intensive to use for long, and it's still not combat ready, but… this is for Sensei. To show her that I'm blooming under her guidance. I'll do my best.

The second the round starts, I snap my fingers, amplify the sound as loud as it will go and force it into a tiny little ball about a half centimetre if diameter. With that done I toss the ball at her, snap, and create a new ball almost instantly. I snap another three times, keeping all five balls focused and flying at her. She's dodging like a madwoman, and showing just how skilled she is. I almost get her once, but she substitutes. The ball hits her log with a loud, thundering crack. I feel my chakra reserves dipping dangerously low, so I release the jutsu, breathing hard.

"What was that!?" Yoshino-sensei asks, appearing out of thin air.

"Step two of a jutsu I'm still working on." I huff and puff, trying to calm myself and catch my breath. That thing takes up a LOT of chakra. Sensei looks at the log she substituted with, seeing very clear tears its bark. Yeah, I put a LOT of force into that ball; roughly three-hundred decibels if I estimate it right (or the sound of two explosive notes). "Sensei, I'm done. I've shown what I can." I say honestly. She nods, walking over to me with a proud smile on her face. She hugs me, telling me just how proud she is of me.

"Out of curiosity. If that's step two, what's the final jutsu?" Sensei asks.

"That's still up for grabs. I'm kind of figuring that out as I go." I say, walking with her to one side so Naruto-nii can take his shot at Umino-sensei. I unseal a bar of chocolate, to help me recover my chakra naturally.

"Nii-san! Knock 'em dead!" I cheer him on, tired as I feel. He turns to me, smiling.

Against Umino-sensei, he simply overpowers him with numbers – ten clones to one academy instructor. Nii-san gets all three points.

Against Yoshino-sensei… he has to work a _bit_ harder. So he uses a simple lightning release jutsu Captain showed him, forcing electricity from his finger tips and into the opponent's flesh. It messes with Sensei's muscles every time he lands a blow, so she has to avoid his every attack. Which is harder than it sounds when there's like… fifteen clones attacking her at the same time. She keeps dispersing the clones, but Nii-san just makes more. Eventually, he overwhelms her and tires her out – like an hour later. She forfeits the other two rounds to him, too tired to fight him any longer. He still looks like he's rearing to go… that's my Nii-san for you.

Sensei plops onto the ground next to me. I unseal a bar of chocolate, offering it to her. She takes it, offering a worn out smile as thanks. I offer her a bottle of water too.

I mostly ignore the fight with Captain though. He'll just want to show how he's the better shinobi, and use some tactic or whatever against Nii-san.

Not worth watching.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Well, that was impressive." Hokage-dono announces once Naruto-nii's match is over. "It would seem Aya's been showing Naruto Muay Thai?" I nod, feeling a bit more rested now. Sure, I'm still low on chakra, but I'm doing okay. "Iruka-kun, how would you rank these three individuals?"

"Let's see. Aya's high genin, maybe low chuunin. If she works on her speed and her chakra reserves, she could be a solid chuunin in a few months. Naruto's… a bit harder to rank. I want to say high chuunin, but I really can't say for sure. He needs to branch out his jutsu repertoire though, but he's still a very skilled shinobi. Sasuke I would say is easily mid chuunin." Umino-sensei explains.

"Yoshino. Would you agree?" Hokage-dono continues. Doesn't he have a meeting, or something?

"Yes. Except with Naruto-kun. He's roughly mid chuunin as well. Yes, his chakra reserves are much closer to elite jounin, but his chakra control, speed and other skills are what make him a solid chuunin." Yoshino-sensei agrees.

"And if you were to compare their growth in their time with you, to their growth in their time with Kakashi. Which would you say is more pronounced?"

"Their time with Kakashi, obviously." She says. "However, you neglect many other aspects in this evaluation. Such as social acclimatisation, overcoming internal stumbling blocks and learning to grow as a team."

"This is true." Hokage-dono admits, then turns to Captain. "Kakashi, do you agree to Yoshino's observations and both hers and Iruka's ranking of these genin?"

"I do."

"Very well. Then please understand that what I am about to say is final. Kakashi, you will resume your duties as sensei to Team Seven. I will expect monthly progress reports. Yoshino, you are hereby given a long term C-rank mission to continue aiding these three as you have. Kakashi outranks you, but outside of training, your word is law. I will not have these three wasting any more time with D-rank missions. Make sure they are trained properly. That's an order."

"Yes, sir." Yoshino-sensei smiles at us. She didn't need an order to do what she's always done anyway.

"Oh. And Team Seven, I expect you in my office at four o'clock sharp. You as well, Yoshino. There's a… situation I believe you can help me with." With that, Hokage-dono disappears in a poof. If I didn't know any better, I might think that was a shadow clone.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Ah, right on time. Please, come in and shut the door behind you." We enter Hokage-dono's office, finding two familiar faces there. The two that were brought back from Wave with Sarutobi-san's team. I shrug, wondering what they have to do with anything.

"Momochi Zabuza, I'm sure I don't have to introduce this man."

"Hatake Kakashi." The tall and shirtless man smirks. I can see it even through his face bandages. I do wonder why he has no eyebrows though. Still, he's cute enough, I suppose, in a rugged, outdoorsy kind of way. And he certainly has a body worth killing for. The advantages of being a shinobi.

The girl with him though, is a real beauty. She's not shy, but I can tell she's a not very outspoken, just from looking at her. She has a warm smile as well, even now. Neither of them wear a headband though.

"Team Seven, these are Momochi Zabuza, formerly of the Seven swordsmen of the Mist, and his apprentice Yuki Haku." Hokage-dono introduces them. "They are currently on probation to see if they can live peacefully in Konoha." I'm not really sure what this has to do with us.

"Or perhaps I should better say their probationary mission is to guard Uzumaki Naruto and Namiki Aya until further notice."

"Hokage-sama, you can't be serious!?" Yoshino-sensei took the words right out of my mouth.

"Oh, I'm very serious. Kakashi will be keeping an eye on them, of course. But their mission is clear."

"And where will they be staying?" I ask.

"They've been given apartments in the Civilian Sector for the time being." I'm informed. I snort. That makes perfect sense. Put them in the Civilian Sector. "You have a better idea?"

"How then will they keep an eye on me and Nii-san? After all, that's clear across the village from us. And to boot, they can't enter my home without my knowing it. And to add insult to injury, you ignore the simple fact that I can take care of myself. Perhaps you could better explain to me why this is needed?"

"Very well. As you know, there's been one overt attack on your person. What you do not know, is that there's been an uproar of complaints that I allowed you to attack a chuunin, heedless of Kakashi's eyewitness report that you were attacked. There's a wider problem going on here, and you placed yourself in the middle of it. So, this mission will allow for Zabuza and Haku to prove themselves as capable shinobi of Konoha, and allow Kakashi to continue focusing on your training."

"You present logical fallacies." I say, but I don't explain what. I mean, really. If Captain's training us, he can't keep an eye on those two. If those two are meant to guard us, then that means they can be trusted and therefore don't need to be watched. And if your shinobi don't listen to eyewitnesses, they are the biggest fallacies of them all. You have widespread disobedience on your hands, and I'm not going to care how many of them I wind up ending if they come after me or Nii-san.

"Oh?"

"If you cannot control your shinobi anymore, perhaps it's high time you retire." I tell him plainly. Everyone looks at me, shocked. They aren't used to me being disrespectful to Hokage-dono, but really, I'm just being realistic. "Actions against Naruto-nii have been accepted too long. If you cannot control the people behind these actions, then I warn you again, Hokage-dono… I will."

"I am taking actions against them, Aya. But there will always be those who fight change, which is the reason for the situation I present to you." He says in a soothing voice.

"Then you will lose good shinobi." I warn him, just as harshly.

"Aya." Yoshino-sensei gets on my case.

"No, Sensei. If those _people_ think they can attack my family and get away with it? I warned Hokage-dono that the only reason I didn't kill the last one was because I had Yasu and Sakiko with me. The next time they won't be so lucky."

"Aya, stop biting off more than you can chew." Sensei warns sternly. "There are people that-"

"Sensei." I interrupt her, my eyes hard. "Mama would never have tolerated such a thing. We all know that. Do not expect any different from me. Anyone that attacks my family, dies. Allies or enemies, I don't care. Civilian or S-rank rogues, I don't care. No one messes with my family. **No**. **One**."

"Heh. The little girl has bigger balls than most jounin I know." Momochi-san seems amused. Hmm, perhaps he needs to understand that he falls under the umbrella of 'no one'.

 **Snap.**

I body flicker towards the wall, run up it, kick off and land on Momochi's shoulders, a leg to either side of his neck. I'd tried slowing down a bit earlier, to make sure I don't kill Sensei by accident, but I don't have to worry about that with Momochi-san, now do I?

"Crafty little whelp." Momochi-san looks up at me, while I'm looking down at him.

"Momochi-san, I hope you understand that you would suffer the same fate as any, should you try to attack my family." I coo.

"Hmm. An E-rank genjutsu activated by a snap. Sound release user, huh. Not bad speed, but could be better. Pathetic chakra reserves though. You wouldn't last five seconds against me." He analyses me well enough, but he's missing something.

So I start my jutsu again. My Siren's Call. Kami-sama I get a twisted pleasure knowing I can mess with so many people like this. His eyes gloss over, sharpen and gloss over again and again. I unsheathe my tanto, placing it against his windpipe, with the sharp edge against his skin – unlike with Umino-sensei who only got the blunt side of my kodachi against his. I stop singing.

"Something to say, Momochi-san?" I wonder. He smiles this time. Actually smiles.

"I like you already. Hokage-sama, I'll take the mission."

"You understand that she's serious, of course?" Hokage-dono asks.

"She won't harm me so long as I don't act stupid towards blondie. I can handle that. Besides. I'm more than a little curious what he can do now too. Kami-sama, why couldn't you guys be sent to Wave instead!"

"We were, I refused." I tell him honestly. He looks up at me again, confused. "We knew the next shinobi would be a jounin. A genin cell isn't supposed to face someone like you."

"I think I'm going to enjoy this mission. Come on, Haku. Let's go." I slip off from his shoulders, dropping onto the ground. I nod to Naruto-nii, and-

"On last thing before you go." Hokage-dono announces. I turn to him, wondering what he needs. "I assume I don't have to tell you that it would be wiser to training in private for now?"

"Meaning?" I ask, not liking this one bit.

"Until I've routed the problem, it would be wise to keep your head down. After all, I'd rather not lose good shinobi, like you said."

"You are placing me under house arrest?"

"No, not at all. Merely advising that staying out of the public's eye for a short while would be wisest."

I turn to Yoshino-sensei. "How big is this problem, exactly?" She asks.

"I've had three meetings with Shikaku today alone."

"I'll keep her under control, but I can almost guarantee you that you've got no longer than a month."

"I understand. Thank you. And Aya-chan. Here's the scroll with both Zabuza's and Haku's weapons. It's up to you when you think they should have it."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once outside the Tower, Yoshino-sensei suggests we head to my house to plan. I wonder what we're planning, because frankly this isn't worth me changing one habit to accommodate traitorous scum. I snort at my thoughts, thinking about the things I will happily do to the next person that tries to attack Naruto-nii or me.

We make it home without any incident, not surprisingly. I mean, if someone's stupid enough to try something with Captain, Sensei **and** Momochi-san here… they deserve to have their brains splattered over the nearest surface.

I turn to tell Captain to wait outside, but Naruto-nii is already looking at me, begging me with his eyes. I sigh explosively, motioning everyone through the gate. Sakiko is running around in the yard again, so she runs up to us, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Aya-nee! Yasu-nee is in the kitchen already. I don't think she expected so many people though. Should I go tell her?"

"Yes, please. And ask her if she will need a hand. Everyone here's a shinobi, so you should tell her to expect them to eat for two. Okay?"

"Don't worry about it, sis. I'll help." Naruto-nii says. I smile, grateful for him.

We make our way through the front door, everyone takes their sandals off, and I usher them into the family sitting room. Nii-san of course makes a clone to help Yasu-san with lunch, and making sure there'd be enough for everyone.

"Nice joint." Momochi says, looking around. I don't answer him.

"Sensei, what's the big deal, exactly?" I ask, wondering why everyone's suddenly so cautious. I mean, it's not as if I haven't been glaring at everything that so much as looks at Nii-san funny. Or that I haven't been doing said glaring for weeks!

"Well, it would seem that you've given Hokage-sama the reason he's been needing to act." Is all she says, smiling at me. I roll my eyes – she'll tell me more when the time's right. "Now, the important thing, is to make sure you three are given every opportunity to train. Aya, would it be acceptable if team trainings were to take place here?"

Wait… that means Captain and Uchiha in my home… regularly. I grumble. "Aya-chan, please. It's the most efficient way to keep you and Naruto busy and out of the public eye while Hokage-sama deals with the problem, as you've asked him to." I grumble some more. Even Yoshino-sensei asking is not enough to keep me from complaining about this stupidity!

"Sasuke, Kakashi, Naruto… I think the three of you should go into the back yard and train." Yoshino-sensei announces, her eyes never leaving mine. "Now, please." Naruto-nii leads them out. Sensei remains quiet for another five minutes almost.

"Zabuza. I take it you're aware of Naruto's burden?"

"It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. What of it?" Momochi-san asks coldly.

"What you are not aware of, is that before Aya, Naruto has never truly made a connection with people. Not one as deep or as meaningful. Hokage-sama understands perfectly well that if anything were to happen to Aya, Naruto would lose his mind and more than likely unleash hell on whatever harmed her."

"I believe that statement goes both ways, Nara." He counters, unimpressed.

"I'm aware of that. I'm making sure that you are as well. Furthermore, I'm sure you are aware of her mother's reputation? Namiki Miwako?"

There's a low whistle. "Konoha's she-wolf. Explains a lot really."

"Exactly. I want to make sure you understand that early on." I'm not really sure what's going on here. At all. And I'm not sure I care. This is just all flying straight over my head. "So I trust you understand what I want you to do?"

"Understand it, yeah sure. Why would I want in on it?"

"Tell me something, Zabuza. What would happen if you were to be considered part of her pack? What if Haku were to be considered part of her pack?" Why is everyone suddenly trying to get on my good side? Well, not that being on my bad side is a smart choice to make, but… still. I'm starting to feel REALLY patronized here.

"Yeah, so?"

"Now, compare that to being on her bad side. You've seen what she can already do, and she's just starting out. She has two teammates that have the drive to become the best, and she isn't getting left behind. Which side do you prefer to be on, Zabuza?"

"Heh. Don't underestimate me. I know more about Namiki than you think. She won't attack me if she sees me as a neutral. I'm a neutral. I'm safe. It takes no effort whatsoever for me to simply stay here in the neutral zone and not get tangled up in whatever it is that you're planning."

"You, perhaps. But, I was more aiming that information at Haku-chan. Now that she knows what I want her to know, I don't have to waste my breath on you. But thank you for playing along anyway." Yoshino-sensei is scary when she wants to be. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go check on my team. Aya-chan, thank you."

Sensei leaves, heading towards the office that opens out into the backyard.

"I tried to not get manipulated, and I still got manipulated." Momochi-san complains.

"You get used to it, Momochi-san. I mean, this is Yoshino-sensei we're talking about." I say honestly. "Anyway, I'm going to check if Yasu-san needs a hand." I get up, walking towards the door.

"Oh, and Momochi-san. I think you'll make better use of this than I will." I toss the scroll that Hokage-dono gave me. How silly, to keep a swordsman you trust from his sword.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After lunch, and washing up, Sensei starts her planning and plotting all over again. "You have a medical class tomorrow, don't you?"

"Yes, Sensei."

"Good. Take Haku with you. She can keep you safe and she might even learn a thing or two." Sensei says. She doesn't ask, she just says it and knows I'm not going to fight her. I roll my eyes.

Although, I'm starting to suspect that Sensei wants Haku to be a bit socialized as well. It sounds like something Sensei'd want. I mean, new to the village? Yup, Sensei wants Haku to make bonds as well to help her grow a healthy attachment to Konoha. I shrug. It isn't something I'm meant to understand at any rate; or something I want to.

"And Aya?"

"Yes, Sensei?"

"I want to speak with you privately. It doesn't have to be now, but it does have to be today, alright?" Our eyes meet. There's something going on, something she's not telling me. Perhaps this is the chance she wants to talk to me about it?

"Of course, Sensei. I'm not doing anything right now, if you want?" She nods, so I lead her upstairs and into my bedroom. Once we're both inside, I activate a seal near the door. I'm not sure why, but that seal locks the door and creates some kind of soundproof barrier, almost as if I'd need absolute privacy in my bedroom for something. I shrug; I'd rather seals like that in my office, to be honest.

"Aya, what do you know about your heritage?" I'm asked. I shrug. Not much really. I know mama's parents died when she was young. I know papa's parents were civilian merchants. That's about it. "Your mother never took your father's name. She's a born and bred Namiki, just like you. The Namiki family, though never declared a clan, has always worked closely with wolves." She explains.

I nod slowly, taking it all in. Then I shrug, unsure what to make of it. "That's why your eyes are slightly yellow. It's a sign of your closeness with wolves." I shrug again, wondering where this is even going.

"I'm telling you this, because sooner or later, you're going to have to go into your mother's library and study your family's secret jutsus. And you may want to consider your mother's summoning contract with the wolves." Okay… that hits me. Hard.

We have secret jutsus? We have a summoning contract? With wolves? "I don't get it… I don't have anything against cats!"

Sensei laughs a bit. "Neither did your mother. She loved them, actually. Being close to wolves doesn't make you hate them, and it certainly doesn't make them hate you… as far as I know. Dogs, on the other hand… they fear wolves."

"Is this why I'm so comfortable with killing?" I wonder. "Why blood doesn't bother me?"

"It might be. Your mother was the same. It's also why you so deeply crave for people you can trust. Wolves are social animals. And why you take so much pride in your skills, since they're apex predators."

"Apex… predators?" I wonder about that.

"Always the hunter. Never the hunted." Sensei smiles at me. That… that sounds so much like mama. "But listen, since I've got you alone anyway. I wanted to talk to you about… certain things."

I nod, trying to process all the information she's already given me. "About being a girl…" I nod again. Probably something about makeup or whatever.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 23_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: The wolf summoning contract wasn't decided upon until like three or four chapters ago. It's actually Setokaiva's idea, but I find it really fits with Aya's personality (not at the beginning of the story, but as she is now that she's come out of her shell). However, her closeness to wolves would very much explain a lot about her, which is why I liked the idea the second I heard it. To be honest, I was considering going with the Rabbits again, seeing as they're kind of a constant in my Naruto stories. I like the wolves though, and I love the little things I have planned._**

 ** _And for those wondering, no, I'm not going to go into details about what Yoshino's going to tell Aya about 'being a girl'. Just know that it's a birds and bees thing, and preparing her for monthly visitors and whatnot. Things that a mother usually tells her daughter. And really, considering the countless hints that Aya's clueless about things like that... her not understanding why Naruto finds certain wordings funny for example._**


	28. And I'll come back

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 24 – And I'll come back_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I hate coming into this room. The hidden library. I hate the feeling of someone always being right behind me, even though I know no one's there. But I need to be here. I need to know. I need to find out about my heritage. I turn on the light, tired of trying to see in the darkness. I'm glad mama had a light installed in here, it'd be impossible to find anything otherwise.

The room itself isn't too big. And there are only three rows of shelves – REALLY impressive, but I'm used to Konoha's General Shinobi Library. Still, for one family, it's nothing to sneeze at. I look at the scrolls, the books, the colours of both. I notice these aren't all of one source. Some are red with a swirl. Some are yellow with the kanji for 'four'. Some are brown with the kanji for 'wolf'. Others still are white with the kanji for 'doctor'. There seems to be no order to them, they're just put wherever they fit.

I pick up a brown one, opening it. After all, if the Namikis are closed to wolves, then this is the better place to start, right? I unroll a section of the scroll, reading the highlights so I know what it's about. Hmm, mostly just talking about training a wolf – and VERY clearly stating how you shouldn't expect to ever tame one.

I nod, rolling up the scroll and putting it back. I grab another brown one. Collaboration jutsus with wolves. Hmm, I see a REALLY big scroll, about as tall as I am. It's also brown, with the kanji for 'wolf'. I take that one, unrolling a section. Names, written in blood, with handprints below it, also in blood. All Namikis. The last one… Namiki Miwako. Mama…

This is the summoning contract.

I roll it back up, placing it on the shelf I took it from. I look around some more, finding other scrolls that are just as large as the summoning contract. Just two though. One is red with that same swirl. The other is white with the kanji for 'doctor'. I take the white one, unrolling a section of it. Doodles? No… not doodles… seals! This is a seal!

I look further and further and further. Seals upon seals upon seals. Each is described; how to produce it, what it does, how to use it. I… don't understand. I just don't understand. At all.

Mama was good with seals. Maybe these are her creations? It doesn't quite fit though. Most of these have medical uses. Maybe papa? Hmm. Well, if this one's papa's, then it might be logical to assume that the white scrolls with 'doctor' on them are all his. That would mean that the brown ones with 'wolf' are likely mama's… so what's the deal with the other two?

I roll the scroll back up, putting it back in its place. Then I go for the last large scroll. Red, with a familiar swirl, now that I think about it. Most of the shinobi in Konoha wear this same swirl on their uniform. I unroll a section…

Names… handprints… in blood… a summoning contract? So why are all the names… Uzumaki…?

The last name, Uzumaki Kushina.

Uzumaki Naruto… Uzumaki Kushina… there's a connection. His mother? I don't know who that is, but I'll ask later. I have no clue what summons is bound by this contract, but if I'm right, that's Naruto-nii's thing to figure out. This could explain why mama was so determined for me to get to know him – even if I forgot all about it.

Okay… so red scrolls with a swirl, those are Uzumaki scrolls. I'll be sure to talk to Nii-san about this. Obviously mama meant for him to have them, and she trusted his parents enough to have these stored here for when the time was right.

So… the yellow ones with a 'four' on them. No larger scrolls, so I'll just grab a smaller one. I unroll a section of it. Hmm, also a seal. No, not quite. This is different than a seal.

Name…?

Flying…

Thunder…

God… jutsu…

…

 **TOK tok tok-tok…**

I shake myself, looking down and finding my hands empty. I must have dropped the scroll from shock. I pick up the scroll, rolling it back up and putting it back.

Of course… of course! Yellow flash, yellow scrolls. Fourth Hokage, number four. Well, now I know who the father is. And suddenly it all makes sense. Mama was one of his personal Anbu guards. Captain knew Nii-san's parents, and hinted that he'd need a strong Anbu guard, like mama was to his… father…

My apartment being right across from his. This of course having been arranged by the Third, so he knows. Of course he knows. He should know the only son of his successor, and predecessor. Uzumaki Kushina… probably his wife. Mama never talked about anything like this, of course. Who could expect a five year old to keep such a secret?

Nii-san needs to know. I'm not… I **can't** keep something like this from him! But… wasn't it the Fourth that sealed the Nine-tails into Naruto-nii?

To seal something like that into your day old son… that… I can't even begin to understand what that would do to a man.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Nii-san." I call to him. I'm trying to control my face, trying to be as stoic as I've ever been. No one seems to be buying it though.

"Sis, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Nii-san is at my side in half a heartbeat. He's… fast, just like the Fourth. Maybe I am seeing a ghost. A living ghost. A ghost that anyone with a Stone headband would happily give their lives to kill.

"I need to talk to you. And Yoshino-sensei. Alone. Now." They share a look, both worried for me. They nod and follow me upstairs and into my room. As I close the door behind us, I activate the seal again. "Captain, drop the camouflage. I know you're here."

A shiver in the air near my window, then a shudder. Slowly the jutsu fades and Captain is there, standing and acting as if he's supposed to be here. He isn't, but I knew he would be. "Uzumaki Kushina." I begin, studying Sensei and Captain's faces at the same time. There's a small wince on Sensei's, but Captain doesn't react at all. "Who was she?"

"… Why do you ask?" Sensei asks me, trying to deflect the question.

"She was Naruto-nii's mother, wasn't she." I don't ask this time. They both wince. Nii-san looks a bit lost – the name probably doesn't mean much to him. "And his father. Namik-"

"What are you getting at?" Captin interrupts. Naruto-nii is on the verge of tears, overwhelmed and unsure what any of this even means.

"Nii-san. Your parents left a bunch of scrolls in mama's care." I tell him, my eyes gazing into his.

"… was my father a Namiki?" He asks. I shake my head, no. "Who was he?"

"Ask Captain. He's the one stopping me from telling you." I glare at Captain Ecchi.

"You can ask, but I'm not allowed to say. Only the Third has that right." Captain evades the situation. How simple-minded, to just say ' _I can't tell you, it's not my job_ '. I snort.

"Arrange for the Third to be here to tell him. Today. We all know I won't keep this from him." I tell him plainly.

"Aya, please understand the reasons why he was never told." Captain tries.

"I understand the reasons. Just like I understand mama's reasons for wanting me to be close to him. What **you** do not understand is that those reasons only apply to those outside this room. Or have I missed something? Do you think I would kill him for his heritage? Do you think I would sell that information to the highest bidder? And you and Sensei obviously both already know. That means others know. That means that, just like the Nine-tails being sealed inside him, this is the worst kept secret in history!" Captain's eye is about ready to fall out of his socket.

"What, didn't think Nii-san would tell me?" I ask him, tilting my head to one side. "Didn't think I would still love him like a brother knowing what I know?" No one answers me. Not that I'd expected it, really.

"If you want to protect Nii-san, then train him to be strong enough to survive once that knowledge gets out. And stop being such a dumbass and assuming that no one's ever going to figure it out! He looks just like _him_ , for Kami-sama's sake!" And thinking back, I should have been able to figure this out YEARS ago!

I deactivate the seal and open the door. "Tell Hokage-dono he has until after dinner. So, around seven this evening." I say, holding the door open for him.

"Every bit as uncompromising as Miwako…" Captain mumbles, leaving my bedroom.

"Sensei, I need to talk to him. Alone." I demand. She gives me a look, almost as if asking me if she's stupid. "I will stick to my word, but I need to talk to him. And no, this will not wait."

"Aya~aaaa."

"Sensei." I meet her gaze easily. I'm not worried in the least. Whatever she hopes to achieve is simply not going to happen. "What I need to tell him, what he needs to hear… is for his ears only. I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to trust me."

She sighs, rolling her eyes. "Fine, fine."

Just as she's leaving though. "Thank you, Sensei." She won't know what I mean by that, not yet, but I need to tell her just in case. I want her to know how grateful I am for everything she's done for me. She'll figure it out, I'm sure.

I close the door and activate the seal once again. Naruto-nii looks like he's about to short circuit. "How'd you find out?" Nii-san asks.

"I recognized the name of one of the jutsus, connecting that jutsu to the only known user wasn't hard." I tell him honestly. "I'm not going to lie to you. When you hear it, it will upset you. You'll be proud, you'll be blown away, and you'll be so overwhelmed. But you will also be _royally_ pissed." I would be at least, knowing that my father sealed something in me that made the whole village hate me.

He's quiet for a long time, trying to piece it together himself. "… so what did you want to tell me then?"

"How you react afterwards. What you plan to do after finding out the truth. I'm in." He looks at me confused. "If you plan on staying in Konoha, I'll stay with you. If you plan on leaving, I'll leave with you. If you plan on going on a bloody rampage and killing everything that moves, I'm coming with you."

He shakes his head, trying to wrap his brain around my words. It doesn't seem to help.

"I can't predict how you'll react to the news, Nii-san. I can't tell you what's the 'right' way to react to it either." I pause... "All I can say is that I'm here for you. I have your back. Okay?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Dinner is turning out to be a rather tense affair. Uchiha's staring at me and Nii-san, trying to understand why we're so distant. Hokage-dono's trying to find peace is the quiet, but he doesn't seem to be able to. Sarutobi-san is mostly just staring at her food and ignoring everyone. Captain's eating in the kitchen, mostly because I kept glaring at him and that's not a very comfortable way to enjoy a meal. No one seems to be enjoying the atmosphere at all.

Once everyone's had their fill, Yasu-san clears the table. I apologize for not helping, but I'm not leaving Nii-san's side right now. "Well, it would seem that dinner's at an end." Hokage-dono says, smiling. There's no life in it though. "Sasuke, shouldn't you be getting home? It's getting late after all."

Uchiha-san nods, understanding that whatever Hokage-dono's doing here, it has nothing to do with him. Captain sees him out, just to be sure.

"Naruto. I assume you have no issue with Aya being here to hear what I have to say?" Hokage-dono asks. Silly question. Nii-san nods, agreeing that he has no issue with me being here. "Good. I understand that Aya's found your parents' scrolls in her mother's library. I can't say I'm surprised. The council secretly tried raiding your father's house after he died, and I'd always wondered why no one ever found anything of value."

"So who is he? Who's my old man?" Naruto-nii begs.

"Namikaze Minato. The Fourth Hokage and Konoha's Yellow Flash." Nii-san's eye almost pop out of their sockets; he's that shocked. I link my arm with his, reminding him that I'm right here for him. "He'd sealed the Nine-tails in you, because he knew you were already accustomed to its chakra. After all, the previous jinchuuriki was your mother, Uzumaki Kushina." I look to Sarutobi-san, wondering why she isn't surprised… and more importantly, why she's even here.

She's tied to all of this, somehow.

"Nii-san?" I squeeze his arm a little, trying to reach him. He's… he's just out of it. Great… now he's chuckling. This is just too much for him.

"My dad's the Fourth, but I get treated worse than dirt. What a joke." He laughs lifelessly. "And the same man that sealed the beast in me that makes everyone hate me."

I let go of his arm, wrapping myself around him, trying to keep him from falling apart. He doesn't fight it, even though he's stiff as a plank. I have no idea what I can possibly do for him. This is just… heartbreaking.

"Sis… your mom. She was one of his personal Anbu, wasn't she." He doesn't ask. I nod, hoping he doesn't think I'd kept this from him. "Is that why you're like this?"

"No. I only found out today. The second I found out, the second I came out of the library, I came straight to you." I tell him, hating the stupid tears in my eyes.

Almost as if coming to a decision, he wraps his arms around me, holding me tight. I run my fingers through his hair, and curse the stupid knots that I find in there. When did he last comb this mop!? I'm soooooooo dealing with that tonight!

Hokage-dono clears his throat. "There's more…" Oh, Kami-sama! Say it ain't so! "The Nine-tails chakra… it would have been too much for you to handle at the time. Ideally a new host would be between the ages of six and nine years. So… Minato split the Kyuubi in half to give you a fighting chance."

I don't like where this is going. And judging from Naruto-nii's VERY tense posture, I don't think he does either.

"Where's the other half?" Nii-san asks, almost sounding afraid of what the answer might be.

"In me." Sarutobi-san answers. I can hear the sorrow in her tone, but… I turn to her, study her. Cared for red hair, brushed until it shines. Obviously cared for face and skin. Light makeup. Perfect posture. She's the type of girl that was raised never wanting a thing. "Our mother gave birth to twins that night. Hokage-sama raised me as his own, knowing he couldn't make you disappear as well."

Well, isn't that convenient. So, you get to live the good life, while Naruto-nii gets all the hatred? All the stares? The harsh words? Kicked out of stores? Kicked out of the orphanage as well, might I add. And he CERTAINLY didn't deserve that, not like I did. I know I was an unbearable, snot-nosed brat that basically terrorized anyone that picked on someone when I was around. And seeing as Naruto-nii was around a lot, I got into a LOT of trouble.

I look down at Nii-san, wondering why I'm in his lap. That's… rather embarrassing. I scoot over, still making sure he can feel me. And I look at him, his eyes are always so expressive. And right now… he looks betrayed.

"I see. So, let me guess. You're the village's little princess?" He asks, his tone sour. And dark. Really, really dark.

"Yes." She admits, looking away. "Thanks to daddy, I've lived a very sheltered life. Never wanting for anything." I'd shut up if I were you. You're only adding fuel to the flames.

"I think I've heard enough." Nii-san says, getting up. He storms out of the room, his footsteps thundering down the hall and up the stairs.

"Thank you for coming, but as you can no doubt guess, we are no longer given to entertaining you this evening. Please leave." I say as elegantly as I can. I look to Captain and Sensei as well. "All of you."

They all nod solemnly.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Naruto-nii spends the next four hours in my arms. Crying. Tears of anger, frustration, betrayal, pain… so much pain. I don't leave his side for a second of it. I won't even pretend I can understand what he's going through. To know that someone who's life should have been identical to his –other than gender– is a princess, while he's treated like the scum of the earth.

"Sis…?"

"Nn?"

"Thanks…"

"For what?"

"For… being you."

"Your welcome."

"… and sis?"

"Nn?"

"Is it weird that all I can think about… is if Asami and I are anything alike?"

"… no. I've been thinking about that too."

"And what do you think?"

"That I'd never respect her as much as I respect you."

"… why's that?"

"Because she could never understand. Scraping the bottom of the barrel every day, trying to survive when the world wants you to give up, to just lie down and die? She'd never be able to understand how we think, how we operate."

"…"

"I respect you. Not because of your parents, not because of your burden, not because of the idiots in the village or how they treat you. But because you never gave up."

"…"

"You're messed up right now. I get that. But once the dust settles, my Naruto-nii is going to get right back up. Then Nii-san's going to come up with a plan. And then we're going to execute that plan. Until then, all I have to do is keep you in one piece."

He holds me a little tighter again, sobbing into my hug. It's alright, Nii-san. Just let it out. I won't judge you for being human.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Morning, Yasu-nee!" Naruto-nii sounds… perky. Yasu-san and Sakiko-chan weren't explained what happened last night after dinner. Sensei'd kind of shooed them off so we could implode in peace.

"Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?" Yasu-san is… a character. She doesn't even seem to care that she's essentially the woman of the house, that she takes care of everything for us – even though we try to help her all we can. She seems… happy, having people to take care of. And Kami-sama knows we need someone to take care of us sometimes.

"Meh. Could have been better. But! Today's a totally different day! Today's going to be awesome!" He sounds bubbly, sunny, but I see the worry lining his eyes. Yasu-san takes one look at him, her smile wavers a bit – she sees it too.

"That's good. Did you need something extra so you can take on this awesome day?" She asks. "I already have some water boiled, if you'd like some ramen after breakfast?"

"Nah, it's cool. You've already made so much good food! I mean, seriously! Yasu-nee, you're just awesome!" Nii-san's wearing his mask. He's trying to protect her from his crumby mood.

"Of course I did. I mean, I want to take care of my family, so why wouldn't I?" She smiles warmly, but I see the lining of sadness in her eyes. She sees through him. It's kind of hard not to, really. I mean, once you've seen him happy, it isn't hard to see through his mask.

After everyone's eaten, Nii-san insists he wash the dishes – it's only fair since Yasu-san didn't let him help with breakfast, he argues. We let him. "He's not okay. Is he." Sakiko-chan doesn't ask. Even she sees through him.

"No, sweetie, but if we show him just how much we love him, he will be." Yasu-san tells her. "Sometimes love is all that helps."

"Yosh!" She announces, getting pumped up. She dashes off towards the kitchen already shouting excitedly. "Don't worry, Naru-nii! Your sisters are gonna take super good care of you! We'll love you to bits!"

We hear dishes shuffle around angrily, but nothing breaks. "O-oi! Saki-chan! I'm trying to wash the dishes here!" Yasu and I share a look, giggling. "Hey! What the heck's gotten into you!?"

"Can you feel the lo~oooooove!?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

At exactly six-thirty-two, someone rings on the bell. I head out to see who it is, slipping into my old pair of slippers – simply because my sandals would be too much of a hassle.

"You're here early. Something to prove?" I ask, finding Momochi-san and Yuki-san on the other side of the gate.

"More like annoyed that the two idiots across the hall started fighting at three this morning, and haven't stopped yet." Momochi-san offers in a complete deadpan. I blink. Is he being serious?

"Whatever. Oh, by the way, you have your sword still sealed. Why is that?" I ask, just to see if this is the right person.

"… are you seriously checking if it's really me?" He looks annoyed.

"You can't come in unless I let you, you know." I remind him, my tone sweet as honey.

"Then why the hell did you bother giving me back my sword?" Ah, it's really him. No one else would know that.

"By the way, Yuki-san. Did you read anything about that thing today?" Hey, it's early! I can't be subtle yet!

"Yes, Namiki-san. I've already gone over that scroll you gave me on the basics of medical jutsu and the first few jutsus that I'm expected to learn." She answers easily, still smiling. I do notice she's rolling her eyes though. So she CAN emotionally react to outside stimuli!

I open the gate and let them in. "We've already had breakfast, I'm afraid. If you want to join us, you'll have to be here for about six. Sometimes a bit earlier, depending and Yasu-san's mood."

"Her… mood?" Momochi-san asks, as I'm closing the gate behind them. If I didn't know any better, I'd almost think Yuki-san's moods have a major impact on his life.

"If she's in a good mood, she cooks more. And that takes longer." I shrug; she's almost always in a good mood. Everyone has their quirks, her being a civilian doesn't change that. He 'ah's and leaves it at that. I'm almost sure he was worried about something else entirely. Hmm, I wonder what Yuki-san is like during 'that time' then.

Still, whatever. I think back, wondering where these two were for dinner yesterday… Ah, right. Captain had 'helpfully' suggested they take some time to scout around the village, maybe get something to eat at a café. Whatever.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's going on eight before Uchiha-san and Captain arrive. I roll my eyes at them, wondering why team training wouldn't be until eight to begin with! I mean, come on! Nii-san and I have been training since Momochi-san got here! It's much easier to test these two subtly – thanks to knowing them a good deal better, and being a bit more awake now. So I swing the gate open, letting them in. And just in time to see Sensei walking up the road. I close the gate, waiting for her to walk up.

"Mornin'!" I greet her, smiling brightly.

"Aya-chan! Don't you dare start with that! It's 'good morning'! And you will address me as 'Yoshino-sensei', do you hear me?" All the proof I'll ever need right there. I open the gate, letting her in.

"Good morning, Yoshino-sensei. Sorry, you know how I am." I shrug it off. I still give her a hug though. Strict as she is on me, I know she does it out of love.

We walk together, but we don't take more than three steps before she starts. "How is he?"

"Shaken. He's strong though. He'll get through this." I answer honestly.

"No plans of abandoning ship, right?" She eyes me a bit closer now. She figured it out. I knew she would.

"Not as far as I know. You'll have to ask him though." Again, totally honest. If he runs, I run with him. Simple as that. We enter the front room, where I kick off my slippers and Sensei takes off her slippers as well. I suppose she isn't training today – it's mostly damage control. "Yuki-san and Momochi-san are here already. So are Uchiha-san and Captain."

"Ah. I'm glad. I was hoping to steal you and Haku away for a bit, before you have to go to your class. You've already done your warm ups?"

"Of course?" What a silly question to ask. Besides, Naruto-nii and I always start the day with a good warm up, workout and a light spar.

"Good. Your class starts at ten, right?"

"Yes, Sensei."

"We'll leave at nine then." That's in an hour. I guess she wants to show Captain who's really in charge here. I'm not against it. "And do me a favour?"

"Mm?"

"Don't you ever scare me like that again! I honestly thought you would leave!" If Nii-san decided to, I would have… but he didn't, so it's pointless to think about. "And… besides that… You are taking that information I told you yesterday quite well. I remember being freaked out when I first heard."

"Sensei… I've killed people in cold blood." I remind her. I don't know how bad getting my period will be, but blood isn't exactly something that bothers me. Besides, as descriptive as Sensei was, nothing she told me was all that bad; compared to watching someone bleed out right in front of you, at least.

"Maybe… but we'll see how well you take it. I still can't believe you didn't get that in the academy? Isn't that a required course?"

"… a guy trying to talk to me about _there_? I'm pretty sure I snuck out." I say, deadpan. I'm totally serious though! There was this one guy, a medic I think, that started a class talking about my privates. Sorry, but common sense tells you that a man in a room full of girls that is talking about _that_ is asking for trouble!

"A guy…? I thought it was required that a kunoichi give that class?" And you're asking me this, because…?

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Kami-sama, I love Sensei! Since Captain was on his ' _I'm the alpha, you'll listen to me_ ' crap again, she didn't even mind me completely ignoring him and simply doing my own training! So long as I train properly, she doesn't mind. AND! As an added bonus, because I asked Yuki-san to train with me, she complimented me!

I love Sensei.

"You girls ready to go?" Sensei asks. I'm already wearing my shinobi sandals, but Yuki-san is wearing slippers. I should talk to her about getting proper sandals though. I mean, training in slippers isn't too hard, but these are just more comfortable.

"Yes, Yoshino-sensei." I reply, after chewing and swallowing the riceball Yasu-s… Yasu-nee made for me. Yuki-san is still happily munching on the snack. I smile at her, understanding just how she feels. There's just something about Yasu-nee… she draws people in and spoils them rotten. I mean, heck, look at Nii-san and I. We both have MAJOR trust issues, but somehow Yasu-nee never once triggered any kind of negative reaction from us.

"Namiki-san, thank you for the food." Yuki-san says politely, only not to me. She's talking to Yasu-nee.

She's already shaking her head though. "Oh, Yuki-san… I'm-"

"Namiki Yasu… I like it." I toss out there. "Don't you, Yasu-nee?" Yasu-nee's eyes go wide with shock, at first, but slowly soften and she starts tearing up a bit.

"Sweetie, you're… so much like your brother." Is all she says, before kissing me on my brow. "Make sure to pay close attention during your class. And keep safe, okay?"

"I will." I beam at her.

"And Yuki-san, I understand you'll be with her. Please take good care of my little sister for me." Yasu-nee bows low to Yuki-san.

"As you request, Namiki-san." Yuki-san bows as well.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 24_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: A bit more drama, a bit more raw emotion, and a whole lot of OH CRAP! Be honest, you guys, how many of you saw the whole Asami thing coming?_**


	29. Leading the pack

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 25 – Leading the pack_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Well, that was just boring." I complain. Nothing in the medical class that was discussed was something I didn't already know, and when it came to the practical part, it was tips about the diagnostic jutsu – which Kitou-sensei admitted I'd already mastered. The only thing useful was me getting more scrolls to study, but I'm told one of them has some more advanced jutsus for me to practice.

"I don't know. I found it quite informative." Of course Yuki-san thinks that, she's never been to one of our classes before.

"So, Aya-chan, I notice you haven't been around much since getting back. And on top of that, auntie's been missing a lot too. Something I need to know?" Ino asks. Honestly, she's been almost saintly patient, seeing as she didn't interrupt the class once to interrogate me.

"You've heard about what I said?" I ask. She, Hinata-san and Haruno-san all nod. "Hokage-sama is taking it very seriously. So I'm pretty much under house arrest."

"That's outrageous!" Ino's angry for me. "I mean, if anyone were to treat Shikamaru or Chouji like that, I wouldn't be any different!"

"Relax, Ino. It's only temporary while Hokage-dono deals with it. And besides, nothing's stopping you guys from coming over whenever you feel like it. Please make sure to tell Nara-sama and Nara-san this as well. I feel horrible that Sensei isn't there to take care of them."

"Y-you wouldn't m-mind?" Hinata-san asks. I turn to her, smiling brightly.

"Of course not! If I did, I certainly wouldn't offer. Now would I?" I point out. "And besides, now that I'm back, we can start holding our study groups at my place again! I just have more room now, and a few more people there as well."

"What do you mean?" Ino asks. Of course she'd be the one to. I never did thank her for unknowingly teaching me so much about interrogation.

"Well, Naruto-nii lives with me. And two others moved in with us as well. You'll meet them when you come." I offer with a smile.

"I see. Just a heads up, by the way. Auntie already asked our team to come over tomorrow. She wants another tournament type thing, like last time. I'm sure Hinata-chan will hear the same tomorrow." Ino says. I'm glad, to be honest. This way I can still keep in contact with everyone. And now I'll know to have those rooms switched around today. Otherwise, I'm just going to be a nervous wreck, having so many people going through the office like that.

"Sounds good. I guess that means you'll both be there then." I smile at them. Haruno-san looks left out. Really left out. "No. I'm not inviting you. Not until you stop being such an idiot towards Naruto-nii."

"WHAT!?" Haruno-san shrieks. I fight back the urge to slap her; my ears are a bit sensitive to sudden loud noises like that.

"Haruno-san, I would advise you be careful. Namiki-san is rather protective of Uzumaki-san." Yuki-san warns. I smile at her, thanking her wordlessly.

"Sakura, look. Aya's not saying you have to like him. Just stop treating him badly. There is such a thing as a middle ground, you know?" Ino translates.

"But… but… but this is Naruto we're talking about! Why should I treat that cockroach-"

 **Shhhhhing!**

"Finish that statement." Haruno-san gulps painfully, feeling my tanto pressed against her windpipe. And just for good measure, I have my kodachi's tip hovering an inch from her left eye as well. Haruno-san shivers in my sort-of-embrace. It's hard to not get really close and still keep the two blades right where I need them.

"Well, Haku-chan _did_ warn her." Ino shrugs. "Sakura-chan, a tip. Don't do anything stupid right now."

"A-a-a-a-alright… I-I-I'll b-be-behave." She stutters terribly, but I can't tell –or care to tell– if she's sincere. Nii-san needs positive people around him right now. And that's not something I'd ever call Haruno-san; not when it comes to him. I slowly withdraw both blades and resheathe them.

"Go home, Haruno-san." I order. If she's lucky, no one will notice she _went_ a little. Naturally, she hightails it out of here like her tails on fire – or something like that.

"Was that really called for?" Ino asks.

"Yes. It was. Nii-san is not in a good way right now, so there's no way I'm going to let her anywhere _near_ him with that attitude problem of hers." I drone, still staring in the direction the pinkette left in.

"… w-what do you mean?" Hinata-san asks.

"Nothing." I say, already walking off.

"Namiki Aya!" Hinata-san uses the same tone Sensei would when she's upset. "You will tell me this instant!"

I turn to the normally shy Hyuuga, finding no trace of that person anywhere. The tense posture, the steel in her eyes, the way she balls her fists against her hips and leans forward to really get in my face about this. All I see is her resolve; a kunoichi worried about someone she cares for. "Come. I'll show you."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We turn onto street where my home is. It's obvious that we're here, seeing as it's a dead-end street. Ino and Hinata-san both look around curiously, studying the quiet surroundings, the trees in the middle of the street that sport autumn colours. Judging from their approving looks, I think they like my neighbourhood.

"It's really quiet." Hinata-san murmurs. Whether she knows it or not, she hasn't stuttered once since her little outburst. "It's pretty too."

"Nn." I smile, looking around a little as well. I don't know the neighbours –and I don't care to– but I do know that there's an elderly couple across the street from us. They've been… leery of Naruto-nii.

Once at my gate, at the very end of the street, I turn to Ino. "This is it. Would you mind getting Nara-san and Chouji-kun?" I ask, begging with my eyes. "Yuki-san can go with you? So you can interrogate her to your heart's content."

The two girls eye each other. No doubt Yuki-san is wondering just what I mean by that, but she'll figure it out soon enough. "Alright. We'll be back. Should we get some snacks?"

I fish into my pouch, taking out two thousand Ryou notes. "Yes please. Chocolate ice cream for me, and use the rest for flavours of ramen." She nods, understanding just what that means; ramen is Nii-san's comfort food. The two head off, Ino already asking a million questions before they even get to the end of the street.

"Hinata-chan." I don't turn to her. "I know you like him. And we both know he likes you too." I turn around, finding her blushing like mad.

"… y-you don't… mind?" She's fidgeting again, poking her index fingers together and all – there's no doubt in my mind she hasn't noticed just how protective I am of him.

"Naruto-nii means everything to me." I tell her honestly. "So long as you take care of him, then you'll mean everything to me too." She nods, unsure of just what that means but obviously happy I think she's good enough for him.

Having said my piece, I unsheathe my tanto partway and slice my right thumb a bit. I smear the blood onto the seal and we enter. Sakiko-chan's running around in the front yard, with Moegi and her friends. I smile, glad they get along.

"Hey, sis! Come over here, I want to introduce you!" Sakiko's head snaps towards me, beaming like the midday sun. She runs to me, glomping me while squealing happily.

"You're home! Aya-nee, guess what! Naru-nii invited Moegi and Udon and Konohamaru over and we've been playing ninja ever since you left! It's been so totally awesome!" She's so hyper right now, and bubbly. I pet her head, trying to get her to calm down a bit.

"Really? That's nice. I hope you've been treating your guests well then. I mean, if they're here playing with you and all." She beams, already going on and on about how she's been helping Yasu-nee make some simple snacks and how she brings them juice boxes if they look thirsty. I pet her head again – we've been gone about an hour and a half… "Good. It sounds like you're being the perfect little hostess. I'm proud of you, sis." I beam at her, but it's nothing compared to the shining smile I get from her.

"Ah, where are my manners. Hyuuga Hinata, meet Namiki Sakiko. Saki-chan, this is Hinata-chan." Sakiko bows properly to our guest, and Hinata-chan's quick to do the same. I smile at both of them. "Now, we're going to head inside. Do you know if everyone's in the back yard?"

"Uh huh! That mean ol' scarecrow says we're not s'pose to go back there while they're busy! Says he doesn't want us trying the things he's showing Naru-nii!" She tattles.

"Did he? Well, I'll tell you what. If you're on your best behaviour with your friends here, I'll show you something cool with your tanto later, okay?" Of course, she swears by all that is holy (including ramen… apparently) that she'll be the 'bestest' hostess ever. I smile, shooing her so she can go play again.

"Aww! No fair! Show us something cool too!" Konohamaru begs, obviously listening to our conversation.

"Nuh uh!" I tease. "Anyone who doesn't come and introduce themselves to my friends aren't getting taught a thing." Of course, that means the 'introduction jig' happens. After the smoke dies down a bit, Hinata-chan introduces herself properly to the three. She notices something about Konohamaru though, but I can't say for sure what.

"Alright. You all pass. So I'll show you all something cool before you leave. Okay?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Yasu-nee?" I enter the family sitting room, not finding her there. I check in the kitchen, not there either. So I look through the window, finding Yasu-nee sitting on the porch next to Sensei. The two are chatting like they're old friends.

I lead Hinata-chan through the (new) visitor's sitting room (and ignore the desk and whatnot), out onto the porch. "Yasu-nee! There's someone I want you to meet!" I say loud enough for Naruto-nii to hear me as well – even though he's sparring with Uchiha-san.

"Welcome back, sweetie! How was your class?" Yasu-nee asks, waving us over.

"It was kind of boring. I already knew everything that Kitou-sensei was talking about. But I got some more scrolls to study and some new jutsus and stuff." I explain, trying not to make a face – but really wanting to. "This is my friend Hyuuga Hinata, but the way. Hinata-chan, Namiki Yasu."

"It's so nice to meet you, Hinata-chan. You know, I don't think I've met anyone that Aya considers a friend. I do hope this means you'll be coming around more often?"

Hinata-chan stutters something I can't make out, blushing a bright red. "Oh, how rude of me. Sorry, Yoshino-san was just telling me about inviting two other teams over tomorrow. To have some sort of… tournament?"

"Yes. We held one a month and a half ago. I'd like to hold one again so that we can see how all three teams are progressing. Would that be alright?" Yoshino-sensei plays it off as if she hasn't already made the arrangements.

I smile a little too sweetly at her. "Now, now, sensei. How rude to invite people over before even asking us. Ino just so happened to mention it already."

"You can play innocent all you want, Aya-chan, but we both know you were looking for a reason to have _those two_ here." She counters smoothly. Hinata-chan blushes so deep that even her heels should be turning pink. I guess she knows we all know about her thing for Naruto-nii. And hopefully she sees we all approve.

Heh… busted. I bite my lip, trying not to smile. I'm sure I'm smiling anyway though. "Anyway! I asked Ino to drag Nara-san and Chouji-kun over here. I hope she remembers to invite Nara-sama if she sees him as well. That girl can be so scatterbrained sometimes." Hinata-chan and I take a seat on the edge of the porch, much like Sensei and Yasu-nee. "Is he… doing any better?"

Nii-san is really focused on his match with Uchiha-san. No clones are being used though, so he's mostly just going all out in Muay Thai and his focus is so intense that even Uchiha-san is having a hard time with him – not that he'd ever figured out how to counter the style. I do appreciate that Captain refuses to let Uchiha-san use his Sharingan against anyone but him though; something about not becoming dependent?

"He's… focused. It's a start." Sensei answers, but I can tell she's still worried.

"He's still wearing that mask, though. I'm not sure if those two over there can see through it or not." Yasu-nee adds.

"I-is th-there something w-we can do to h-help?" Hinata-chan asks, looking at her favourite blonde. Hmm, I wonder if she can see how, even though his focus, his eyes are still drooping slightly.

"Like Yasu-nee said… all we can do is love him. Love him and be there for him." I say, spying a deep blush from the corner of my eye. I see the timid Hyuuga nod though, and her eyes seem to radiate that same steel I saw earlier. She might seem a timid little mouse, but she is a lion waiting and wanting to roar. She just needs to see that for herself.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The rest of the morning and most of the after passes in much the same way: Naruto-nii training. I join him for most of it. The others don't. It's their day off, they argue. And they're right, of course, but that doesn't change Nii-san needing this.

Sakiko-chan decides that she and her friends have waited long enough, so they all come to the backyard demanding their training! Naruto-nii and I share a look. "The promise of one is the promise of the pack." Nii-san says, smiling. I nod, liking that attitude. "So what are we showing them then?"

"I was thinking of showing them a few basic Muay Thai moves." I admit. "Mind giving me a hand?" So we do. I show them the basic stance, Nii-san helps me to show them how to toughen up your fists and elbow, and we have them pair off – girls together, boys together.

I love every moment of it. And from the grins on the girls' faces, so do they. It's a shame that night falls an hour later; it's time for them to go home. Naruto-nii announces that everyone needs to start heading out, even Hinata-chan and the others. Momochi-san and Yuki-san say that they don't mind staying longer – probably just refusing to see if 'the neighbours' are still fighting, or whatever.

I appreciate how Naruto-nii decides he's walking the girls home – even Sensei. "Sensei, you might be able to argue you can take care of yourself. But Hinata-chan and Ino-chan can just as easily argue the same. Would you really blame me for offering you the same courtesy I offer them?" He shuts down every other argument Sensei could come up with.

"And how do you plan on getting back here then? You know the situation." Well, _mostly_ every other argument.

"I'll tag along then." Momochi-san offers. "I need to get some sake anyway. It's not like anything interesting's going to happen." Aww, he's being halfway nice.

Everyone makes their way to the front room, put on their footwear are say their farewells. I make sure to hug Sensei, Hinata-chan and Ino, but the boys get a fist bump. Even Chouji-kun. I wouldn't want to… do something embarrassing with so many people here watching.

I see everyone off, waving and smiling. Once the gate closes though… I sigh, feeling suddenly too old to be twelve.

"My, my, Namiki-san. You'll grow old before your time." Yuki-san teases. I turn, finding the black haired girl smiling at me. I wonder though. Is that a mask as well? Always smiling?

"A hard life will age you more than a calendar notices… Some of us just hide our wrinkles under a pleasant smile." She winces, her mask cracking just a little. Yeah, I thought so. I look out at the gate, wondering how the future will play out now. So much is changing in so little time. It's no longer possible to guess.

"I'll be in the front yard training. Don't worry, I'll open the gate when Naruto-nii gets back." I slip into my slippers, walking out into the 'night' air. It's actually about five in the afternoon, but the sun sleeps early these days.

I've focused on Muay Thai most today, and recently, so I think I'll go with Capoeira then. Yes, let's do that. I start playing the beat in my head, starting a slow but rhythmic dance in the yard – glad that both front and back yards are completely level.

I do all the basic kicks I know first. Then all the basic punches. Then I go into the best combinations I've come up with based on these. I'm not going to try anything new tonight, I just want to… I just want to dance a bit. And this is the perfect way for a kunoichi to dance.

Not even twenty minutes pass before I hear the bell ringing. I know it's too early for Nii-san, but who else could it be? Curious, I head over to the gate. "Yes?" I don't greet the redhead I see on the other side of the gate. What is she doing here?

"Good evening, Namiki-san." She bows, her tone and word usage polite, but distant. "I was wondering if perhaps Konohamaru was here? I haven't seen him since this morning and I am becoming quite worried."

"Just left." I say, my eyes boring into hers. She doesn't seem affected though. The silence drags out. She has something she wants to say, to ask. I only care that she's on _that_ side of the gate.

"… how is he?" She eventually asks, her tone hollow.

"Konohamaru is well." I know that's not who she means.

"… Naruto I mean."

"…" I turn and start walking back to where I was, to get back to my training, light as it is.

"Namiki-san please." She begs. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. I just need to know how he is." I hear the pleading in her words, in her voice, in the tears just barely not being shed. I snort. Nothing compared to the tears that stained my jacket; that almost burned into my skin.

"Then ask him." I start walking, wondering why I stopped in the first place.

"He… he won't talk to me." I snort again. There's a shock. But… that would mean she tried. He only left the house just now… unless it's when he went to go find Konohamaru and his friends? Possible.

I could point out that she abandoned him. Or how she could have tried helping him once she graduated – whenever that happened. I… I don't want to. Nii-san is already hurting, and if he were to see me fighting with her it'll only hurt him more. "What would you have me do?" I ask, trying to keep my tone pleasant… I'm not sure if it worked though.

"… just… just tell me if he's alright." She really is crying. I can hear it just in the way her voice quivers as she speaks. I don't look to confirm it though.

Is he alright? That question loops in my head over and over again. Is he alright? Each time it does, I feel my anger boil up a bit more. Boiling up to the point where words will never tell her just what that boy's been through.

I walk up to the gate, ignoring her tears, opening the gate and-

 **SLAP!**

Her chin snaps to her right from the force of my slap. Even in the low lighting, I can see an angry red handprint across the side of her face staring back at me. "Answer enough?" Tears are her only reply though. How sad. "Anything else?"

"Aya… I…"

"Don't. If you think a few little tears shed now will ever compare to the buckets in my shirt, in my jacket…" It takes her a second to understand, but once she does that hurts her more than the slap. I can tell just by the hollowness in her eyes…

"But you know what's even worse? Seeing Naruto-nii put on his brave face all day. Acting like nothing keeps him down. Like having living, breathing family in this village his whole life that didn't take the time to piss on him when the world was against him, like that doesn't tear him apart."

Her heart sinks lower with every word I speak. Well, princess, I guess you should have thought about this while you were up in your ivory tower then, huh.

"In or out." I demand. Her hear snaps up, her eyes focused on me… and her jaw almost dropping low enough to taste the dirt. "In. Or. Out."

"I-in." She manages, taking a cautious step forward. Once inside, I close the gate, walking towards the front door. I guess Capoeira will have to wait for another time. Nii-san needs this – whether he admits it or not.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes Naruto-nii and Momochi-san an hour to get back. When the bell rings, I leave the morose redhead at the table, and head to the gate. Momochi-san is grumbling about something… something to do with incompetent clerks? No idea. "Good morning, sunshine." I tease him.

"Namiki. I'm not in the mood." Grouchy much? I open the gate. I can tell just by the look in Naruto-nii's eyes that it's him. Momochi walks to the house, but I keep Nii-san back.

"She's here." I tell him. He looks away from me, knowing exactly who I mean. "She looks just like your mother. Same hair, same hairstyle, same eyes. But she has your father's personality. Cool, laid back, reserved. You take more after your father with looks. Twins from his younger pictures, really. But you're personality is a clone of your mother. Even your love for ramen, and her verbal tick was 'dattebane'. You should ask the Ichiraku's about her sometime, she used to eat there all the time." I'm really glad I didn't say 'haunted the place'. That might be _uncomfortable_.

He doesn't speak. Not that he needs to. "You and her are practically nothing alike. Even though you're reserved, it's your defence mechanism. She'd rather spend the night reading, and you're always going to be more of a people person than she is. Your mannerisms are completely different as well. Especially the subconscious ones. She acts a lot like Chouji-kun's sensei, but she's very passionate about some things. She'll eat ramen, but she prefers a good home cooked meal. If you ever really wanted to talk to her, sealing is the best place to start. Or her wind release jutsus."

"That's the only thing the two of you have in common. You hide yourselves in your training. You try to drown out the world with sore muscles and bleeding fists." He still isn't moving or reacting. I can't say I blame him though. This is too much to deal with, but if I don't tell him, he'll always wonder. He'll always have that nagging doubt in the back of his mind. And he'll always try to hide that from himself.

"Even though I can't stand her, she's a kind person. She cares for you. And she knows all about your parents as well. What they were like, what they did, who their friends were. Hokage-dono and Chouji-kun's sensei spoke a lot about them over the years."

And now comes the part he could really flip his lid over. The part he had to hear last, or he'd never listen to any of it. "She wasn't allowed to come see you, because if anyone saw you two together, they'd automatically see miniatures of your parents. From the pictures she's shown me, I have to agree."

"She sounds a lot like you." He eventually says. Yeah, maybe. "So why don't you like her?"

"Because she hurt you."

"But you let her in. Talked to her. And from the way it sounds, there was a lot to talk about." Circumstantial.

"You needed to know. And you wouldn't have gotten out of your own way to find out." He doesn't deny it, that's a start. "She's in the family sitting room. Yasu-nee is cooking enough if she stays for dinner, but it's your call if that's allowed or not."

"What… what about my parents' scrolls?" Can't say she doesn't deserve that blow.

"I won't let her so much as smell them." I tell him flatly. "You on the other hand… after Sarutobi-san leaves, we're going into the library. We have scrolls to study, summoning contracts to sign."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Uzumaki… Kushina… That's how you knew her name." Nii-san says, staring at the summoning contract. I don't say anything, giving him the time he needs. While he's studying whatever he hopes to find, I open the wolf summoning contract and bite my right thumb. Using my blood, I sign my name next to mama's, then I smear some more blood onto my other digits and press my hand against the square below my name.

Looking over at Nii-san, I see him just finishing with the same thing.

"The red scrolls with the swirl… those are your mother's. The yellow ones with the 'four'… those are your father's. It's up to you which you want to study first, but they stay in this room." He nods, looking around again. I go back to the random one I'd picked up before, and toss him that one. "That's you're end goal. The Flying Thunder God jutsu. It's the only one of his I'd opened."

He nods, cradling the scroll carefully. I go and pick up a brown scroll again… Earth release jutsu. Hmm. I still don't know what my primary element is. Time will tell. I make a mental note where this one is, and I go for another. Hmm, this one is on the history of the Namiki family, and our history with wolves. A good place to start.

I glance at Nii-san, seeing that he'd made three clones. Two Narutos are reading red scrolls, two are reading yellow scrolls. Not a bad choice.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Winner, Aya!" Captain announces. I don't react though. And I certainly leave the battered and bruised Inuzuka-san on the ground – he's just lucky he didn't pass out in the pond. I mean, really? Betting that if he beats me I'd have to go out on a date with him? He's lucky I didn't break his jaw just to prove a point. Whatever.

Nii-san and I were up until going on four this morning… _reading_. Even though we're both tired, red-eyed, and bags big enough to fit the house in under them, we're both in a much better mood.

He's buried the hatchet with what's-her-face, I've finally gotten to know my ancestors and our intimate relationship with wolves. I even got to study a few of those earth release jutsus and the collaboration jutsus when I summon my new partners – not that I've met them yet. And _that other thing_ too. I think he's happiest about _that_.

"Next match, Naruto versus Chouji! Combatants ready? Begin!"

I plop down on the porch beside Hinata-chan, watching the match. Chouji-kun's making a decent show of it, using the partial expansion jutsu to fight Nii-san at a distance – he's seen just what Nii-san can do to people up close from his match against Uchiha-san. Still, Nii-san's ducking the high attacks, jumping over the low ones, and is steadily making his way over to his opponent.

"Jeez, just what have you guys been up to in the last month? Team Seven is winning every match they enter!" Ino complains.

"Arranging flowers mostly. What about you?" I drone sarcastically. She swats my arm playfully. "I'm serious. Nii-san's showing you how to work with roses now."

"Yeah, then why do you look like you haven't slept? The pollen?" She isn't buying it, it isn't hard to tell.

"It's not pollen season." I tease her, not even knowing if that's true. I've been studying wolves, not plants.

"Winner, Naruto! Next match! Sasuke versus Ino!"

"Why me?" Ino complains. I pat her on the shoulder, telling her it'll be over soon. She doesn't look comforted. Nii-san and Chouji-san sit down with us, Nara-san still staring up at the clouds. Whatever. I know he's following the conversation when he wants to.

"We stayed up studying by the way." I say to Hinata-san. "It seems the Namiki family has been tied to wolves for generations. So I've been doing the research, studying my family's knowledge. And I of course dragged Nii-san along for the ride."

Why am I saying this now, and not a second ago? Ino would want to know as well, and so long as Hinata-chan hears it, it should be fine. "I see." Chouji-kun murmurs. "So you're like Kiba then."

I snort, unamused. "No. Wolves and dogs are **nothing** alike." Even though I've only known that for… twelve hours, give or take. Wolves are monogamous (mostly) and pair for life. Only those in the pack that do not have a mate will even consider looking at a wolf not of the pack, and even then it will only ever be a fling. The pack means **everything**.

"I'd have to agree with you there, sis. I think wolves and foxes are more alike." Nii-san sounds like he knows what he's talking about. "Did you know that the Uzumakis had a contract with foxes? Kitsunes to be specific – heavens' tricksters." He snorts, amused. That sounds just like my Naruto-nii.

"Oh? How'd you find that out?" Nara-san asks.

"Turns out sis's mother knew my parents. She'd kept some scrolls for me. Not much, but… it's more than I had. And the contract is one of them." I don't react. 'Not much'? He's got at least as many scrolls as I do. Still, this would explain the leaps he's bound to make, and the summons.

"What were the Uzumakis known for then?" Nara-san, curious as ever.

"Sealing mostly. But there was a scroll on sword techniques, a special style of theirs. And some water jutsus as well. Like I said… it wasn't much." I'm sooooooo tempted to tell Hinata-chan about papa's healing scrolls… but really I just… no. Not yet.

"Something is better than nothing." Chouji-kun encourages him. "It's a great feeling though, isn't it? To know you're following in the footsteps of your ancestors. To know that you can make them all proud of you."

"Yeah…" Nii-san looks up at the clouds.

"Winner, Sasuke! Come on, Ino. He didn't even have to work for it."

"Well **excu~uuuuuuse** me!" Ino huffs, walking away from Captain, clearly upset and her throat a bit pink from the kunai that was lodged against it.

"I-I might like to learn… s-sealing th-that is…" Hinata-chan… you are too precious for words!

"Aya versus Hinata! Come on, girls, please put on a better show that Ino did. That was just embarrassing."

Hinata-chan and I walk over to the pond, stepping onto its surface as if it were solid. Yeah, all matches are held on the pond, to ensure no one has a 'fair' advantage. "Combatants ready?"

"Hold." I say, eyeing my opponent warily. "Hyuuga Hinata. I propose a bet." I begin, wondering if I worded that right. That gets everyone's attention. Betting on matches is about as rare as a sunrise, but no bet is without a heavy price. It's an honour thing, so whatever the bet is it MUST be honoured. If you cannot fulfil it, don't bet it.

"Come at me with everything you've got. If you win, I will submit to the superiority of the Hyuuga clan. If I win, however, you will submit to the superiority of the Namiki family. Meaning, that the winner would have every right to dictate the training of the loser for no shorter than a year. Even if that goes against their jounin sensei's, or their family's, wishes."

She looks at me, worries clear as day in her eyes. She nods. "I-I a-accept your t-terms." Than you, for trusting me. And don't worry, Hinata-chan… I'll treat you right. I swear it.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 25_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Just a side note. In wolf packs, males are always dominant; there is no pack where a female is the leader. Yes, there are alpha she-wolves, and yes there is a hierarchy within the female population, but they do not lead the pack. Their role is to defend the den, raise the pups and stone-age crap like that (yes I'm a feminist), but the point is that this is how wolves are. Aya's thinking follows this. Males fight for dominance among each other, more or less (more like only the alpha, beta and gamma wolves ever really fight in this way) but other than that, unneeded violence is considered childish and the whole pack stands against it. Wolves do not fight those of their pack, not even for food. They respect the picking order, and any that doesn't is cast out (or killed if they put up a fight)._**

 ** _As well, I would like to point out that the Kitsune's of Naruto's contract will be based on red foxes, like the mythical kitsunes of Japanese folklore are. Both the foxes and the wolves will be made as 'natural' as possible, given that they're also summoning creatures that will have unique traits because of this. So, just for you nerds, geeks and other proud intellectuals, fear not! This proud nerd is going to do her very best to make this as realistic as possible, under the circumstances._**

 ** _And for those that are just enjoying the story for the sake of the story... you can ignore this entire author's note..._**


	30. Calling up some trouble

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 26 – Calling up some trouble_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _~Flashback, midnight, the night before~_**

 _"We should probably call it a night." I say, but not really wanting to. These scrolls are simply addictive._

 _"What time is it?" Nii-san asks, but I can't tell if it's the original or a clone. I can't tell the difference between them._

 _"Going on midnight." I say, yawning and rubbing my eyes. I'm tired._

 _"Yeah, we probably should." He isn't happy about it, but he sees the logic in it. After all, we can come back here every night from now on. We carefully roll up our scrolls. Me with just one, him with one per clone. Then the clones disperse. "Hey, sis… you'd do anything for me, right?"_

 _"Silly question." I say, stretching to try work out the kinks. The floor isn't very comfortable in here._

 _"Maybe it is… but you would, right?"_

 _"Of course I would." I say, in my most 'duh' sounding tone. I'm too tired to figure out what's got his panties in a twist._

 _"…" He's thinking something. Thinking hard. I narrow my eyes at him, fighting back another yawn. I motion for him to 'spit it out'. "… even if I asked for to think up a way to get Hinata-chan away from her family?"_

 _O…kay! Where did that come from, exactly? "Depends on why?"_

 _"… I don't think her family is treating her right. I mean, just look at her. Supposedly the heiress to their clan, but she's a stuttering mess!" Naruto-nii. It's the middle of the night. We're in an enclosed space. Keep your voice down!_

 _I rub my forehead trying to fight back the building headache – both from his loud voice and the situation he's giving me to solve._

 _"She does sometimes show she has a spine… and when she's talking about something she's passionate about, she doesn't stutter either." I murmur, thinking about what he's saying. "We'd need Sensei in on this though. I mean, no one can work out personality kinks like she can."_

 _"… so you'll help?"_

 _I sigh explosively, rolling my eyes and fixing him with my most annoyed stare. "Why'd you wait until midnight to bring this up?" I complain. "We'd have to figure out a way to keep her isolated from her family for no shorter than a year… and we'd need to make sure that there are witnesses to show that everything we do in arranging this is completely legit."_

 _"What about a bet?" Nii-san offers. Hmm, that would work. "I mean, betting on matches in a 'tournament' setting… that's pretty common, isn't it?"_

 _"Yeah, but that means she'll have to trust me enough that even if she sees through what I'm doing, she'll agree to it anyway. And I'll have to make it a pride thing. Hyuuga clan versus Namiki Family? I mean, if I drop some hints that I've been studying up on my family history? And that we have a proud history as well? It might give her a cover story?"_

 _"Oh… and would you mind taking it easy on Sasuke? He's been through a lot too, you know? And he's more friendly towards us than anyone else I've seen him interact with."_

 _Kami-sama, I just want to go to slee~eeeeeeeep!_

 ** _~End Flashback~_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Looking at Hinata-chan. Seeing her breathing become more and more ragged. Her face is flushed. She's having more and more trouble standing on the pond, beginning to sink little by little. Yet, no matter how many times I knock her down, she just keeps getting back up.

How is it that you are still so weak then, Hinata? Your eyes, your resolve, your refusal to give up or give in… you're as headstrong as Nii-san ever was! So why…? Naruto-nii must have been right. This has to be something to do with your family. Are they holding you back somehow?

"For… the Hyuuga… clan… I… will not… falter…" And a lot of good they've done you.

Hinata comes at me again. Though she's clearly tired, she's focused. Her body is carefully controlled, her features carefully arranged and blank.

I sidestep her finger jab, kneeing her in the armpit. She pauses, trying to will away the pain (I guess), spins and tries a roundhouse kick, I duck and kick her behind her supporting knee. She splashes into the water, unable to focus the needed chakra to keep her dry this time.

"Winner, Aya!" Captain calls it. I quickly move to Hinata-chan, pulling her up and out of the water. She sputters a bit and coughs up the water that went down the wrong pipe. Her drenched clothes aren't doing me any favours; we're both soaked before I can even step off the pond.

And, for the record… pond water is GROSS!

"Sweetie, inside, the both of you!" Yasu-nee demands. "It's far too cold out to be walking around soaking wet!"

Naruto-nii and I share a look. He nods, almost imperceptibly, then his eyes flick towards the house; _good work, I'll take it from here_. "Hey, Kurenai-sensei! Think you could swing by Hinata-chan's house for some clean clothes? Knowing Yasu-nee she's gonna drag the both of them to go wash up."

"That sounds agreeable. And… I think her father will have to be informed as well." I hear Yuuhi-sensei say, but she doesn't sound happy. Hey, it's all legal! Not my problem!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Indentured servitude!? Really, Aya! That you would dare to do something like this to one of the few people you consider a friend!" Yasu-nee is **livid**!

"Nee-san, calm down." I say, soaking in the gorgeous tub – in what has been dubbed ' _the girls' bathroom_ '. Hinata-chan is right across from me, looking a bit beat up. I feel horrible, but… "I'm sorry we didn't tell you before, but Nii-san asked me to." Hinata-chan's eyes go wide, blushing deeper than I've ever seen her blush.

"That doesn't excuse it!"

"Nee-san, hear me out. Please?" She crosses her arms, tapping her finger against her biceps. She's pissed, but she's listening at least. "Nii-san had a theory that Hinata-chan is being emotionally and mentally sabotaged by someone in her clan. She's not exactly someone with high self esteem, but… in the right situation she's every bit as brave, as stubborn, as selfless as Naruto-nii is. And she's so passionate about music and the theatre, and a lot of things."

I pause a moment, hating that I'm making her seem so small; not to mention the winces I see from her. "So he asked me to come up with a way to get her away from them for a while. So that we can build her up. So that we can help her become the person she needs to be."

There's a knock on the door, just before it slides open. I slide closer to Hinata-chan, trying to help her cover up, just in case. "May I come in?" Yoshino-sensei asks. Obviously she heard every word I just said too. Crap.

"Sensei! You weren't supposed to hear about this until tonight! How do you think plausible deniability works?" I complain, rolling my eyes. I don't even pretend she wouldn't hear everything.

"So if this all blows up, it's just your face it blows up in?" She asks. I nod, sliding back now that the door's closed again. Sensei's eyes narrow at the movement, but she doesn't comment. "Aya… thank you."

My head snaps back towards her, shock plain in my eyes. I'd… expected at least a speech on proper etiquette, or something. But a 'thank you'? That's a bit unexpected.

I try to come up with something intelligent. Something wise-sounding. "Huh?" But clueless works too.

"Kurenai's been wracking her brain for months, trying to come up with something. She spent most of the morning complaining about it too." She tattles. I bite my lip, trying not to look too pleased with myself – I'd outsmarted a jounin! Sort of at least. I mean, it's not as if a jounin can challenge a genin to a spar and not expect the outcome to appear fixed. But two genin?

"Well. Then I guess I should say this now. Hina-nee. Welcome to the pack." I smile at her, bright and warm.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's about a half hour later, when I hear someone ringing on. Everyone knows that only Naruto-nii and I are allowed to open the gate, so I start making my way downstairs – cursing that I'm wearing a much thinner jacket.

I make my way outside, seeing Yuuhi-sensei with three white-eye people I don't know. "Yuuhi-sensei, might I ask who is with you?" I don't know her well enough to test her at all, let alone subtly. So I'll just have to assume this one time.

"These are Hiashi-sama, Hanabi-sama and Neji-kun. They are Hinata-chan's father, sister and cousin." The tall one –Hyuuga-sama– is completely neutral. The short one –Hyuuga-san– is worried. The prick looks stoic, but showed annoyance when Hinata-chan's name was called.

"You may enter." I say, but I turn to the middle-height prick. "You may not."

Yuuhi-san looks worried. "Namiki-san, I assure you Ne-"

"Are you trying to tell me who I am expected to allow onto my property?" I interrupt. The four of them are stunned, but do not argue against it. "The father, the sister, the sensei. Yes. The cousin. No. If you disagree, all four of you will not enter."

Hyuuga-sama nods. "As you wish. Neji will remain here." I open the gate, allowing the three in without another word. I do make sure to glare at the moody one as I'm closing the gate though.

"Yuuhi-sensei, she's upstairs second door on the right. Please announce that it's you before opening the door though. Yasu-nee and Yoshino-sensei are with her." Yuuhi-sensei nods, moving towards the front door. "Hyuuga-sama, if you would follow me to the back yard. There is much to discuss. Hinata-chan will join us once she is ready."

The two follow me around the house to the backyard without a word. I invite them to have a seat on the porch, even as Uchiha-san is dominating Aburame-san in another match.

"Namiki-san, I understand there's been a wager. A year's servitude?" Not the wording I used, but hear what you want. The end result won't change.

"More or less. Yuuhi-sensei, Sarutobi-sensei and Captain bore witness to the terms, the match and the results. You may ask them if you wish." I answer neutrally.

"Yuuhi-san has already filled me in on the details. It would seem Hinata has shown more skill today than ever before, yet this was not enough. Even in a taijutsu match." And there's the source of her self confidence issues. Nii-san, you are smarter than you think. "Am I to understand that she will move in with you for the duration of this… agreement?"

"Yes. She will be given her own room, duties to tend to daily, and I, and those I deem worthy, will see to her training." I make sure to point out the training part. That's the intention, other than building her up. Nii-san wasn't too impressed that Hina-nee only shows taijutsu and nothing else. After all, Yoshino-sensei clearly hates people who only specialise in close range combat. Even Naruto-nii was taught mid and long range, to make sure he can survive no matter the situation.

"Father, are we really expected to give into such an outrageous claim?" Hyuuga-san sounds neutral, her face is held blank as well. But I see anger in her eyes. Hmm. She fears I'd steal her sister from her? This is a good thing!

"Hanabi, remember your place." Oh, no you didn't! "Hinata knew the terms and agreed to them. Her honour demands that she fulfil the terms to the letter."

"What if you were to challenge her, to square the debt via combat?" He presses.

Hyuuga-sama sighs, shaking his head and is obviously disappointed. I see. So passion is discouraged in your clan, is it? First problem identified. "A jounin challenging a genin is frowned upon. There is nothing I can do other than request she release her from her agreement. Do you really think one as headstrong as Namiki-san would do such a thing?"

"Fine! Then I'll challenge you! If I win, you let Hina-nee go!" He gives her a wilting glare – I can almost hear him warning her that he will not tolerate another such 'outburst'.

"Hyuuga-san. You look like an academy student. Me accepting this challenge is no different to Hyuuga-sama issuing it. You have no change of winning, and as such there is no honour to be found in it." I explain gently.

"Then where is the honour in allowing my sister to be your slave?" She demands. The fire in Hyuuga-sama's eyes burns brightly for a moment, before the stoic mask takes over once again. I get the impression she's in for a serious beating once they get home.

"Please listen carefully to me, Hyuuga-san. The challenge is an all out spar on the pond. The winner is determined by knock out, ring out, or by falling into the water. Do you really think you can even fight in such a situation?" I ask her. This way she'll be rude if she doesn't answer me, and even Hyuuga-sama has to admit that.

"… no, I can't." I nod agreeing with her. Academy students aren't taught to walk on water, after all. "But if you offer me the same in a ring on dry land, I will!" Crap.

"Namiki-san. I would allow such a thing, should you wish it. Same terms. Only I wish to double the time limit. Should you win, two years of indentured servitude from each of my daughters." He offers. I try not to react too quickly. Mostly because I want to rip his head off and spit down his throat for willingly doing this to his daughters. He sees this as a 'discipline issue' it seems.

"Should I win, Hina-nee goes free!" Hyuuga-san declares. I nod. Yes, this is probably for the best.

"Captain!? Would you mind setting up a ring on dry land please? I have another challenger!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"To keep this fair, the rules are as follows." Captain begins. "Aya must score three points, by means of genjutsu, taijutsu, ninjutsu or a ring out. Whereas Hanabi only needs to score one point. Any physical contact between combatants will be scored as a point, that point going to the one that initiates said contact. No unnecessary force, and no killing moves. Is that clear?"

I nod, so does my challenger. There's fire in her eyes. She truly cares for her sister – well, _our_ sister technically.

I make the seal of confrontation, so does she. "Combatants ready? Begin!"

 **Snap!**

Her eyes gloss over. That's one point for me. I walk over to her, slip my foot out of my slipper, and carefully shove her back. That's two points. She falls, rolls, and stops just outside of the ring. That's three points. I slip my foot back into my slipper so I don't let it get dirty.

Captain sighs. "Winner, Aya!"

The girl stirs, looks around, and sees the disappointment in her father's eyes. I hate him for that. He knew she could not win. Hinata-chan walks onto the porch, taking in the scene, and has to wipe away a few stray tears. She already knows what happened here.

Hyuuga-san gets up, rage in her eyes. She activates her Byakugan and makes a wild dash for me. Naruto-nii body flickers to her, grabbing her by her collar and lifting her up into the air.

"Hanabi." I call to her. She snarls, obviously overly emotional. "The first lesson you will learn here: know when you are in over your head." She tries to still look angry, but I see the embarrassment. Her Byakugan deactivates, so Nii-san puts her down.

"Hyuuga-sama, I trust you accept what this means?"

"I do. I will send their things over later today. The agreement will begin today, on the seventeenth of November, and will continue until the same date in two years time." He says coldly. Not just neutrally, but actually coldness in his tone. Can we just kick him out now, please?

"As you say. I would have you tell your clan they are here for another purpose however. Perhaps a specialised training? After all, I will be requiring that any family secrets they learn here only be taught to their descendants."

"… That is acceptable." He eyes me, trying to understand me a bit. Good luck, sugar.

"Good. Then I will not keep you any longer, Hyuuga-sama." I bow to him, Yoshino-sensei already asking him to come with her. I know she'll show him out quickly. Everyone's eyes are on me. "I hope I don't have to say that what just happened stays here." I get nothing but nods.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I end up having 'secret meetings' all afternoon. One with Sensei so she can go buy the furniture we'll need for the Hyuuga sisters. One with Captain and Yuuhi-sensei to discuss Hina-nee's training, and to demand that Yuuhi-sensei come pick her up here and bring her home when they're done. Another with Naruto-nii about my suspicions on Hina-nee's confidence issues. And let's not forget Yasu-nee, to discuss that she's in fact the woman of the house and it's her job to dish out chores as she sees fit.

Now… now is only the Hyuuga sisters, to discuss what I will be in their lives from this point on – even after the agreement is over and done with. Once in the pack, always in the pack.

"Hina-nee. Hanabi. Sit." I demand. Sensei was kind enough to get me two chairs for my office as well – just so I can hold meetings here. I'm still sore about not having those seals though! But Nii-san just isn't skilled enough yet for that.

The sisters do as I ask.

"I am going to explain what you will do here, and what my role will be in that." I begin. "I am not going to pretend I'm the best person to help either of you. However, I am not alone in wanting to help you. Yoshino-sensei has expressed a desire to oversee certain aspects in your training. You will do as she asks, when she asks."

They nod. From the way they aren't even reacting emotionally, I can tell they are used to this kind of talking. "Yuuhi-sensei has also asked that she be allowed to teach you far more than you've been allowed to until now." I say, looking at Hina-nee. "This includes genjutsu training, which your father refused. I think he's an idiot. You will learn these things and more."

The two of them stiffen, but do not say anything. "While we're at it. Everything you learn from me will be considered a secret. You may teach no one other than your descendants, and the same applies to them. Do you understand?" They nod, assuring me that it will be as I demand – or some crap like that.

I look around my office. The floor the ceiling bookshelves covering every inch of the two walls to my right and left. On the right (I think) are my father's medical books, on the left (it's the opposite side at least) are my mother's books on laws, general books on wolves, tracking and plants – I haven't read half of these books.

"Good. Now, let's stop with all this official crap, please?" I offer in a complete deadpan. Hina-nee is so shocked that a laugh escapes her before she can stop it. "Seriously, sounding like Sensei is tiring. And please, don't either of you try sounding like that around me too much. I like things informal and family-like, okay?"

They nod, unsure how to react.

"Good. Hina-nee, this is my office, but you can come in here any time you want. These books weren't meant to collect dust. So I say we read each of them at least once." I tease, smiling at her.

"Th-thank y-you." Hina-nee manages.

"Don't thank me. Naruto-nii's idea. Thank him." I smile at her blazing cheeks. "And Hanabi… I have no idea what you like. So you're going to have to help me out here."

"Hmm?" She seems unsure about that. I study her while she's thinking. The sleeveless shirt (she's completely nuts, wearing that in this weather), the obvious mesh undershirt, the grey pants matching her shirt. Her eyes are white and pupil-less, and utterly expressive. I can tell just by looking at her that she's thinking long and hard, just by her eyes. And her long black hair, with one lock constantly kissing her nose. She's the definition of a kunoichi is training, even though she seems to only be seven years old. Hmm. "Well, I guess I really like to train. I don't like to play much, but I kind of like bananas and milk?"

How revealing. I know so much about you now. I offer a dull glare, unimpressed with her.

"She's also into poetry. She loves writing new poems and simple songs that she likes to sing." Hina-nee adds. I sigh, happy to have more to work with. And just as happy that Hina-nee didn't stutter while saying that.

"Hanabi. I'm a sound release user, a wolf summoner, a kunoichi, a bookworm and a chocoholic. Not everything we do needs to revolve around the shinobi arts." I tell her. She seems shocked that anyone would say that, but Hina-nee just smiles. "And poetry is awesome! You should seriously be proud of something like that!" I sound just like Nii-san. Still, she needs to hear this.

She blushes, smiling a little, but looking away all the same. I don't think anyone's ever complimented her on this – other than Hina-nee at least.

"Hanabi." She looks to me again. "I don't know how much you understand me or my ways, so I'll just say it. I don't trust people as a rule. There are only a handful of people I can say I trust, and only one I trust blindly."

She nods, unsure of what that means. "So please don't make me regret letting you into my pack."

She stares at me in wide-eyed shock. "But… why would you…?"

"Because you love Hina-nee, and she loves you." I say. "And that's enough for me."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Dinner is turning into quite the affair. The Naras are here, Chouji-kun is here, Momochi-san and Yuki-san are here. Saki-chan is gushing over having another sister and I think Hanabi is really happy about it too. Hina-nee and Naruto-nii are sitting together – and everyone seems more than happy about that. And Yasu-nee… she's mostly just amused that everyone keeps trying to help her with everything.

"Really, it's not like I mind cooking for everyone." Yasu-nee tries again.

"It's not about that. It's about wanting to help you. Is that bad?" Sensei counters. I'm keeping out, mostly.

"So, Chouji-ku~uuuun." I coo. "I hear you've been training _really hard_ lately. It shows in how you handled yourself today." I compliment him, smiling and fiddling with my fingers nervously. He blushes a bit, rubbing the back of his head.

"Really? I mean, I lost every match." He points out.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean you aren't skilled or motivated. I really admire your drive." I blush a little, knowing that I'm laying it on a bit thick. I can't tell if he's even picking up on the HINT AFTER HINT I'm sending his way. I mean, really. Even Naruto-nii is catching on here!

"Thanks. That means a lot coming from you." He grins. He's not going to ask me out, is he. "Now that you mention it. The chuunin exams should be coming up in a few months. I'm really trying to up my game for that, you know." No. Definitely not going to ask me out.

"Yeah. Naruto-nii and I are aiming to ace the exams." I say, my tone less… upbeat. "If you keep training hard like you are, I'm sure you'll do well."

"Speaking of which." Sensei interrupts. I'm grateful, to be honest. This conversation obviously isn't going anywhere positive. "You and Naruto will start your elemental training tomorrow. And make sure you've both signed those summoning contracts. I plan on dealing with that tomorrow as well."

"Signed it last night." Nii-san says, his mouth still half full. Sensei, Hina-nee and I glare at him. He swallows almost painfully. "Sorry. I meant to say that we both already signed the summoning contracts last night." Our glares dull, but we're still glaring at him.

"Well, that's good at least. Now if only you could remember your table manners. We don't want Hinata and Hanabi to get a bad impression of you, now do we."

"Sense~eeeeei! I have great table manners!" He complains.

"You're capable of it, yes." She meets him halfway.

"As interesting as this is. I could use a drink." Momochi-san announces. Well, I'm already done eating, and he has been really nice so far – in his own way.

"Alright. I'll go warm it up for you. Nara-sama, did you want some too?" I offer.

"Thank you, Aya-chan. And really, you can call me Shikaku if you want. It's so confusing with three Naras here." He tries. Yeah, but one's Sensei, the other's Nara-san, and you're Nara-sama. Still… I kind of do feel like I can sort of trust him, a little.

"And calling you Shika-sama would be better?" I tease, bringing my plate and chopsticks with me as I walk to the kitchen. I place the items in the sink, noticing the warm water in a large pot that Yoshino-sensei probably already had prepared for warming up the sake. I grab two bottles from the collection in one of the lower cabinets and place them both in the water. I then go back into the same cabinet and grab two saucers. I make sure to rinse them with some tap water and dry them properly – all the while keeping a count in my head of how long the sake's in the water. When it's exactly the right time, I grab both bottles at once and I walk with them back into the sitting room. I offer Momochi-san his saucer and bottle first, mostly because he's closer, and Nara-sama soon after.

"Thank you, Aya-chan." Nara-sama smiles at me, as he usually does. I beam, thankful for little things like this. Hmm, maybe I should…

"You're quite welcome, Shikaku-san." I make my way back to my seat, not even caring that Momochi-san didn't thank me. He didn't exactly ask me either, so he probably just doesn't think he has to, or something.

"Zabuza-sama~aaaa…?" Yuki-san glares at the man. I know that look. It's a promise of absolute and totally annoyance should the 'request' go ignored.

"Thanks, Namiki." I smile at Momochi-san, but I offer Yuki-san an especially warm smile – controlling a man like Momochi-san can't be easy.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Alright, Kakashi. You've run them into the ground all morning. Ease up." Sensei sounds amused. Yeah. Six hours of training. Straight. No breaks, no excuses. Nothing. Why? Because he heard Sensei making me and Nii-san (though mostly me) promise not to give Captain a hard time today.

Bastard took total advantage of it.

"Alright. I guess that's all I'm needed for today then?" He almost sounds disappointed.

"No. Sasuke already has some experience with elemental manipulation. It would be wise to start him out on a secondary element. And I want Aya to start working him in on genjutsu after dinner."

 ** _WHAT!?_**

"Sis, come on. Please?" Nii-san tries, but is immediately ignored. Just like I ignored his last SIX attempted to get me to play nice with Uchiha-san.

"Aya. Listen. And listen well. The team you are assigned to is at worst a peripheral pack. In this case, you are on the same team as your brother. Would you want something to happen to Naruto because you didn't want to work with Sasuke?" Sensei. Stop making sense. Please?

"… fine." I grumble, looking away.

"Aya." I turn back to Sensei. "Stop. Sasuke made a stupid mistake for a stupid reason and then handled the repercussions like an idiot. But… thanks to that you know who your godmother is." Who hasn't shown her face once before or since. I'm so changed by the incident.

"What are we doing now then?" I change the subject.

"Getting you to see what you should be focusing on with your teammate." Sensei doesn't let it go, though. "Tomorrow you'll be doing teamwork exercises. And from what Kakashi tells me, these are teamwork exercises meant for Anbu operatives on a new team. It's going to be demanding, gruelling work. And if you have any issue working with him, you will fail the training. Do you understand?" I meet Sensei's gaze, wondering why she refuses to let this go. I worked just fine with Uchiha-san on a mission!

"Hawk. Eyes. On me." Uchiha-san looks completely blown away, but he activates his eyes. Two commas twirling around like turds being flushed down the toilet. I do the Hell viewing jutsu, with handsigns, so he can copy it. "That's your homework for later. See if you can do it without handsigns. If not, I'll show you a trick that should help."

He deactivates his eyes, nodding to show he understands.

I turn back to Sensei with a look that should clearly ask: satisfied? She looks pleased with herself. "Good. Then Kakashi, Sasuke's with you. Aya, Naruto, you're with me. The first thing we're doing is your initial summoning. I've worked with both your mothers, so I've gotten to know a few of the summons both of you will be working with."

More like Captain's likely to _go_ on himself if he sees a wolf in the flesh.

Still, Nii-san and I follow Sensei into the dojo. She closes the sliding paper screen behind her as she enters. Obviously this is mean to be a private thing.

"Aya. You first. The handsigns are: boar, dog, bird, monkey, ram. You need to bite your thumb and spread the blood onto your fingertips just like when you signed the contract. And it has to be with the same hand you signed with." She explains sternly. "Use about three times the amount of chakra for a body flicker. If that's not enough, you could always try for more after. Nothing bad happens if you don't put enough into it."

"Why not just try for more to begin with then?" Nii-san asks.

"Because you want your first to be young so you can properly bond with them over time. That's why I want you two to start with this now. It takes years to properly bond with your summons, and even longer to trust each other to the point where you can summon them in the middle of a battle and have them not complain about it."

I bite my right thumb, smear the blood onto my fingertips just like when I signed. Then I do the signs.

 **Boar – Dog – Bird – Monkey – Ram – Summoning jutsu!**

I slam my hand onto the training mat. Almost immediately after touching it, I see this… web of black ink flying out from around my hand. A second later, there's a poof of smoke. A rather large poof. Just how big do these wolves get?

It takes almost five seconds before the smoke goes away. "Hello, Aya." I hear. A large –nearly the size of Captain's largest, the bulldog– silver furred wolf with piercing yellow eyes is laying on her side. But that's… the last of the smoke disappears, revealing four pups nursing.

"Awwww! Little babies!" I squeal before I can help it. I don't move though! That might end up being the last thing I do. Nursing wolves aren't… the friendliest of animals if they feel threatened.

"I thought it might end up being you." Yoshino-sensei says, obviously amused. "Aya. I'm not sure if you remember, but this is Tsuren. She was one of your mother's personal summons and one of your babysitters if I recall."

I look at the… **intimidating** wolf… wondering about that. Nope. No clue. "Sorry, I… don't usually think about the past much."

"Fret not, pup. You barely opened your eyes last I saw you." She soothes. "We were, however expecting you to summon one of us soon. It's been a few days since you signed, after all." She sounds like rolling thunder in the distance, and her eyes are pretty fierce. I can understand why people would find wolves intimidating.

"May I… come closer?" I ask carefully.

"You may. And you as well, Naruto."

"You… know me?" I don't get into their conversation. I take a very clear path around her so she can still follow me but can tell I'm not trying to get too close to her pups. Kami-sama only knows what would happen if she were to get upset or defensive.

Let's see. Ears are relaxed, pointing two different directions to monitor her surroundings. She's not paying too much attention to me. No tension in her. Skin leading to her nose not folded. Teeth not bared. She looks… relaxed. I take a few easy steps coming much closer to the large –and very dangerous– wolf.

"No. I knew your mother, Kushina. I'd been summoned quite often to mind her. And you smell just like her. Cursed noodles and all." Tsuren answers evenly. She turns to me, her eyes almost looking curious. "It's alright, Aya. I won't hurt a member of my pack." That's all the permission I need! I put an open hand on her neck…

"Soft…" Her fur feels… familiar… Like Bazu almost. I smooth her fur, making sure not to muss her fur in the least – wolves aren't prideful of their looks, but I'd rather be overly cautious. "I may not remember you, Tsuren… but I know this feeling. All too well."

"I thought you might. You used to hate taking naps unless Miwako summoned me. I might almost call you my first pup." She teases. I carefully, slowly, wrap my arms around her, burying my nose and most of my face in her fur. I haven't felt this… safe in years.

A pitiful whine snaps me out of it though. "Ah, it would seem the pups have finished with their meal. Would you like to come say hello?" She asks. I nod, but I take another moment to enjoy her fuzzy warmth.

Walking around, I see the four pups, each as large as Pakkun, tumbling over each other. Same gorgeous silvery fur, if a bit more poofy. Same yellow eyes, if a bit softer and cuter. "Be mindful. They are teething, so they might try to bite you to sooth that. It won't hurt, but they aren't allowed to anyway." I'm informed. I nod.

"So… I'm allowed to touch them?" I ask cautiously. "I've read that mothers can be super protective of their pups, and that if another's scent is introduced… it doesn't end well for the owner of the scent or the pup."

"You are right, but older pups are allowed." She points out. Well, she's a wolf, she should know.

"That's true. I'd read that sometimes older she-wolves would be allowed to help raise the pups. Is that why I'm allowed?" I ask, trying to not only understand, but show her that I really do want to understand her and her pack. Respect goes a long way with a wolf – and a Namiki, if I'm honest.

"Yes. You are both she-wolf, and my pup. Not to mention a pup yourself. You won't pose a problem to my babies." She nods almost. I come closer to the four, unable to tell them apart from looks. But… I don't know, they almost seem to smell different from each other. It's not really something I've paid too much attention to. I mean, smelling people to get to know them? Not something you want to do if you want to come over as sane.

One of the pups notices me, tumbling over the others and gracelessly coming over to see who I am. "That's Tsuki, the sole girl of the litter." I nod, letting the curious pup come over on her own. I sit down seiza, letting her sniff me as she pleases. She comes close, sniffs, withdraws, then comes back for another sniff. She's the cautious type; I can respect that. Curious but cautious. I place my open palm in front of me, not near her, but near enough to invite her to come sniff it. It takes almost a minute before she does.

"Hello, Tsuki. I'm Aya." I say, enjoying that she's licking my finger over and over again. Her tongue is really rough, but it somehow feels nice anyway. She whines, yawns so wide that I can see a few teeth peeking up through her gums, then climbs up into my lap and curls up. She's a bit heavy, but not much heavier than Pakkun.

I pick her up, cradling her in my arms. She looks at me, curious. Then she rubs her head against my chest a few times, placing her ear against me and just zones out. I think she just fell asleep. Judging form the light snore-like breaths… yeah, I think she did.

"She trusts you. Mind her for me?" Tsuren asks.

"Of course." I say, marvelling at the gorgeous little thing in my arms.

"When she wakes up, tell her to come home. She'll know how to. Tsuza, Tsuma, Tsupou, we're leaving." There are four poofs, and suddenly the others are gone. Not a very original way to name your babies – do all of their names start with 'tsu'? Well, it can be taken to mean 'fang', maybe that's really important to them? I'll have to ask someday. But not today.

"Aww, I wanted to pet the cute wolf too!" Nii-san complains.

"Shh." I look down at the bundle in my arms. He laughs a little, but doesn't make more noise.

"Naruto. You're up."

He goes through the motions, a much smaller poof pops up. "Yo~ooooo!" I hear instantly, even before the smoke has a chance to disappear.

The smoke is slow to leave… mostly because I think my brain just broke. When it does, I see a tiny little fox. Orange-red fur, on its hind legs, its front paws crossed over its chest. I can't tell the sex, but I can tell that this fox is smaller than the pup in my arms. Much smaller. Skinny, lithe. And the ears are perked up. And wearing a kimono shirt; boy's kimono. "Yokoshima here!" I hear, but… "You the new guy, ain't che. Waz good in yo' hood?"

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 26_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: A good bit longer, but I simply needed to cover more this time. Few little subtleties I wanted to point out. First off, Kurenai. As far as I can tell in cannon, she and Hinata are quite close, especially from Hinata's PoV. Or at least, in the pre-Shipuuden days. I have no idea why Shikamaru would offer her more attention in and post Shippuden than Hinata. It doesn't fit with the girl's character. Still, whatever. Hinata probably just fell into Kurenai's "you really don't have to" crap because she was mourning, but whatever._**

 ** _Anyhoo, Kakashi. He still isn't the type of person he needs to be, though he's obviously trying his best. With the trauma of his past and how poorly he dealt with it, both in Canon and in here, he'll need a lot more time to work out the kinks. For those who REALLY like Kakashi as a character, fret not, he'll get there._**

 ** _Hiashi on the other hand. He's more complex than a simple 'good/bad guy'. Everyone is, but especially him. There's a backstory to his idiocy in this chapter, even though it's convenient for Aya. It may or may not be dealt with soon. No promises; it'll happen when it happens._**

 ** _Shikaku is something more of a mystery, even to me sometimes. I mean, what's his relationship with Aya? Does he see her as his wife's student? Is she family? At any rate, he's protective of her, but... I dunno, I feel like there could be more lurking there._**

 ** _As for Zabuza and Haku. They're still somewhat more a mystery at this point, not surprising given they're new to Konoha and don't really trust anyone yet. But... just how much would Haku's gender change in their dynamic?_**

 ** _Sasuke though... what's his deal? Does he have a crush on Aya? He says he doesn't, but he sometimes act as if he does. He knows she is crushing on Chouji, and he knows Chouji reciprocates, but Chouji just isn't making his move! Why? And will Sasuke be able to try worm his way into her heart before Chouji does? So much going on!_**


	31. Relapse

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 27 – Relapse_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You the new guy, ain't che. Waz good in yo' hood?"

"You're an idiot aren't you." The words fly off my tongue before I can help it. It's true though! I mean, it sounds as if this fox is an announcer on the radio or something! Going from accent to accent, persona to persona, just showing they're skilled at something for the sake of showing it.

"There are those that may agree with you, yes." Yokoshima eyes me warily. "Ha! A Namiki! And from the looks of it, you just summoned a wolf too! No… five wolves. An older female and… four nursing pups!? ARE YOU NUTS!?"

"Shh!" I whisper harshly, looking down to Tsuki to indicate she's still sleeping. Yokoshima takes one look, sees the pup, and is suddenly on the other side of the room.

"And **_I'm_** the idiot! You're holding a wolf pup! Actually holding her! You… you're crazy! Even for a Namiki!"

"Would you relax? Her mother asked me to mind her while she's napping." I say calmly. "It's smart that you don't want to touch her, but Tsuren really doesn't mind with me."

"Tsuren?" Yokoshima thinks about that. "I know that name… Hey, new guy!"

An annoyed whine draws my attention to Tsuki. She wriggles in my arms, shifting around, and is obviously annoyed that there's so much noise around her. She opens her yellow eyes, taking in the scene.

"Mama?" She calls, wondering where Tsuren is.

"Hey, Tsuki. Sleep well?" I ask, drawing her attention to me.

"Mama?" She asks again.

"She already went home with the others. She didn't want to wake you, though. You should probably head home." I say, scratching her ear a little.

"Home… mama?"

"Yes, go on home to mama." I confirm. She poofs away a second later. I find myself missing her weight in my arms.

A relieved sigh tells me the fox isn't missing the pup at all. "I swear, you Namikis are just out of your mind." I'm told. I roll my eyes though. "Now as I was saying, Hey, new guy, you should totally meet my sister. Try summoning again! I'll bet you anything you get her!"

"That wouldn't happen to be because all kitsunes are females, and most of you consider the entire clan 'sisters'… would it?" Nii-san asks, deadpan.

A low whistle meets my ears. "A crazy Namiki I can live with. An Uzumaki that thinks… this is going to take some getting used to." Naruto-nii glares at the… kitsune? I didn't know kitsunes had only one tail. "Well anyway! I'll smell ya later, punk!" Poof! Gone.

Naruto-nii doubles over, wheezing from the laughter that catches him. "I'm gonna love summoning that one again!" I blink. And Yokoshima thinks Namikis are crazy?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Elemental training ends up being something of a let down. Yes, it turns out that I'm earth. Yes, it turns out that Naruto-nii is wind. But that's as far as 'predictable' goes. Neither Sensei nor Captain knows how to train someone in wind release, so Sarutobi-san is called in – Nii-san doesn't seem to mind, so I keep the glares to a minimum for his sake. But luckily Sensei does know earth release, so she's been teaching me.

The reason it's a let down? The first exercise, is turning a leaf into stone. Yes. A leaf. Into stone. "Aya! Are you listening to me!?" Sensei sounds majorly ticked. "I said you need to focus earth chakra into that leaf until it's as hard as stone." Yes, leaf into stone. I hear you. It's the 'believing' part that needs work.

Well. It's not as if she'll let up until she's satisfied with my work. Hop to, Aya!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Seriously?" I ask Uchiha-san. He's just staring at me, wordlessly asking me what the problem is. I glare back, trying as hard as I can to not slap the teeth out of his mouth. "You not only didn't practice the genjutsu I told you to, but you now are trying to tell me that you don't fully understand the basics of genjutsu?"

"I said no such thing." He tries, looking annoyed. "I said I do not understand how it is that you can create such an illusion with little preparation and no handsigns." And that's somehow different, because…?

I rub my forehead, wondering why I'm stuck with this numbskull in the first place. I mean, really? "Genjutsu is an abstract art. You cannot think in terms of 'show this', you need to think in terms of how it needs to be shown." I try. He just looks at me weird, as if I'm making less sense now.

"Alright, how about another way then. You can't just simply prepare a genjutsu with 'show person A', or 'see person B die'. You need to be able to be abstract enough to keep the genjutsu as 'person A' or 'person B', while still putting in subtle details like 'that look they always give you when no one's looking'. Do you understand?"

"Not even a little." He deadpans. I groan. And this is the supposed 'brightest' boy of our class?

How about something more concrete then. "You know that E-rank genjutsu I use a lot? The one with a snap?" He nods. "I prep that one with: show something that soothes. Meaning that the person that falls into my genjutsu, their subconscious calls up an image that would sooth them. No matter who it is, no matter what soothes them, that's what they'll see."

"… I see." He sounds like he gets it, if only a little.

"So even though it's a really weak genjutsu, because the target likes what they see, they'd be less likely to want to get out of it. As opposed to genjutsus of nightmares, pain, torture, or whatever. Those are far more likely to make an unprepared victim forget that they can get out of it, but anyone with a strong enough mind will immediately know it's fake. From there anyone can break the genjutsu if they try hard enough."

"So how does this work with environmental genjutsus?" He wonders.

I groan again. Did he learn nothing on the subject? "Genjutsus fall into four categories, depending on how they work. They either affect your reasoning, affect how you interpret the signals from your senses, affect what signals you get in from your senses, or completely shut off one or more of your senses." He has that look again. That 'what are you even talking about look'.

"Let's try an example then." Teaching Naruto-nii was by far simpler than this. "Touch. The sensation we call touch is actually a network of nerves spread out over our entire body. Right?"

He nods, showing he's still with me. "Now, according to the four categories I just described you can either make the person reason that their injuries aren't so bad. Or you could fool the nerves into thinking that they aren't getting in any signals. Or you could make the injuries feel worse or better by affecting how those nerves take in the information. Or you could… okay, wait… touch is a bad way to show all four…"

"No. Sight is easier. Much easier actually, and far more common to affect. Okay. So you receive billions of little light waves right?" He nods, wondering if this will actually work out this time. I growl at him, warning him that I'm doing this for him!

"Alright. So you can either make the person not care what they see, by forcing their mind to reason that it isn't important enough to notice, so it gets filtered out along with the hundreds of other things we don't consciously notice. Or you can prevent those light waves from reaching their eyes, by either bending the light around what you don't want them to see or just around their eyes, or whatever other means people come up with. Or you can force their eyes to take in those light waves differently, like confusing the brain that the signal for orange and black are the same which would mean that a black and orange picture would either be completely black, or completely orange. Or you can just shut off the connection to the eyes entirely."

Okay, THAT was a much better example! "Get it?"

He lets that sink in for a bit. Once he feels he's absorbed it –or whatever– he nods. "Can things be permanently changed via genjutsu?"

"Yes." I nod sadly. "Genjutsus are usually only temporary. Especially the lower ranked ones. But once you get up into B and A-ranked genjutsu, doing them wrong can cause permanent damage to the target. You can be killed via genjutsu, whether people like to admit it or not."

"How so?"

"That's how the brain works. Every genjutsu directly or indirectly involves the brain, but anything that alters how the senses work does this directly. So let's say, I prep a genjutsu which would force your muscles to relax – a paralysis jutsu of sorts. What if I prep it wrong and forget to allow the muscles that work your lungs and heart to continue working? Yes, these muscles work on a completely different 'frequency' in the body. But… they can just as easily be targeted via genjutsu. It's all controlled by the brain. You just have to hijack the right parts and force it to do what you want."

"So… you could stop someone's heart?" He asks.

"Theoretically. I'm not that good yet." I admit.

"How?"

"That depends on your method of using the genjutsu." I don't want to teach him that, at all. So I subtly change the subject. He looks at me curiously again. "Jeez, you really know nothing about this. A genjutsu is any jutsu that directly or indirectly affects the brain via the senses. So either you prep a visual genjutsu, that would be called an ocular genjutsu. So any genjutsu induced via the eyes. These are the most common, because your opponent is always going to keep an eye on you. It's simply easier." I explain.

He nods, showing that he's with me so far. "But those have drawbacks. For example, the Sharingan or the Byakugan, both bloodline limits are immune to these types of genjutsu. Or if the person's eyes are damaged, or simply covered for whatever reason. A small risk, so most never consider it."

He nods again, obviously proud of his heritage. Easy there, tiger. So much your missing, it isn't funny. "But that's just one method. The eyes aren't the only sensory receptors, and unless you haven't noticed, you still fall into my genjutsus." He nods, more serious this time. "That's because I use two senses: hearing and touch. A lot of people don't realise that you can feel sounds just as acutely as you hear them. That's one of the advantages of those hairs on every inch of our skin – they can act as little microphones. Not to mention the skin."

He furrows his brow, thinking about that. He doesn't like what he's thinking. "So that would mean that as long as your target can hear or feel, they are susceptible to your sound release genjutsus?"

"Yes, more or less." I admit. There are ways around everything, but that covers the basics.

"Meaning?"

"Nothing is without risk, no jutsu is without weakness." I remind him. He agrees with me, but he doesn't understand what that really means in this case. Not that I plan on explaining the weaknesses of my jutsus – I don't trust him!

"So… ocular genjutsu. How can I take Hell viewing jutsu and turn it ocular?" He asks. Hmm, he's learning something.

"Why do you think it isn't already ocular?"

"Because it's induced via a burst of chakra, and not aimed at the eyes." He smirks. So, he does have some brains in there.

"That's true. It's induced via our sense of chakra." I grin, wondering if he'll even understand what that means. He blinks, looking confused. I thought so. "Everyone that learns to use chakra, consciously or subconsciously, learns to sense chakra. Those who are good at it are called sensors, but everyone does it on some level." He nods. There's this weird look in his eyes. And I think he's pupils are slightly more dilated…?

"Uchiha-san." He snaps out of whatever the heck that was. I swear to Kami-sama if this boy develops a crush on me…

"So anyway, the way to change it into an ocular genjutsu is to have the same moulded chakra focused somewhere you know the target will look. It doesn't have to be on you, it could also be a flower, a window, a rock. So long as you can ensure the moulded chakra remains where you want it, anyone the 'receives' the information, will fall into your genjutsu."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Naruto-nii… really?" I complain.

"Yes, sis, really." He answers evenly.

"No… really?" I try again.

"Yes. Really, really." He isn't budging. I groan. Didn't I do enough today? "Look, you said yourself that most of the medical jutsus that your dad used were Seals based. And your mom was completely awesome at them! If you want your parents to be totally proud of you, you're going to have to learn this eventually." I groan again. Dealing with Uchiha-san after dinner wasn't bad enough, it seems.

"Fine…" I give in, unhappy about it. He rolls his eyes, but turns to our 'sensei' for the evening.

"Alright, Asami-chan! We're in your capable hands!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I've never seen someone mess up this exercise this badly." I groan. _Thanks_ , Sarutobi-san, that _helps_. "No, really. I mean. Wow. This is a whole new kind of bad."

I growl at her. "Si~iiis." What!? You're just going to let her talk to me like that!? "Asami-chan, is there something we can do?"

"Yeah, you can tell her to stop trying to do this with the wrong hand." I blink. Huh? "She grabs her brush with her left hand, switches it over to her right and messes up. Badly. That's a clear sign she's not right-handed."

"I am right handed, I just messed up my fine motor skills with a burn on my right forearm." I explain, blushing. I hate talking about how badly I mess up.

"That might explain the quality, but it doesn't explain grabbing it with your left to begin with. I mean, a lot of left-handed students are forced to write right-handed, simply because the teachers tell them to. It doesn't change which is your dominant hand, though." I blink at her. Now I know how Uchiha-san felt listening to me earlier.

"Alright, let's try this then." She throws something at my face. I swat it away, on instinct. "See, you hit it with your left hand." She says. I look, and… well, yeah, that's the one that forms an 'L'.

"So, basically, we need to stop focusing on you relearning your right hand. We need to teach you properly with your left." She explains. "In the end it'll technically make you ambidextrous, which is mostly in your advantage. But the point is, you're very much a lefty."

"So why don't they allow 'lefties' to write left-handed?" I ask, remembering how much trouble I had learning to write in the first place – it just felt **awkward**.

"Because they keep arguing that the number of lefties is negligible and that they'll eventually just teach themselves anyway. And… as an 'added bonus' this would train their off hand as well. So really, they're 'doing lefties a favour'." She does the air-quotes every time, obviously as annoyed about this as I am.

"So. Miss lefty, let's see if we can't undo their stupidity."

"Alright." I nod. I'm still not really sure, but what could it hurt? Worst case scenario, I train my 'off hand' and still become ambidextrous. "Th-thanks." I say, looking away. I won't lie, or pretend that I like the girl. But… I can respect the person that she is. She's obviously doing this for Naruto-nii, trying to include herself into his clique, his pack, but…

She smiles at me, beams really. I don't understand her at all.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next afternoon, after lunch, Yoshino-sensei and I end up dragging poor Hina-nee and Hanabi along, into the Kuruta's again. I'm beginning to really like coming here – even if the blacksmith isn't really one for a casual conversation; like I'm any better?

"So, Hinata. Have you thought about which instrument you might like to work with?" Yoshino-sensei asks as we enter.

"A-ano… I-I w-was thinking about… maybe… possibly the sh-shinobue?" She manages. We really need to work on that stutter of hers. I mean, really?

"That's a wonderful idea! I mean, if you like it, that is." I try not to sound too happy about it. I mean, I'm thrilled! But I really want this to be her choice; she has to work with it, and she has to love doing it.

"I-I do." She beams. So we head over to the same section I bought my flute, and we let her pick one she likes. It takes a few minutes, but she eventually selects a black shinobue – she does point out that it's also a hiyashi styled one, so we can basically do duets now.

We turn to Hanabi, but she doesn't seem to like the flute at all. And there aren't any other musical instruments here, unless you count bells – which I don't.

Yoshino-sensei suggests we go to a music store a bit 'up the way' –whatever that means– and switches over to weapons. "Sensei, it'd make more sense to let them look through the weapons we have at home first, and if they don't find something they like… then we could always come back and see if we can find something suitable."

"That sounds reasonable." Sensei agrees. As do the Hyuuga sisters, more or less. They're still not really sure about needing a weapon at all, but I'm not giving them a choice in the matter. Their training is my business, so they'll learn to handle a weapon in addition to a musical instrument.

Neither girl seems to need –or want– a new pair of sandals, so I pay for the flute and we leave. We're not really in a rush, so we kind of window shop on the way.

"Hey, Chouji-ku~uuuuun!" Chouji? My head snaps towards the voice – Haruno-san's, a bit behind us. And sure enough, up ahead I see Chouji-kun, Ino and Nara-san walking towards us, with Haruno-san now running in their direction. The pinkette runs right up to Chouji-kun…

She throws her arms around him…

…

Their lips meet…

Once… twice… a third time… this time much longer.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I don't even know how I got home. I don't know how long ago I saw _that_ scene. All I know, is that I felt my heart shatter. I thought… I could have sworn…

But he never said anything about it. He knows I like him, he CAN'T be stupid enough to not know. But he never said anything about him and Haruno. Not that Haruno was ever anything but a 'Sasuke fangirl'. It doesn't make sense. It shouldn't make sense. I… he…

I'm being stupid.

He's just a boy. I'm just a girl. I need to focus on my training, on my pack. The pack comes first. The pack will always come first.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 27_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Sorry, no teasers or subtle hints this time. You'll just have to wait and see how this plays out ^_^ (yes, I know I'm evil sometimes)_**


	32. Chouji: Under your spell

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 28 – Chouji: Under your spell_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Alright, team. I'm not sure if you know this or not, but Kuranai here is called Konoha's Genjutsu Misstress. This is because she's the best genjutsu user in Konoha." Asuma-sensei explains. We nod, mostly to show we're still following him. "I've asked her here to help train you kids in recognizing a genjutsu, releasing it, and if you can't, how to make sure you're teammates know so they can release it for you."

"And this has nothing to do with you wanting to spend more time with her?" Ino asks, a knowing smile on her face.

Sensei clears his throat, for some reason. "Kurenai, if you would."

"What I'm going to do is simple. I'm going to start you off casting E-rank genjutsus on you, and you are going to dispel them. Once I believe you can do this well enough, I will move up to D-ranks. Then C-ranks. I believe Aya uses mostly only E and D-ranks, so this should be enough for now. But… it wouldn't be a bad thing if you guys learned to recognize and dispel up to A-ranks, just in case. You never know when you might need to use that to save your life."

"Now," She continues without missing a beat. "The safest way is called the Genjutsu-Release. It's not technically a jutsu, so we don't call it that. I'll show you this in a moment. Another way is to overload the senses, causing the brain to reanalyse what's going on. Via pain, sudden and loud noises, things like this. In fact, some taijutsu specialists have trained so that they can continue to react to outside stimuli even while under the influence of a genjutsu. It's nearly impossible, and practically suicide work, but it's been done."

"Any questions so far?"

"Yeah, actually." Ino isn't going to ask about what was just said. "You had a meeting with Aya-chan yesterday, about Hinata-chan's training? Would you say you're happy with the current agreements in place?"

"I'm not sure what that has to do with anything… but, yes." Then comes the 'Why is that?'. I'm not sure if Kurenai-sensei is used to people like Ino, but answering anything with a yes or a no, is just asking for another question. It's why Shika and I ignore her so much, and she knows it. "Aya's ideas of training and my own do not differ too much. But even on things we disagree on, she's willing to listen to my logic behind it and decide peaceably what's in Hinata's best interest."

I try not to, but I sigh. I'm just too tired to deal with this right now. Between extra clan trainings, Asuma-sensei deciding to up our training so we start earlier and train longer… I'm just not built for this kind of thing. I mean, three hours nonstop!? That's madness!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 _"Chouji-kun…" Aya murmurs, her head tilted back slightly, her eyes twinkling like the night sky. Her pupils are slightly dilated. She bites her lip nervously. The she closes her eyes, puckering her lips._

 _She's allowing me to see her vulnerable like this. More vulnerable that she'd let anyone see her._

 _I lean in, unsure what in Kami's name I'm even doing. Our lips meet, but I taste nothing, feel nothing._ Right. Genjutsu training. Crap!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Man! I can't believe we weren't even allowed to stop for lunch!" I complain, my tummy growling angrily.

"Oh, would you quit it already! I already told you this is the shortest route to a restaurant I know!" Ino isn't in much better a state than I am. Luckily, with all the extra training, she was sort of forced to eat considerably more food than she normally would. I might say she has an average appetite now – still too skinny though.

"Would the two of you please quiet down…" Shika's annoyed. Ouch. Being annoyed is usually too troublesome for his tastes, I guess that means we'd better not get on each other's nerves right now. We're all tired. So we continue on, walking through… the Shinobi District? Whatever. Ino is hungry, she wouldn't dare make us take longer than needed.

"Hey, Chouji-ku~uuuuun!" Huh? I hear… Sakura calling me? I blink. Why would she call me? Well, she's walking over to us. She's smiling brightly? She never smiles at me. Still walking towards me. I blink. This is just like that genjutsu from before. Only, that should be Aya-chan. So why is it Sakura? I mean, that doesn't make sense.

She walks up to me, throws her arms around me, tugs me down a little – since I'm a bit taller than her. And she kisses me. I blink. She kisses me again. I blink again. I can feel her breasts against me. I can feel her warmth. This is pretty realistic! Don't tell me Kurenai-sensei cast a higher rank genjutsu on me! Just to test if I'm paying attention after 'class' lets out?

Sakura kisses me a third time. And I think I feel… her tongue in my mouth? Ew! I push Sakura-genjutsu back, making a Tiger seal with my hands and doing the genjutsu-release like Kurenai-sensei explained it. It's worked on all the other genjutsus. So why isn't this one fading.

Ino's looking at me, completely gobsmacked. Shika's not exactly doing much better. And Sakura looks put out. Try again. Got it.

…

Nope. Nothing. I shuffle my right foot twice. Then my left foot twice. That's our code for 'stuck in a genjutsu, help!'

They just look at me, even more out of it now. Fine! I bite my lip, so hard that I taste blood. Quite a lot of blood actually. I think I bit it **too** hard. The scene doesn't change at all, and I KNOW that pain would have done it.

"This isn't a genjutsu, is it." I drone.

"No. And I think that was Aya-chan just now. Sakura… you didn't just kiss Chouji to get back at Aya, did you!?" Ino sounds… what's the word? How would you describe being so mad that a mere glance would call down hellfire and brimstone on someone? Whatever, Ino's _that_!

Oh? Sakura looks quite pleased with herself? Like she just hit the jackpot?

"Ino. Would you support my right to react like a girl that just had some creep walk up to her and kiss her out of the blue?" I ask. It's a no-brainer how a girl reacts to that, but Ino and Sakura were friends at some point.

"Please do!" I punch Sakura right in the face. Hard. She flies back, and right into auntie's grip. If anything, auntie looks even more _that_ than Ino ever could. Act like a creep? Get treated like one. Equality working with me for once!

Auntie walks up to us, Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan right behind her. "YOU!" She shouts, getting some random chuunin's attention. "Take this girl to T&I. Have her charged with sexual assault on a genin. Have her treated accordingly." Sexual… assault? For a kiss? Well… a kiss isn't technically illegal, but you can't just walk up to everyone and kiss them as you please! Not to mention I'm pretty sure if I kissed some random girl in the street, it'd get treated as exactly that.

I nod, ignoring what happens to the pinkette. "We need to check on Aya." We nod. Food can wait.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

On arriving at the gate to Aya's home, we ring on. I'm not entirely sure what to expect to be honest. It takes a minute, before Asami-san comes to the gate? Why is she even here?

"I take it you know what happened?" The redhead asks.

Auntie nods, worry plain in her eyes. "Is she alright?"

Asami-san opens the gate, letting us in. "She shut herself up in her room. Activated the seals and all. We don't _know_ , but I can guess."

"No way in then. All we can do is wait for her to come out." Asami nods, agreeing with the assessment. "You three should go into the family sitting room. Try to find Yasu-san if you can, ask her about something to eat. Asami, where's Naruto?" Auntie takes charge of the situation, even as we're taking off our footwear.

"In front of her bedroom door. He and Sasuke haven't moved from there since she came barging in."

"'Barging in'?"

"Just like it sounds. Thundering footsteps, slamming every door she touched, but… she never made a peep other than that. Just what happened exactly?" Asami-san sounds worried. I won't lie, I'm worried too. I mean, Aya-chan can be unreasonable sometimes, but she's never been **this** upset before!

"An old classmate of theirs… kissed Chouji to upset her." Auntie explains. Judging from Asami-san's shocked expression… I'm guessing she understands more than she probably should at this point.

"Please, whatever you do… **don't** tell Naruto-kun who…" Asami-san begs. I think Naruto-kun might end up doing more damage than I did. The worst she'd get from me is a bruise. From Naruto however… I just hope neither he nor Aya think I kissed her willingly! I honestly thought it was a genjutsu! And even then! I was so surprised I wouldn't have been able to react in time to stop her!

"When she's ready to talk… do you really think she won't tell him?" Auntie reminds her. "Better to tell him now, so he can be supportive when she needs him most." I'm actually glad Sakura's (hopefully) locked up; she's safer behind bars, and I think auntie knows that.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Naruto." Auntie calls him cautiously. His eyes look… sharper than before. Almost feral.

"What happened?" Yeah, his voice is deeper now too. Darker, almost.

"She still inside?" She asks, trying to keep everyone's heads cool. It isn't working.

"I asked you **what happened**?"

"I'll explain it. I promise. But first you need to calm down." She tries, motioning for him to calm down a little.

" **I AM CALM!** " He bellows, every muscle in his body tensing. He isn't in _any way_ calm. And what's worse, he isn't even pacing to soothe his nerves any. He's just sitting down, elbows on his knees, with his back to –what I would assume is– Aya's bedroom door.

"No. You're not. I appreciate you being worried and angry for her. And judging from… the situation… I'll assume she came in here crying." Naruto-nii is only becoming more and more agitated with every word he hears. It's hard to judge, with the shadows covering his eyes, but… it almost looks as if his eyes are glowing just a little. And not the blue they usually are, but crimson… blood red.

"…" He doesn't answer. But I can hear his deep, rumbling breaths from here.

"Ino. Downstairs. Now. Chouji. Stay where you are." Auntie commands softly. Obviously she thinks he's volatile, but she doesn't think she's in any danger.

"Yasu's in the kitchen. Sakiko's in the back yard playing." Sasuke points out. He seems completely unfazed by Naruto's current state. I blink. I've never seen a person so upset that they physically change! Is that normal? That can't be normal! "A tip, sensei. Don't beat around the bush. He isn't in the mood."

Auntie snorts, obviously having come to that same conclusion already. I hear Ino and Shika moving away, slowly but audibly to not draw Naruto's attention to them too much.

"There was a situation in the village. Chouji is involved, but I assure you he is a victim and not the culprit." Auntie begins, obviously having noticed that Naruto's staring… no, glaring at me. Yes. His eyes are most definitely red now. And his pupils are slits instead of dots. Those markings on his cheeks are far more noticeable now too. "Sakura walked up to him and kissed him, in full view of Aya. He was so shocked he didn't even realise what was going on. And when he did, he thought it was a genjutsu and tried to dispel it. When it wouldn't go away, he tried to signal to his team to help him. When they wouldn't, he bits his lip so hard he bled. When he realised it wasn't a genjutsu, he punched Sakura hard enough to send her flying." She gives a play-by-play.

" **Where is she.** " His teeth seem far more… like canines. Almost like a dog's. Maybe this has to do with signing that kitsune contract he was talking about? I've never asked a summoner how much their relationship with their summons can affect them.

"Safe from you. For now, at least. Aya will need you here when she's ready to come out. You know that." Auntie isn't sugar coating any of this. "We both know that you don't need this on top of everything else. That's why I am asking you to calm down. Please."

He snorts, but he doesn't seem to be calming down at all.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Two hours have passed. Still no sign that Aya's ready to come out. I've tried knocking a few times, but no response. According to auntie, there's a seal that activates a soundproof barrier, but still… you never know.

Naruto didn't end up calming down until Hinata came up and asked him (just him) if everything was alright. And even then, it took him a good five minutes before he told her flatly: no. She's been sitting beside him ever since. So have I. Even while he is clearly still upset, I understand why – even if I don't understand how upset he is.

The door opens without warning. "You don't have to talk. I already know." Naruto says, not moving. "Chouji's here. Yoshino-sensei explained what happened, and I already got the confirmation from Ino and Shikamaru. It isn't what you think you saw."

"N-nn." Aya noises.

"Everyone. Downstairs." Naruto orders. I nod, getti- "Not you, Chouji." O…kay. Not sure how to feel about this, but it's plainly obvious I don't have a choice in the matter. Auntie, Sasuke and Hinata make their way down the stairs without a word, but each offers a small smile to Aya. I still can't even see her, but they don't look too happy with what they see.

"He thought it was a genjutsu." Naruto begins. "So much so, he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. Hinata says we can't disinfect it, so we've cleaned it and left it to heal on its own. This is all Sakura's doing. Not any fault of his. And I believe that." I can't help but wonder at how he's laying it out. Not giving her a need to ask any questions, but plenty of chance if she still wants to.

I still just barely hear the ' _he's still breathing, after all_ ' from him. I shiver.

Naruto stands up, turns around, and frowns at what he sees. "Since when are you allowed to cry without me?" He asks, no emotion in his voice. He holds his arms wide for her. "Two shoulders. Pick one." She doesn't move, almost as if she's deciding what to do. Almost a minute later –Naruto's arms held wide for her the whole time– she… well, she glides into his arms, and he wraps her in his embrace. It doesn't take a genius to tell the two really do love each other. I can sort of see Aya's face, but not well enough to tell anything about her mood – other than the obvious frown.

"I'm not going to tell you to talk to him, sis. But I still think you should." Naruto eventually says. "Do you want me to stay here with you? Or would you rather have some privacy?"

"I-I'll be f-fine." The colour drains from my face. Aya's stuttering? "Go on. And check if I still have some ice cream, please?"

"I already sent some clones to pick up like six tubs. Different flavours, all chocolaty." He waves, heading down the stairs to give… well, us some privacy. I look to Aya. I understand why everyone didn't like what they saw. Her eyes are red, almost bloodshot. She's obviously been crying. And she didn't do anything with her hair – I don't think I've EVER seen her hair messy before. I wish I'd hit Sakura a LOT harder now.

I don't even wait for Naruto to be out of hearing distance. "I might have broken her jaw. Sakura, I mean. Or was it her cheekbone? I'm not sure. I just know I punched her in the face once I figure out what was going on."

She snorts, amused.

"I… I'm sorry. If I were more aware… it wouldn't have happened." I tell her honestly.

"…" She eyes me, almost warily. Like she's seeing me for the first time. "it's f-" I cut her off, not with words, but by stepping towards her. She seems to be unsure how to react to me. Then again, she took almost a minute to decide how to react to Naruto. She probably just needs some time, and a lot of chocolate. But…

"May I come closer?" I ask cautiously. If Naruto's contract with the kitsune affects him so completely, what would her contract with wolves do to her?

She looks away from me.

"Aya-chan." She doesn't react. "Do you remember how you felt when Sasuke bruised my cheek?" I ask.

She still isn't reacting. "Sakura bruised your heart. May I see that bruise… that pain?" She slowly, ever so slowly, turns to face me. Fresh tears spill down her cheek. I take another step towards her. She doesn't shy away this time. I place my hands on her sides, gently tugging her to me and sliding my hands around around resting them on her lower back. She doesn't fight me, but she isn't as willing either – not when compared to hugging Naruto.

How stupid is this? I finally have her right here, in my arms again… and all I can do is feel jealous of Naruto.

She leans into me, her head placed against my chest. I almost believe she's listening to my heartbeat, for some reason – she's really short. My hand –moving on its own– caresses her cheek, drying her tears. She tilts her head upwards though, looking me in the eyes. She leans back a bit, tilting her head up even more – until her nose is pointing at mine.

Remembering what she did, the morning after the bruise, I lean in and kiss her gently on the cheek. "For balance." I say, half-teasing her… but as I'm straightening back up… as I'm leaning back… she gets this look in her eyes. Her pupils dilate, she's also biting her lips and looks very nervous.

This… this is that exact look, from the genjutsus earlier. The exactly look she'd have during the genjutsus. Well… even if this is just an illusion… I didn't really want to break out of it then either.

I lean in again, slowly. I keep looking into her eyes, trying to see if she'd want me to stop. She closes her eyes though. And she… she… she's so vulnerable. She's oh so vulnerable. She's allowing herself to be… for me.

I close my eyes, praying to any Kami that would listen to help me not mess this up.

I feel the moment our lips meet. How soft her lips feel, even though they taste a bit salty – probably from her tears, but that's just a guess. I also feel my lip complain, the wound from earlier isn't pleased with this whole 'contact thing'. I kiss her again anyway. Take the bitter with the sweet, eh dad?

I feel her arms wrap around my neck, so I pull her in closer to me, wrapping her tighter in my arms. This time she kisses me.

WRRRRRT!

"Ah… sorry. I kind of skipped lunch." I rub the back of my head, embarrassed.

"Go…" She pushes me gently. "I'll be down in a bit."

"I can wait." I say, smiling.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 28_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Didn't want you guys to wait too long ^_^ Before anyone complains, I really am for equal rights. And I believe that if a guy walks up to me and kisses me just because he wants to, I have the right to punch him in the face. I'm allowing guys that same right. Don't like it ladies? Don't walk up to random people and kiss them on the lips!_**

 ** _But anyhoo! The sexual assault charges would technically be accurate against Sakura in this case. I've heard of plenty of cases where a guy did the same crap and got charged with sexual assault. They got off with a slap on the wrist, which Sakura will as well, but the facts stand on their own merit. She should be fined for Public Display of Affection as well, but that kind of totally negates the whole 'assault' part of it. And yes, that really is a thing in some countries, where PDA is not the norm._**

 ** _Next up is two Interludes. Should both be long(ish), but I'm not promising anything. They need to convey certain messages and hints, once they do, it's long enough ^_^_**

 ** _Oh! That thing I wanted to say in the Author's Note from the previous chapter. I've been hinting for a bit that Aya's still really immature about some things. She should have been able to see through Sakura's scheme, but didn't. She got emotional (an emotional 12 year old girl? the shame!) and simply couldn't think straight. If she was thinking straight, she'd know Naruto would be disappointed that she was crying by herself when she should know he'd want to be there._**

 ** _And a side note: Chouji STILL hasn't actually asked her anything! Seriously, I would just come out and ask: Chouji, what are we? But... Like I said, Aya's still quite immature about some things._**


	33. Interlude 4 – Uchiha Sasuke

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Interlude 4 – Uchiha Sasuke_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Now. The only thing we are guaranteed in this life: now. Five minutes ago no longer matters. Five minutes from now is not promised to anyone. That leaves only: now.

Not that I believe in any kind of sappy 'seize the moment' crap. I simply know the truth: now is the only moment you have, do with it as you will. It's kind of hard not knowing something like that, having nightmares of your entire clan, your entire family… your parents… to see them slaughtered each and every night.

That's why I… appreciate my team. Other than Kakashi, they understand that now is everything, and those you spend your 'now' with is all that matters. Thank Kami-sama I didn't get stuck with a fangirl; I think that would have pushed me over the edge.

At least, I think they understand that. Naruto has to! He was dead last in the academy, but now, with Namiki pushing him, he's… strong. Not just stronger, but strong. When he gets serious, like he is right now, his eyes almost turn to steel; like a blade ready to cut anything it touches. His taijutsu has not just improved, he pushes me. Like wind pushes fire to burn hotter, brighter.

And Namiki… that girl is… something else. She was better than me when we graduated in taijutsu, but that was it. Every match was won based purely on taijutsu, so she constantly won. She's smart though, she knows that's why she won. She never boasted because of it, after all. Of course, Yoshino-sensei would never have the girl overspecialize, so she was all but forced to branch out. To medical jutsu, to genjutsu, to sound release. She was already a formidable opponent before… now? I'm doing what I can to stay on her good side.

Not out of fear, of course; Uchiha's do not know fear. No, it's out of common sense. The girl is strong, Naruto is strong. When they come together… I shiver. Sasuke, stop thinking about this during a fight!

Still, Naruto's not pushing me too hard. So, whatever. Just stop thinking about things that make you nervous.

Naruto and Namiki. Controlling Namiki is impossible. I've even read that in the Uchiha archives. Namikis are never tamed, they can only be shown a reason why your way is the right way. Naruto though… I think other than Yoshino-sensei, he's the only one in the Elemental Nations she listens to. To think Naruto was the one behind the Hyuuga plot, even if Namiki was the plot executioner, **he** was pulling the strings. She actually LET HIM pull the strings.

And look at the end result! Two Hyuugas, not just the one he wanted. If I could somehow earn their trust, earn their loyalty. Naruto is by far the easier one, and the more logical one, to approach. However… if anything I suggest goes against what she sees as his best interest, she wouldn't hesitate to step in.

That's why those two are so dangerous together. They have weaknesses by themselves. Sure, those weaknesses are being covered by their individual training and such, but they still have them. However, they do not share the same weakness; in fact, they cover the other's quite well.

Naruto's weakness is glaring: he's an idiot. He gets too emotional too quickly, and that blinds him and drowns out whatever the plan was supposed to be. Add to that, he's focused almost entirely on close quarters combat? Taking him out would be a synch, if he were alone. Well, an enemy AND alone.

Namiki's is… frustratingly growing smaller by the day. Her weakness used to be her reliance on only her taijutsu. Then Yoshino-sensei happened. Once genjutsu was added to the mix, she became somewhat less easy to take out in an all out spar. Then… those sound release jutsus were added when Kakashi came back into the picture. Sure, that snap thing, that's easy to overcome. Even without being allowed to use my Sharingan; the littlest reasoning snaps that illusion like a twig, let alone chakra manipulation.

But… she also knows this. So she times that snap of hers with deadly precision. Then the Hell viewing jutsu, also simple to get out of, if requiring a bit more focus. And that she does it seallessly is… troubling at times, even though she taught me to do the same. She's… not a pushover. She isn't someone to underestimate. And she just keeps growing stronger!

I smirk at that. Solid earth to stand on and a strong wind that will help me to burn my absolute brightest! This is what I've been needing!

"What's with the racket?" Naruto asks, distracted. Well. It's not as if this spar was really doing me much good.

"Let's go find out." I suggest.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"She's in there." He sounds certain. I shrug, not really caring too much. "She sealed the door, and Yasu-nee doesn't know what's going on… that means she didn't come home in a good mood." Naruto's tone turned sour quickly, and if I'm not mistaken quite dark as well.

"Something happened." He grinds out. "Something that upset her enough that she didn't even come to me." I shiver. He may be an idiot, but that's a strong idiot that could scare the dead if he's motivated enough.

He sits in front of her door; plops on the ground really. He's… not happy. I sit as well, opposite him. He doesn't even know what happened, he can't even be certain that she's in there, or what her mood is; let along the reason for that mood.

He ignores silly things –like facts– so the look in his eyes shows he's a microsecond from ripping someone's head off. And the more time that passes, the more that look intensifies. Whatever the source of this 'problem' is… I might actually feel sorry for it.

It's almost five minutes later when I hear footsteps coming our way, from downstairs. Asami. "Where's Aya? And why are you obviously plotting someone's bloody murder, sitting broodingly against her door?" I snort. I can't even tell if she's serious, or if she's trying to lighten the mood. It's a fail either way.

"Inside. Door's sealed. Checked." He levels a glare at the redhead. "Was it you?" I shake my head a little. What an idiot. Anything that moves is the cause for this?

"Naruto-kun. Calm down. I don't even know what happened. I saw her running like her tail was on fire, tears in her eyes, so I followed her." I keep my opinion to myself. He may be an idiot, but he's a strong idiot.

She sits next to Naruto, just barely not touching. What is it with Naruto and girls lately? He seems to be collecting them! Namiki, the two slaves, the Hyuuga sisters, now Asami too…? Well, at least only one of them is a fangirl. I wonder how he'd cope with an army of raving lunatics begging him for a date every tick of the clock.

Easy-on-the-eyes lunatics, but lunatics nonetheless.

We sit in silence for a while. Asami seems content to wait with him, for some reason. Maybe she thinks we actually know something? I could be training instead you know!

…

Why aren't I training? Whatever. Taking a break is sometimes more important than training.

It's another ten, maybe fifteen minutes before someone rings on the bell. Well, considering the timing, I'd say trouble's knocking on Naruto's front door. "I'll go see who it is. Try not to kill anyone while I'm gone?"

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Naruto." Yoshino-sensei calls. He takes one look at whoever's with her, and… all but loses it. I thought he looked pissed before, but this? His eyes turn blood red, his pupils are suddenly slits. Those useless whisker marks on his cheeks look… intense all of a sudden. And… even though he isn't leaking any killing intent at all, I see the promise of death in his gaze. A slow, painful death, to be granted only when he allows it.

"What happened?" Naruto demands. I get a glimpse of his teeth, finding that his canines are suddenly much more pronounced. He looks like a vexed kitsune – not a smart enemy to make.

"She still inside?" Sensei, you're wasting your time trying to talk him down. You'll only rile him up more. Idiots don't deal with emotion well, remember?

"I asked you **what happened**?" Point in case.

"I'll explain it. I promise." She placates. "But first you need to calm down." Why do people still believe the words 'calm down' do anything positive? They don't, they only remind the person that they aren't calm, and then they instinctively think about the reason they aren't calm and:

" **I AM CALM!** " That happens.

"No. You're not." Insightful. "I appreciate you being worried and angry for her. And judging from… the situation… I'll assume she came in here crying." Actually, we don't know. We didn't see her. Not that silly things like that are going to stop Naruto now.

His breaths come out in bursts, almost rumbling like rolling thunder in the distance.

"Ino. Downstairs. Now. Chouji. Stay where you are." Ah. The ball of blubber. That's why Naruto's upset, he thinks Chouji has something to do with it. Hmm, if Naruto kills the boy, I could maybe console Namiki and gain her trust that way? A long shot, but better than no shot.

"Yasu's in the kitchen. Sakiko's in the back yard playing." I offer, trying to be 'the supporting role' for now. Uchiha's don't do 'the supporting role' we're always the lead! But… humility is for the victory of tomorrow. "A tip, sensei. Don't beat around the bush. He isn't in the mood." Just tell him what the corpse did, so I can see just what kind of things Naruto is capable of when he's like this.

Sensei snorts, not that I care why. Two sets of footsteps make their way away from us, but only one was one the stairs. Hmm. Must be Nara, the one that didn't make it up the stairs.

"There was a situation in the village. Chouji is involved, but I assure you he is a victim and not the culprit." Well, there goes that idea. Then again, maybe I can twist this around and say 'Of course you'd defend him, he's like a second son to you!' No. That's not my style. I might suggest it subtly later though.

What follows is a carefully thought out play-by-play, too fast to let Naruto interrupt, but not so fast that he wouldn't follow every word of it. Naruto's new target: Haruno Sakura. Well, that's on fangirl less to worry about.

" **Where is she.** " I shiver. If ever there's a zombie apocalypse, I'm calling him to see if he survived. He's make the zombies scared with a tone like that! I shiver again. And this is still without killing intent!

"Safe from you." For now, maybe. "For now, at least." She's honest, if nothing else. "Aya will need you here when she's ready to come out. You know that." You've got to hand it to Yoshino-sensei. She might not be the strongest in the village, but… you've got to hand it to her. He's ACTUALLY thinking about that.

"We both know that you don't need this on top of everything else. That's why I am asking you to calm down." She continues, now steadily gaining ground. "Please."

Naruto snorts. He's not any less upset, but he has a vent for it now. I think I can use this to my advantage as well. I could offer to lure Sakura into a trap; she'd offer both her kidneys to go on a – _shiver_ – date with me. And **that** could be my way into their good graces.

I mean, if Namiki were to let me copy all her jutsus? Her tactics are nothing if not effective. And Naruto as well, he may be less graceful in a fight, but he doesn't stop until he's the winner – that has to count for something!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"N-naruto-kun?" Hyuuga Hinata calls from the stairs. I can see that same look in Naruto's eyes, but… once his eyes find hers… the look wavers. "Is everything alright?" She didn't stutter? He's scary enough to make me wonder about my odds against him, and the timid one doesn't stutter? Maybe she's so afraid she forgets to? It's possible, but unlikely.

He looks away from her. He closes his eyes, taking in deep and soothing breathes. He doesn't want her to see him like this? No one else affects him, but her? Well… I'm sure Namiki would too, but… the two of them? That's new. Or is it? Is this his reasoning behind 'pulling the strings'?

It's a good five minutes later before something happens. No one moved a muscle the entire time Naruto was shutting out the world. "No." He answers simply. He opens his eyes, once again blue… if a bit more of an icy blue if you ask me.

Hinata climbs the last few stairs and quietly sits beside Naruto, shoulder-to-shoulder. He looks at her, but all she does is smile shyly. She then leans her head against him…? A fangirl with a brain? Lucky dobe. I'm never that lucky. The second my fangirls see me, they're intelligence is out the window – bound, gagged and weighted, just to be sure.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"You don't have to talk. I already know." I look up, finding the door open. Only, I wish I didn't look up. Naruto doesn't move, nor does Hinata. But that isn't why I wish that.

Namiki's been crying. And not some poor fangirl that I turn down for a date for the hundredth time kind of crying. Puffy, red eyes warily take us all in. She didn't expect anyone to be waiting here for her, that much is obvious. Her cheeks are still wet too. She must have only recently decided to come out – though that reason eludes me.

Suddenly, helping them kill Haruno seems more like a personal goal that a manipulative side-job.

I don't hear anything else that gets said. All I can see is the hollowness in her eyes; a look that haunted my reflection far too long. I'm not sure why she's still looking at me, but I do know that I'm cornering Naruto later. There's **_NO WAY_** I'm not getting included in exacting revenge against Haruno for this!

"N-nn." Namiki noises, her eyes looking away from mine. That hurts, for some reason.

"Everyone. Downstairs." Naruto orders. Whatever. I'm still not even sure why I stayed up here in the first place.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Everyone's downstairs, nervously awaiting Namiki. Asami was the first to ask if leaving the Akimichi upstairs with her alone was a bright idea, but she certainly wasn't the only one thinking it.

And when the pair finally grace us with their presence…?

Is he wearing… lipstick? Seeing that every female in the room is smiling knowingly… I'll just go with 'yes'.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Interlude 4_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: This interlude is supposed to be coupled with the next, but depending on how well that flows, it may well be a good deal longer than this one. I won't explicitly say what Sasuke feels for Aya, but I'm sure the more perceptive of you won't need me to ^_^_**

 ** _Coming up is Asami's second interlude. I... will be doing this one in 1st person PoV as well, for reasons I won't divulge. I will do my usual subtle hints, and those that figure it out before it's actually revealed ^_^ Good on you._**


	34. Interlude 5 – Asami part 2

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Interlude 5 – Asami part 2_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hinata." I call to the girl. Yoshino-san might have asked her to stay down here, but… that's a mistake. Naruto-kun is a stick of dynamite lit from both ends right now. Unless Aya comes out soon, he's going to do something stupid. "Naruto-kun is very upset right now. Rightfully so, but… the point is there are only two people I know can calm him down, Aya… and you."

Her eyes widen in shock, but she decides to focus on that later. Her eyes focus on me, hardening somewhat. She nods. "His eyes right now are a bit different. This has to do with the kitsune summoning contract." I lie easily. "What you need to remember is that so long as you do not make sudden movements, nothing bad will happen. He would never hurt you."

The girl nods seriously. "I've tried calming him down, but he barely reacts to me." Admitting that comes at a cost. Still, I wipe the tear away, praying I can make it up to him one day. I look at the brunette, smiling as brightly as I can manage. "I know you can do this." I encourage her.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Hinata and Sasuke come downstairs. Hinata's smiling, but Sasuke looks… troubled by something. I wonder why Chouji would still be upstairs? Then Naruto-kun comes down, alone.

"Naruto. You didn't leave those two alone did you?" I demand, hands on hips and really getting into his face about it.

"Yeah, of course! She wanted to talk to him alone!" He's looking at me like I'm some sort of idiot. And if she just didn't want any witnesses while she mauled the boy? "Sis isn't like that. She just needs to figure out something, and us bugging them while she's doing that ain't gonna be doing her no favours!"

"First of, horrid grammar! '… ain't gonna be doing…'? Second off, how do you even know what I'm thinking?"

"Uhh… it's kind of written all over your face?" He motions to my face. And that means…? "Yeah, just like that! You're trying to ask me just what that's s'posed to mean!"

Whatever. I roll my eyes at him, sitting down to the table. "If he comes down in pieces, it's on you." I mumble.

"He won't." He sounds sure. Whatever.

It's almost twenty minutes later when I hear two pairs of footsteps coming down the stairs. They enter the family sitting room, Aya leading and tugging Chouji along by the hand? I smile a little. Then something on Chouji draws my attention… his lips… they're slightly more pink than usual…

Mental note: don't underestimate Naruto-kun. And definitely congratulate Aya! I have no idea what this will mean for them, but… they're both smiling and blushing.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After dinner, Yoshino-san asks me to see to Naruto-kun and Aya's sealing training again. I nod, wondering about that. I mean, I'm grateful that I get to spend more time with the pair, but… at the same time, I can't help but wonder where I stand with them.

I follow them into the visitors' sitting room again, so that we'll still have a table to work on, and some peace and quiet as well. They both sit down opposite me, already getting down to their practice – even without me uttering a word.

"So, Aya. I noticed someone was wearing your lipstick earlier?" I don't know much about the girl, but I do know that she doesn't like talking to people unless she likes them. She blushes, but continues her writing exercise without comment. I sigh, well, that answers that.

"Still working on that specialized storage seal?" I ask Naruto. He nods, but doesn't comment. Okay…? Why are they acting like this with me? Did I do something wrong? I look down at his work, seeing that he's switching around the containment matrix and the activation matrix. It's not a world-ending mistake, but I'm curious. So I ask him about it.

"… oh! I didn't even notice!" He shouts, already scrapping the seal and starting again right under it. He focuses, trying to not mess up again. Why do I need to be here for this, exactly? What's with keeping me locked out in the cold? I know I messed up! But I was just following orders!

"He still hasn't asked me." Aya complains, blushing deeply.

"Chouji?" I ask, mostly to see if she's talking to Naruto or me.

"Nn." She nods. She's still writing, and judging from the careful, slow motions I can tell she's trying to keep her handwriting as neat as she can.

"That sounds frustrating." I say, sighing. I know she likes him, and I'm pretty sure he likes her too. So why doesn't he just ask her? I mean, it's mostly for the show at this point! … or is that the problem? "Maybe he thinks that _that_ makes it obvious?" I offer. She blushes again, so she understands I mean _the kiss_.

"M-maybe." She's goes quiet again. I don't mind too much, I mean… she should be focusing on her work. But at the same time, I wonder. Maybe she likes to focus instead of talk? She seems capable of doing both at the same time – it must be a girl thing, because Naruto only seems able to do one thing at a time. And most non-jounin guys I know are the same!

Hmm, maybe she just doesn't mind talking, but just doesn't want to talk about this? What would she like talking about that won't distract her too much? Hinata. "Hmm, I've been wondering. Didn't you mention wanting Hinata to start learning this too?"

"I did." She smiles. No, she's grinning! "I have Naruto teaching her the basics." I… see…

I bite my lip, trying not to draw too much attention to the obvious blush on Naruto's face. He likes Hinata. And not a little either! Not a bad plan, Aya. Not bad at all.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"But, auntie~eeeeeee! I wanna go play by boss's house! And Udon and Moegi are already on their way there!"

"Kono-chan, I heard you the first time. Stop being a brat about it." I say, my tone even. I just want to enjoy my book, you know! Enjoying a book usually means in peace! As in: silence! As in: SHUT UP ALREADY!

"So why can't I go!?" He demands, whining and complaining and… being his usual charming self, really.

"Because you have to train. You know that." I remind him, for the hundredth time.

"But Aya-nee trains me while I'm there! And it's just more fun there! And Saki-chan's going to be upset if I don't come! And Hanabi too! Come on, auntie~eeeee! You know I'm not going to shut up until I get to go! And you know you want to go to! You know I know you want to know! And you know that I know that you know that you want to go! So let's just go already! Come on, auntie~eeeeee!"

I groan. And I really like reading Ronin too. I don't know why this boy enjoys finding new ways to get under my skin.

"Fine."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I was wondering what was keeping you!" Aya greets us at the gate, but I can tell she's talking about Kono-chan. "Let me guess, you're supposed to be training, but you annoyed your aunt until she let you come anyway."

"You know it!" Kono-chan sounds quite pleased with himself. I pet him on the head, mostly trying to not deck him.

"Well, I've got bad news for you. I have the others training as well. If you're just trying to run away from your training, you're not going to enjoy yourself very much." She's kind of chatty right now. I smile, knowing that she must like Kono-chan then. He's a good kid, mostly, he just likes to annoy his poor auntie way too much!

"Heh! I wanted to train with them! Not by myself! Just you wait, I'll show you just what I'm capable of!" I roll my eyes, smoothing his hair a little to tell him to calm down.

"Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you though." She opens the gate, inviting both of us in. She points to a group of six –Sakiko, Hanabi, Udon, Moegi and two Naruto-clones– and motions Kono-chan over to them. "You should go join them, but be quiet. I have them meditating so I can teach them one of my signature genjutsus. Think you can handle that?"

Kono-chan? Be quiet?

He pumps his fist into the air –his usual ' _let me at 'em_ ' response– and he quietly makes his way over to the group. He sits down between Udon and Moegi, and he starts to meditate as well. I blink. That's new.

"If you ever need to keep him busy, don't be shy to come over. He enjoys training with the others. And you can always just hang out here, if you want." Aya offers, her eyes trained on the group – and away from me.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." I smile, grateful.

"We're all in the backyard. You can join us if you want, but it's mostly boring stuff for now."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'm supposed to be working on a new jutsu. Nii-san's working on something new as well, and Yoshino-sensei's trying to keep Uchiha from both of us."

"Oh?" That… makes no sense.

"She caught Uchiha-san and Nii-san trying to plot. Seeing as Uchiha-san found out that Haruno will be getting out later today…"

"Ah." Revenge plotting. I'm surprised Aya isn't trying to get in on it, to be honest. And… she's really chatty today. She isn't usually like this with me.

"Yeah. Nii-san already made me promise to stay out of it, but I think that's just because he really, REALLY wants to… be the one that…" She grins almost evilly. Then the grin grows softer, kinder, warmer. "He's been a bit… _intense_ lately."

She motions for me to follow her, for some reason. I narrow my eyes, wondering what's going on. She leads me around the house and to the back yard, but stops at the corner of the house. I can feel it… the intensity of Naruto's focus . Even without seeing him, even without being a sensor, I can feel it. I peek around the corner, seeing Naruto… well, fifty Narutos actually, all focused on coating a kunai with wind chakra. So many feelings comes over me – pride in my little brother, hope for the future… and absolute faith that he's going to be amazing in a few years.

"So why are you trying to teach Naruto-kun genjutsu?" I murmur, trying to not break the blonde's concentration. "And why aren't you training?"

"I am training." She answers, amused. I turn to her, wondering what that means. Then she fades from existence. A genjutsu? No, I didn't feel any tingling in the base of my skull at all, so no genjutsu was cast on me, but…

I look into the backyard, a little closer at everyone. Hmm, there, on the pond, is Aya. Meditating. And from the look of concentration on her face, I'd easily say she hasn't moved in a while. I wonder about that. How did she open the gate for us then?

Aya's eyes open, looking right at me. She smiles and waves, then closes her eyes and focuses again. I blink. I don't understand at all.

Then she makes a Rat handseal, two… black things pop into existence on her shoulders. Crows? Those look like shadow crows! She smiles, and the two crows take flight, over the house and into the front yard. I wonder…

I make my way back to the front yard, finding two clones of Aya there. I walk up to one, and touch her on the shoulder… but my hand goes right through her! A transformation!

"So, you've figured it out." The Aya clone I just tried touching –and my hand's still technically lodged in her chest– says with a proud smile. "I don't have the chakra for a shadow clone, but Captain suggested that this clone would work just as well for me. I'm currently working on a new way to form the shadow crows… maybe turn them into rats? We'll see."

I blink. She's tinkering with jutsus, is she? Interesting.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I spend the rest of the morning in Aya's office. It's the only place with a couch, and I really like laying on a couch while reading. She doesn't mind either – my wanting to read, or my being in her office unattended. Hmm, I might not be as much an outsider as I feared.

Or is it that I told her that I'm reading Ronin? I wonder. It is a popular book, even though I prefer the book over the movie – they just didn't capture the struggle, the emotions, the… reality of Tagarashi and how much he wants something he doesn't feel he deserves.

Hmm, worth asking her later. Not now though. This is the part where Tagarashi walking in on Asuka with his brother. I mean, how could you not see it coming! Besides the fact she's been flirting with him for months, there's the name she's given! 'Asu', means 'tomorrow' and 'ka' (in this case) means 'to fly' – tomorrow flies! More or less. It's a play on impermanence, and that's exactly what she is to Tagarashi, impermanent!

Still, I love hating her for betraying him.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You're still here?" Sasuke asks after lunch. I turn to him, wondering what his issue is.

"Yeah?"

"Good."

"…?" Okay, that makes no sense. Whatever. I go back to Ronin – these people make sense! I've long given up on offering Yasu-san a hand in the kitchen. Between her, Aya and Naruto-kun, there's just no need.

Naruto-kun has three clones studying some books in the corner, while –I assume– the original is showing Kono-chan and crew a new move in the front yard.

"Uchiha-san. Captain's waiting for you in the back yard." Aya comes in from the kitchen. Sasuke nods, heading off without a word. Aya rolls her eyes at him, obviously annoyed – and I'd have to agree. He could at least thank her, or something.

"Hey, Aya. I was wondering. That jutsu from earlier. The shadow crows. Why'd you want to learn it?" I ask, putting Ronin aside for the time being.

"Well." She thinks about that, still wearing an apron that's obviously too big for her. "I really want to be able to study and read and train at the same time. And I'd probably just die if I tried using the shadow clone jutsu." True. Only jounins are allowed to learn it, because it's so taxing on your chakra reserves.

"So Captain offered to teach me the shadow crow. It's only a C-rank, and even though it can't really do much, it's perfect for what I want." She explains, smiling a little. "It transfers its memories back to the user, it can cast simple jutsus so long as I give it enough chakra, and I can use sound release to speak through them."

Hmm. It sounds handy to have. "Thanks, by the way." I say, blushing with a small smile.

"For?"

"Letting me read in peace. I think Kono-chan would have just bugged me for the rest of the day otherwise." I explain, but… that isn't the whole story. "And for trusting me a little." I look away from her.

"… you're welcome." She says, leaving without another word. Namiki Aya. She's… interesting. I wonder what the future holds for her.

I pick up my book, opening it to the marked page and start to read again. I'll just have to keep an eye on her to find out.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Interlude 5_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I wonder. Aya's being somewhat nice to Asami. And Sasuke's being as hard to read as ever. I wonder what all this will mean. Anyhoo! I've got something special up my sleeve for the next few chapters! After all, Team Seven has been training REALLY hard. Maybe it's time for another mission? Or is Yoshino really just trying to keep Sakura safe for a little while longer? Time will tell!_**


	35. Perspective: Truth vs Deception

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 29 – Perspective: Truth vs Deception_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Alright team. After lunch we're going to the Tower. We're taking a C-rank mission today." Captain announces. I look at him, wondering about that. Don't get me wrong, another mission would be ideal, and Nii-san and I could put the money towards a few small projects we've been thinking up, but…

"Are you two _that_ worried about Haruno?" I ask, not really caring either way.

"No. I'm curious how well you three will use your new skills in the real world." Captain counters smoothly. I roll my eyes, not buying it for a second. Still, whatever. I walk into the house, finding Sarutobi-san still reading her book. I can appreciate that, I really can.

"Training went well?" She asks. I nod, but remember that she's reading so she can't see me.

"Yeah." Hmm. A C-rank mission. That means leaving the village for a while. I don't think Yasu-nee would need help around the house –she's quite capable– but… I'll still be worried if there's no one around just in case. Not to mention the risk of her not being able to get back in, seeing as we still have no clue how to tweak the security seals.

"You look like a girl with something on her mind." Sarutobi teases, putting her book down.

Hmm, she can read her book and monitor those around her. She's very aware of her environment. I nod. "We're going on a mission again. Might be gone a while." I explain. "I was… hoping you might be willing to help out Yasu-nee if she needs anything?"

"Sweetie, that really isn't needed. I can manage while you two are gone." Yasu-nee says, already bringing in dish after dish for our lunch.

"Nee-san! How would you get back in if the gate closes? We can't just assume you won't need to leave the house for anything, and we don't even know how long we'll be gone!" I argue. She thinks about that for a _whole second_ , before shrugging and leaving it at that.

"You would… trust me with this?" Sarutobi-san asks, her eyes questioning. I turn, but nod anyway.

"I guess we're just here for decoration then." Momochi-san complains.

"And drinking sake." I point out, my tone a complete deadpan.

"Touché." He shrugs.

"Namiki-san, if you wouldn't mind, I would help as well." Yuki-san offers. I blink at her, unsure what to make of it. Sure, she's been helping around the house as well, but… I won't be here, Nii-san won't be here. If… if she were to go crazy while we're gone…?

"That's very sweet of you, Haku-chan. _Don't you think so, **Aya**_?" I wince. Yasu-nee doesn't use her ' _don't you dare even **think** otherwise_ ' tone often, but when she does…

"Yes. Thank you, Yuki-san." I bow to her, my eyes trained on the ground in front of me.

"Fret not. I will protect your precious people." She smiles, really smiles. Her eyes hold a warmth I didn't know they could contain. Kami-sama, this girl is gorgeous when she does that!

Words will never express what I feel, so I walk up to her and hug her. She's a bit caught off guard, but I feel her hugging me back a moment later. "Promise?"

"I swear it." There's a sense of finality in her voice. I can tell, even without her saying it, that she'd die to protect my pack.

"Thank you… Haku." I hug her a little tighter.

"Now I just feel left out. She gets 'Haku', but I'm still 'Sarutobi-san'? How is that fair?" Sarutobi-san teases a bit; her little smirk is a dead giveaway.

"Naru-nii. I think Sasa-nee needs a hug too. Don't you?" I look to Nii-san, my eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Definitely." His eyes twinkle as well.

I can't tell how it happened. One second, we're hugging her, the next we're tickling her so mercilessly that I think she'll end up _going_ … and a second later we're in a heap on the tatami mats, rolling over each other and all three of us are cackling with laughter.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Team Seven, reporting for a new C-rank mission." Captain announces. Somehow, I end up between Uchiha-san and Nii-san. I'm not sure why. But I do know that _he_ 'd better not show any kind of slouch while we're addressing Hokage-dono.

"Ah. I was wondering when to expect you. I have just the thing. A village near the border of the Land of Tea has sent a request to investigate this new business that recently opened. The owners are from the Land of Tea, so the locals suspect they are somehow gangsters. It shouldn't take more than a week, not including travel time."

"What's the plan if they are gangsters?" Nii-san asks. That's… actually a good question.

"That is at the discretion of Kakashi. If he feels they are a threat, treat them as such." Kill them, in other words. I shrug. Not much different to clearing out bandit camps. "That is all. Dismissed."

"Team, pack for a two week mission. Meet at South Gate in one hour." Yeah, yeah.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You have your flute?"

"Yes."

"Your kunais and those shuriken?"

"Yes."

"Enough ninja wire?"

"Yes."

"Explosive tags?"

"Yes."

"Rations bars?"

"And bottles of water. Both enough for four meals a day over two weeks."

"Good. What about clothes?"

"More than enough."

"Toiletries?"

"Yes."

"Makeup?"

"Won't need it, but yes."

"You don't need it in Konoha either, but it doesn't hurt. What about scrolls for training?"

"Three medical. Two sound release. Four genjutsu. One earth release." Yoshino-sensei is being a real mother hen right now.

"What about camping equipment?"

"Of course."

"Extra linens?"

"Sensei, I think next time I'll just let you watch me pack." I tease her. "Yes. Extra linens. I even have pads and such, just in case. And my first aid kit is fully stocked. And I have the antidotes to all the poisons Nii-san uses. And I have cooking ware. And I have some seasonings. Sensei, I have everything but the kitchen sink sealed. I'll be fine."

"… what about the antidotes to the poisons you use?"

"I don't use poisons. If I find a situation where I need to, I'll ask Nii-san, and I have the antidotes to those." I roll my eyes, smiling at her. She's not even a little bit sorry she's like this.

"Solider pills?" Is she still not finished?

"Yes."

"Blood plasma pills?"

"Yes. Those are in my first aid kit." I'd better be sure I word all this right, or she'll just go over everything again.

"… enough empty storage seals?"

"Yes. You do realise I only have like twenty minutes before I need to leave?"

"That's exactly why I need to double check _now_. Imagine you remember something when you're already half way there!" She smirks, still not feeling in the least bit sorry she's like this. I hug her. She's quick to hug me back, but even that doesn't stop her for long. "What about an extra pair of slippers and/or sandals?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After our farewells –lots of them, really– we make our way to South Gate. It's the first time in a while since we've been 'unsupervised' in public. I really don't care either way. We're not allowed to go 'rooftop jumping', so we walk through the crowded streets.

We get more than a few zealous glances, but no one's going to start any crap with two shinobi in public like this – not if they have a brain.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY LET YOU OUT AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO MY DAUGHTER!" Pink hair. Green eyes. Shrieking like there's no tomorrow. I can guess this is a Haruno. We keep walking, not caring who the woman's even talking to – or about for that matter.

"Did Sensei give you a hard time about your packing too?" Nii-san asks. I snort, amused. "I thought so. Jeez. I guess I don't have to wonder anymore what it'd be like to have a mother." I smile. Yeah, I can imagine mama being exactly like that.

"Do you think we should sign Sakiko up for the academy? She certainly has the drive for it." I say, smiling a little. She's about the right age too.

"Hmm. We could at least talk to Yasu-nee about it. And we should only really talk to Saki-chan about it after that." Good point. I nod.

"AND THEY AREN'T EVEN LISTENING TO ME! KURA-SAN, DO YOU SEE THE GALL OF THOSE DEMONS!?" I stop dead in my tracks. Demons? Obviously she's talking about us then. I turn, seeing a very satisfied smirk carefully hidden under an angry mask.

"Hmm. Did you pack enough instant ramen?" I ask, walking again at the same pace, destination unchanged. I know a trap when I see one.

"Don't _you_ start!" He complains. "What about your chocolate?"

I snort. Even Sensei was willing to accept blindly that I packed enough chocolate. **That** says something. "Of course."

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING YOU LITTLE-"

"Miss, I would advise you to mind your manners when addressing Konoha shinobi." Haku. I smile. "Furthermore. I recall being instructed to bring in any that would refer to a shinobi –any shinobi– by the term 'demon', unless it was in their moniker. I know these two, neither has a moniker with that term. I'm going to have to ask you to come with me. Whether peacefully or by force is up to you."

"Hey, Haku-chan! When we get back, we're treating you to dinner. You and Zabuza, 'ttebayo!"

"I'll hold you to that, Naruto-san." Haku says, smiling. She's always smiling. "Now, Miss, this way please."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the gate with five minutes to spare. I don't know why. Those idiots are never early, and I think Captain would have a heart attack if he was. Or maybe I'd have a heart attack if he is. I shake the stupid thoughts out of my head.

"Do you get the impression like the old man has high expectations of us?" Nii-san asks. His tone tells me he's been thinking about this for a while.

"Higher than you becoming Hokage? Not likely." I tease.

"Sis, I'm serious. I mean, telling Kakashi not to waste our time with D-ranks?" Is that only now reaching you? Jeez, that was like… forever ago!

"Naruto-nii, of course Hokage-dono sees something in us. He'd be blind not to." I say, rolling my eyes.

"Sis…?"

I sigh. "Look at the pieces of the puzzle." I tell him, but he just looks even more clueless. I groan this time. "You're not going to give up until you're Hokage, right?" He nods. "I'm not going to get left behind, right?" He nods again. "Uchiha-san's… along for the ride."

"Hnn." Ah. Old broody has arrived.

"The point is. Individually we're growing strong. If we work together, we can only become stronger. After all. I want to brag about having a Hokage for a brother." I wink at Nii-san.

"Speaking of which… did you?" Uchiha-san asks, giving Nii-san a meaningful look. What… does that even mean? And why is that in any way related to what I was saying?

"Naturally. We ran into her mom by the way. Haku's taking her to T&I because of her calling me 'that name'."

Uchiha-san makes a face. "Idiot." Can't argue with you there. She's an idiot. "Can't tell the difference between a scroll and kunai." WHAT THE…! My eyes are just about ready to fall out of their sockets!

"… what do you mean?" I ask cautiously.

Uchiha gives me a look that almost makes me think he's mutely calling me an idiot. Then he holds up nine fingers.

I turn to Nii-san, almost regretting the motion because of the pain. Almost. "What? He was bound to figure it out sooner or later. This way I can tell him about the rules surrounding that information."

I shake my head. What's next, telling him about your heritage? "And yes, he knows that too. I blame you for that one though. Calling her 'Sasa-nee' right in front of him? You think he wouldn't notice how deeply she was blushing from that?"

I narrow my eyes at him, holding a finger up and my mouth half open… I know I have a comeback for that!

…

I WILL have a comeback for that! Eventually!

"And since when are you a mind reader?" I ask. I know I didn't say a word about any of that.

"Jeez, you and _her_ are too much alike." He rolls his eyes, amused. "When you let your guard down, every thought going through your head shows up on your face. All I have to do is pay attention." I roll my eyes.

 **"Whatever."** We drone at the same time. I swat his shoulder, trying to act annoyed. I'm still smiling though.

"Wait a minute! If my calling her that tipped him off… when did you have time to talk about it?" I wonder.

"You went to the bathroom before we left for the Tower. It's not like it's a long conversation." I can almost imagine how Nii-san handled that. ' _Hi, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, son of the Fourth Hokage and the jailor of the Nine-tailed fox. Oh, and Asami's really my twin sister._ '

"No problems, I assume." I turn to Uchiha-san, my tone and eyes colder than ice.

He snorts. "I've suspected for a while. On all counts." I snort. I knew it was the world's worst kept secret! Still, that doesn't answer my question. I glare at him again. "No, Namiki. No problems." He gazes right back, obviously not worried. I nod; good.

"Geez, sis. Relax." Nii-san teases. I stick my tongue out at him. "Oh, the shame! I can never show my face in this village again!" I groan at his over the top stupidity.

"Hey, Namiki. I have a question." I look to Uchiha-san, wondering what he wants. "May I call you Aya?" I look at him, wondering what's going on.

"Something wrong with Namiki?" I ask.

"No." He drops it. Just in time too. Captain shows up and we head to sign out of the village.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We run until the sun starts setting. Well, I say 'run', but it's basically been a mad body-flicker dash across the Land of Fire. Eventually Captain decides he's 'not unhappy' with the pace set. Not that he told us that. No, can't have us with swollen heads during a mission. I only know, because he stopped picking up the pace at some point.

Captain dishes out the chores and sets up a rotation for tonight. I set up everyone's tent once again, only to finally notice that Uchiha isn't carrying a bag this time. I nod approvingly. Storage seals are just simply awesome.

Naruto-nii deals with the fire this time, and Uchiha-san is in charge of dinner. Roasted potatoes and deer-kebabs. Not a bad combination, really. No idea where he got the potatoes, or why they're in season, but… meh. Can't complain.

"We should make it to Kakunodate village tomorrow afternoon if we keep up this pace." Captain explains, having already had his fill. I shrug, not really caring. All I care about is the porch that we're going to build from the money – or at least put towards it.

"Hey, sis. I've been meaning to ask you. When are you going to start using your flute in a fight?" I think about that. Hmm. Using my flute would mean that both of my hands are occupied, but I can always use my kicks if someone gets too close. It would open the door to a few interesting jutsus I've been working on – or at least dreaming up.

"Not sure. Not going to test that on a mission though. Are you willing to give me a hand developing a style for it when we get back?" Sill question, I know. But it's only polite to ask.

"Sure. If you'll help me with a thing I've been thinking about?" I look at him curiously. He mouths 'later', so I don't press. Uchiha-san looks like he wants to say something, ask something, do something. He remains silent. I shrug, not caring too much either way.

"You guys should get some rest. I've got first watch." I say. They nod, heading into their tents.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next morning, we get an early start. We run. We eventually reach the destination. Yea!

Captain leads us into the sleepy little village. It seems… peaceful here. And it's obviously a place where everyone knows everyone – and probably everything about them, seeing as everyone that spots us points and seems too excited about something.

We make our way to an important looking building in the middle of village, and we're shown into some –in my opinion– self-important man's office. He happily greets us, bowing over and over again. He tells us the tale of the 'vagrants' we're to investigate.

"They moved here six months ago. We knew from the start they were trouble, but really we're just too nice to turn people away." Warning signs are going off already, and he just started. I start looking around his office, seeing nothing but the best of everything here. Expensive cigars for him to smoke, aged whiskey sitting on a shelf with what looks crystal drinking glasses. This isn't some idiot running a small village. That's not possible.

"The husband and the father are away right now, so it should be much easier for you to deal with them." We're informed. Hmm. He presents this as if they are already guilty, but our mission is to investigate. We're meant to be the executioners, not the detectives. Interesting. There's more going on here than he's letting on. I'd bet all the chocolate in the world that these people aren't what he says they are.

"We will investigate immediately. I assure you, justice will be done swiftly and harshly." I smirk at Captain's words. That's a double-edged sword he's swinging about with words. In other words: we find out you're the guilty one, and you'll be the one that winds up dead.

He nods happily, calls in his secretary who's told to have us escorted to our 'suite'. I don't like the sound of that at all. He's trying to sway us.

"Thank you, but that won't be needed. We work better in the field than in a suite." Captain turns it down. Good. Less chance to get poisoned if he thinks we're on to him, and it'll be much harder to even know where we are.

"Ah, but how will we know to find you should we need you?" He asks with a small smile.

"We could report in every morning?" He offers. The man doesn't look pleased. At all.

"As you wish. Michiko-chan. Please schedule at least fifteen minutes for them every morning at, shall we say, ten o'clock?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We stop outside of the village. Well outside of it. I don't like this. At all. "Team meeting. Fifteen minutes. No setting up tents, no fires." Yes, I thought as much. Captain smells a rat as well.

I go and quickly see to my needs, eager to hear what the plan is.

 **#I do not trust the situation.#** Captain signs, signalling the beginning of the meeting. **#There's no obvious sign of wealth in the village, yet the village head lives the highlife.#** No farms, no factory, nothing. And yet they all make enough money to survive? Where's the money come from? Or is this come kind of utopia where money isn't a thing?

 **#Agreed. Fancy cigars, expensive whiskeys. I don't trust that man.#** I sign, trying not to get too involved but wanting to make my point anyway.

 **#Fox.#** Yeah, Nii-san decided that 'frog' no longer fit him. But seeing as there's no 'kitsune' sign, he settled for 'fox' **#Shadow clone. Ten. Scout village for our targets. Do not engage. You are to spy on them and dispel one clone so we know where they are.#**

 **#Got you covered!#** Ten shadow clones head towards the village again, but slowly and stealthily.

 **#Hawk. You and original Fox, scout this area. No traps.#**

 **#Understood.#** Hawk and Fox sign as one.

 **#Wolf. I need you to be our helpless little girl. If this is what I think it is, you're the first target they'd go after.#**

 **#Oh save me. Wolf fell and can't get up.#** I smirk, liking the idea more than I should.

 **#You are to go into the village and buy some groceries. I will watch from shadows.#**

 **#Can I kill anyone if they make a funny move?#**

 **#Do not engage. Retreat. If they follow you out of the village and into the forest, then you may engage.#**

 **#Understood.#**

 **#Sub-mission. Subtly interrogate locals. Find out history. Find out about the targets. Find out about village head.#** Call out my inner Ino. Got you. I nod this time. **#Move out.#**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once back inside the village, I find it disturbingly easy to find out things they don't want me to know. Like first of all, all the men of the village wear wakizashis – obviously not a farmer's settlement, not that they have farms to begin with. Second of all, the women here are so used to armed people walking about that they barely even notice my three blades. This isn't some new development.

I walk into a… well basically a candy and confectionary store, wondering that they'd have that here. We're basically in the middle of nowhere, but they have the conveniences of a far larger settlement? Lucky me, it's run by a kind looking old lady. They like telling they're story to 'young-uns'. I order a few chocolate balls and get to work.

"I'm soooo glad I found this store! I was worried I'd have to wait until I got back to Konoha before I could get the good stuff!" I announce, happily munching on my chocolate. I taste a hint of brandy in it, so I know this really is the good stuff. I did make sure to get a good sniff to check for... anything I don't want in it.

"Well, I'm always glad to have new customers to try my creations. Tell me, girl, do you like it?" She asks. 'Girl', not 'child'. She looks down on me.

"I do! I wasn't expecting the brandy though!" I say. Not that it bothers me in the least. I don't think I'll ever prefer the stuff –they either end up making my precious chocolate too bitter or too sweet, and they always taste a little funny– but sometimes a little variety in my chocolate intake is a good thing.

I stay quiet for a moment longer, trying to assess the situation. I'm sure the little old lady thinks I'm just enjoying my chocolate though – which is also true. This woman's eyes are far too calculating, too sharp, for her to just be a store worker. "So you're from Konoha, are you?"

"Nn!" I noise happily, still munching.

"It must be strange to be all the way out here then." Oh? Is she trying to subtly interrogate me?

I shrug, putting my hand in front of my mouth once I swallow what I've been chewing on. "Not really? I mean, you guys seem to have everything I could want! So it's not like I'm going to miss anything while we're here." She smiles a little – a patient smile.

She's keeping a very close eye on me. Almost too close. "Well, that's true. We've been very luck." She's keeping it vague, polite. She thinks she's the one doing the investigating here. That doesn't add up. And she's subtly eyeing the chocolates I bought. She did something to them.

"'Very lucky'?" I ask. "You mean with trade? I kind of noticed there aren't any farms around here. Not that I'm complaining! Farms always smell… funny." I make a face, trying to play into the 'city girl' persona she clearly expects from me. Truth is, I don't care how things smell. Good, bad, no scent at all. It's all needed for one reason or another.

"You could say that." Pirates or gangsters. There's no other option. And she likes offering vague answers. She's used to this lifestyle, but doesn't expect me to pick up on that?

"Hmm. Well, what do you guys trade then?" I ask, actually curious – more if she'll answer me, but still curious.

"A little of this, a little of that." She shrugs but her eyes don't leave mine. I nod. I know all I need to.

"Thank you for the chocolate. It's really yummy!" I say, leaving the store without another word.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I make it to a butcher within minutes, after having sealed the remaining two chocolates – I want Captain to have a look at them before I munch away. Once inside, I notice that there's quite the selection of meats. I mean, the stall at the market back in Konoha pales in comparison to this!

I look around, finding no customers around. It's just me. I walk up to him, order two kilos of chicken filet, one kilo of rabbit filet and a half a kilo of deer steaks. He nods wordlessly and starts collecting my order for me. He tells me the price –about the same I'd expect to pay in Konoha– so I pay accept the three bags from him. I smell them each in turn, deciding that these are fresh, and seal the meats away for later.

After that I go to a greengrocer, for veggies and such. The same selection I'd find in Konoha, all here. I pick up a selection of radishes, carrots and potatoes. Some peaches and lychees. And, just to be sure, I sniff the mangos – even Konoha doesn't have mangos at this time of year! They smell fresh and ripe, so I take one. I offer my selection to the worker, who weighs it, bags it and ties it professionally, before telling me the price. Cheaper than I'd expect from Konoha. I pay and seal them away.

Just one last thing I need to check. I go into the convenience store. Everything I'd expect from Konoha as well. And once again, everything is far better priced. I pick up a tub of chocolate ice cream, a spoon and two packs of instant ramen. After that, I pay and leave. I've seen enough. I've heard enough.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I make it back to camp, taking my time and sucking the chocolate off my spoon. I keep going over everything I've seen, everything I've heard.

This mission stinks to its very core.

"Report." Captain says, popping out of the shadows behind me.

"They are too cautious for my level of skill. The first woman tried interrogating me in the same way, and I think she drugged one of the chocolates I bought from her." I say, sucking on my spoon again and loving the chocolate melting in my mouth. "This place… shouldn't exist. There are no obvious signs of income, but the have every convenience of Konoha and far better prices. Their source of income isn't the goods they sell. If anything, I'd call it a side job. No one even blinked at my blades, and every male I saw wore a wakizashi on the hip."

"Let me see the chocolate you're talking about." I stab my spoon into my ice cream, dig into my pouch and take of my scroll. Hmm… I'm not giving him my ice cream, so I sit down and set my ice cream in my lap. I then unseal the two chocolates and toss them to him carefully. After properly putting away my scroll, I pick back up my ice cream and get up. "Its subtle, but… a sedative is laced in this… enough to knock someone of your size out for a few hours. Let me see the other things you bought."

I grumble, sitting back down and going through all the trouble again to unseal the other things I'd bought.

I don't care what he does with it, to be honest. He gave me the money to pay for it! Still, I'm curious why he's dropping the meats onto the ground.

"Different sedatives from each store. But everything has at least one part laced with it." He says. He's more disgusted than anything right now. "These people aren't what they seem."

I snort. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Naruto found our targets. The very definition of simple folk. No formal education, no weapons at all, and constantly complaining that they aren't allowed to start a farm here because the others would complain about the smell."

 _That_ I didn't know. "What's the plan?"

"We're going to report in. Hokage-sama will have to decide for himself what he wants us to do." I nod, agreeing with that. I can tell just from the edge in his tone that Captain is tempted to wipe these people off the map – or maybe that's just me projecting my desires onto him. Either way, I think these people should be wiped off the map.

"Nii-san, how'd it go?" Naruto-nii walks up to us, his face way too serious for just scouting around.

"I found where they're getting their money from." He doesn't sound pleased.

"Oh?" Captain wonders. Nii-san tosses a small package, looking way too much like something I'd buy at the apothecary. Captain takes a careful sniff. "Opium. High quality too."

"It gets worse." Nii-san announces. "I found those in places where you'd normally expect weapons caches to be. The house our targets live in… was designed for shinobi."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 29_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Why is it that Team 7 never gets a normal mission? I mean, other than D-ranked missions, these guys only ever seem to attract the wrong sort of attention!_**

 ** _Well, let's see how this plays out this time, shall we?_**


	36. Perspective: Allies vs Enemies

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 30 – Perspective: Allies vs Enemies_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"It's been four days. Are you saying you still haven't found proof of anything?" The head honcho asks.

"We've found many things." Captain counters smoothly. "We simply do not wish to offer you half the story, and so we are trying to uncover more. Would it be acceptable if we were to… _more directly_ investigate the suspects?"

"Hmm… perhaps if I knew more?" He says vaguely.

"We found… _questionable items_ scattered here and there. We'd like to know how they got them." Captain, you rock sometimes, you know that?

"Possession is not enough?"

"You possess whiskey. Does that mean you bought it? Drink it?" Captain turns it around. "All that shows me, is that you possess it."

"As you wish. Yes, you may do as you please with the vagrants." He doesn't sound pleased. "Please inform me immediately what you find out."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once outside of the building, Captain turns to us. **#In case you missed it. We got new orders. Follow me.#** A messenger hawk shows up this morning and you ask to 'interrogate' the suspects. No really, did the orders change?

We follow Captain to a nice little home on the edge of the village. He knocks, already apologizing for the interruption. A black-haired man, perhaps in his thirties, opens the door. "I ain't seen you 'round 'ere befo'. How can I 'elp ya." He asks politely.

"We're from Konoha. We were sent here to investigate you and your family." Captain explains. The man doesn't look too happy, but not surprised either. "Perhaps we could better discuss this inside?"

"Yeah." We're invited in, shown into the visitors' sitting room and offered tea by the lady of the house – a pretty woman with black hair and worn hands to show she's worked her way through life.

"It's alright. The tea's safe." Captain assures us. The man looks almost insulted. "Those that hired us have been trying to poison us for days. We're a bit paranoid right now."

I take a sip of my tea, enjoying it. "I see. So Naomi was right." The man looks disappointed about something. "Well, it can' be 'elped. Wha' d'yu intend ta do?"

"We've been given orders to protect your family and take out the rest. Is it just you and your wife?"

"'Fraid not. Ma father's 'ere 's well, an' ma son."

"In this house?" The man nods. "Good. Naruto, you've found the caches. Hide all four of them, together if you can. Keep at least one clone with them and be prepared to move out at all times. Aya. I need your shadow crows on the four corners of the house so we can spot if someone's coming. Sasuke, sit outside the front door. Try to look bored and annoyed."

"Then you better put Naruto outside. I don't do acting." Uchiha-san is such a…

"Fine. Aya. You go outside. I have plans for Naruto." I nod.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

This is actually pretty nice. Just sitting here, in the sunlight. Feeling the warmth of the later afternoon sun. And what am I doing to pass the time? Playing my flute, of course! I've been playing song after song, just letting time slip passed me.

It's almost sunset before Naruto-nii comes out to join me. "Anything?" He asks. I shake my head, no. "They admitted to being shinobi, by the way. Rogues from the Hidden Dreams Village, chuunins actually. They just wanted to live a simple life." I shrug. It doesn't help or hurt the mission.

He's quiet for a while. "I've already sealed their things. We need to plant their headbands on some of the people we kill here, and torch the bodies until they're unrecognizable. Then we claim their bounties and have them declared dead." He explains. I shrug again. Nothing worse than we've already done. "They're coming with us to Konoha, this way they can at least live in peace." I nod, agreeing with him. Konoha is much further away. Frankly, I'm not sure why these stayed this close to the Land of Hills, but… whatever. They didn't strike me as particularly bright people.

"Oh. One more thing before I go back inside." Nii-san says, scratching his cheek for some reason. "I did a head count. Roughly sixty people in total that we might have to worry about. Kaka-sensei thinks there's more, but… it's at least a number to work with."

I shrug. I'm not a tracker, so I don't really care about details like that. All I need to know is when the fighting is meant to start. But… since when do you call Captain 'Kaka-sensei'?

"He wanted to tell me that you have permission to engage at any time. Do not get in over your head, and make sure to give us a heads up. He thinks we're facing mostly genins and maybe some chuunins, but the leader might be a jounin, so he's taking that one himself." Whatever. "Oh… and just to be sure. Don't start without me?"

I stop playing my flute, looking right at him. "Naruto-nii. You know I can take care of myself, right?"

"Duh? I'm trying to say you shouldn't hog all the fun!" No you're not. You're worried that I'm going to underestimate an opponent and get myself killed.

Either way, I wave him off and start playing my flute again. So far nothing's moved. But, I think if there's going to be an attack, they'll be coming late in the night – to take advantage of the low lighting and press the 'home turf advantage', or whatever.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Dinner time. Naruto-nii brings out my dinner, and we eat on the ground together. "The rainy season will start soon." I comment. He shrugs, not really caring.

I could never understand the weather in this country. It's 'summer' weather about eight months of the year. Then, after the 'last day of summer' it suddenly turns into a 'rain country' for a few weeks, then the temperature drops and it's all snow. Well, I say the temperature 'drops', but it's more like it plummets. Eighteen degrees centigrade one day, four degrees the next and it's all downhill from there! And the storm that comes with it? I shiver. I **hate** the rainy season!

"Think we'll be home before the rainy season starts?" I ask.

"Maybe. You don't like the rain, do you." He doesn't ask. I shake my head, no. Rain is depressing. And two to three weeks worth of rain is… worse. I prefer the snow, mostly because it's not nearly as bad and it looks really pretty when you're watching in from the warmth of your home!

"Still no sigh of anything. Either they're not aware of the plan, or they're planning on attacking when they think we're asleep." I say evenly.

"Nn." He noises, almost absently. Hmm, Captain has a plan if that's the case then. Take them out in their sleep while still protecting this family. Naruto-nii can create the numbers, but… killing someone in their sleep is completely different than defeating them in battle and killing them after.

A sudden influx of memories rips through me. "The head honcho's secretary is on her way here, alone. She's obviously upset about something." I say, already making two new shadow crows – one to replace the one that just dispelled, the other to update Captain.

It's not even a minute later when, "What's taking you so long!?" The pretty brunette walks up to us, obviously more upset than I thought.

"How should I know?" I ask, thinking about Uchiha-san asking me out on a date to make sure enough annoyance seeps into my voice. "We're supposed to 'stand guard'. Or did you not notice us sitting down outside?"

"… so your captain and the other boy are doing the interrogating?" She asks, eyeing me warily. I nod, rolling my eyes to show how much that annoys me. "Why just him?"

"It's called 'favouritism'. Heard of it?" I drone.

Nii-san laughs, poking my in my cheek to rile me up some more. "Aww, looks like someone needs to take her nappy-wappy before she gets grumpy-wumpy."

 **SLAP!**

"Oi! Aya! What was that for!?" Nii-san asks, his forehead once again an angry red.

"For being an idiot?" That should be obvious.

"I'm telling Chouji-san on you~uuuuu!" He announces childishly. Kami-sama, it's hard keeping a straight face when he's like that!

"Well. It would seem Konoha's standards have slipped if _you two_ are shinobi." The woman seems annoyed. It's called a cover, look it up.

"Says the head honcho's play thing." I quip. Heh, 'quip'. I like that word.

"Hey, sis. You think she'd know anything of value? I mean, she would know if they're really a hidden village trying to work its way up in the world." He asks, eyeing the woman closely.

I swat his shoulder. "You have no tact, you know that?"

"Tact…? Is it yummy?" He smirks. Idiot.

"Whatever. Fine. But you're the one that has to tie her up. I'm feeling lazy."

"Aww, come on! It was my idea!"

"Exactly. So you should be the one to tie her up." I like his reason better. 'I feel lazy' just comes over as a Nara-approved excuse.

The woman is looking at us like we're complete idiots. "Will you at least… I dunno, help with something!?"

I look at the woman, seallessly cast the Hellfire jutsu on her and knock her out with a Flying Knee Uppercut in the soft spot under her chin. I come back and sit down. "Happy?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You know… I'm starting to think that you two are a dangerous combination." Captain teases Nii-san and I. "This woman is a tokubetsu jounin." A chuunin with one area of skills at jounin level. Wow. So what? What if that 'skill' is administration? The ability to file paperwork like only a jounin could? Would **that** make her dangerous in a fight?

"She's also a complete idiot that underestimated us." I drone.

"Totally underestimated us." Nii-san agrees.

"Have you seen the way you two get on? I'd underestimate you, and I know better." Uchiha-san points out.

"Either way. I just need to wake her up and we can find out what's going on. _Hopefully_." Captain doesn't really think it's likely, but not trying is silly. He focuses a jutsu into his fingers and pokes her forehead. Not sure what he wants that to do, but I'm guessing it's a medical jutsu.

The woman stirs, slowly opening her eyes, and… "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?" What is she? A Haruno!?

"Well, she's awake at least." I drone, wiggling my pinkie in my ear to ease the pressure.

"…" She looks at me and Naruto-nii, then she turns to Captain and Uchiha-san. "… crap."

"Indeed. Now, do you want to talk willingly, or should I start teaching them torture techniques?" Captain asks, releasing just a little killing intent to show he's serious, but not upset yet.

"What do you want to know?" She asks carefully.

"Is this in fact a hidden village that houses, trains and/or facilitates shinobi?" Captain asks. She looks away. That's a yes, but Captain seems upset by that.

"Guys, I'm going to need a while with her. Aya, back to your post. Naruto, your mission starts in less than an hour. Be ready. Sasuke, the back door. No one enters this house until I give you permission, understood?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Captain comes outside an hour later and plops down me and Naruto-nii. "How'd it go?"

"… This is now officially an A-rank mission. No one in this village other than Nobu-san and his family is permitted to live." He drones. Whatever he found out, I obviously don't want to hear it.

"Captain, we'll handle it." I tell him, placing a hand on his shoulder for (emotional) support.

"Naruto." He trudges on. "The village has orders to attack at midnight, whether she reports back in or not. That means most of the younger ones should be taking a nap about now. The more experienced ones won't. Take out everyone you can. If you cannot stomach it, fine. But…" It's times like this that I remember why I don't pay attention to people. I'd never be able to kill someone I like; it's just not in me.

"You know what I don't get? If they're ninja… why hire us?"

"To capture us, torture us for our secrets and strengthen their village that way?" I say like it's the most obvious thing in the world. Captain nods, but I didn't need him to.

"When we get home… I'm upping your training." Captain says. I guess it's the thought of us not being prepared for a mission like this? I mean, yet another C-turned-A-rank mission for us? And Hokage-sama is the one dishing them out. Is there a reason for that?

I don't know, but I can't say I care. "So long as the trainings are indoors when the rain starts, I'm good." I say honestly.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's almost midnight. "I'm fighting with you." The man we're supposed to be protecting announces.

"No. You're not." I counter. "Protecting you and your family is part of our mission. You fighting with us is not."

"Nobu-san. I understand." Captain placates. "You want to protect your family, even if it costs you your life. That's still your job. Stay with them, and if anyone gets close, you know what to do."

"Kakashi-san… it doesn't sit right with me. To hide and cower while three kids fight for me." The man tries.

I snort, amused. "'Kids'. Well, better than what the villagers call us, eh Nii-san?"

"You don't ever let things go, do you." He doesn't ask. I shrug anyway. He should know that much about me by now.

"… I-"

"You don't want to know." I cut him off. "You need to be there for your pack. So be there for your pack. Do you have a blade?"

"… no. We thought we'd stick out too much being armed." Stupid thought. I take out four kunai and hand them to him.

"Two for you. Two for your mate. She's a chuunin as well, right?" He nods. "Good. Leave us do our job, you focus on yours."

"Alright. You three outside. Fox, ten clones inside for last line of defence. Hawk, keep your eyes peeled, your eyesight is better at night. Wolf, keep an eye on them while I talk to Nobu-san." I wave it off, already walking outside. I'm not worried, I still have four shadow crows keeping an eye out.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Nothing yet. Are you sure it's almost midnight?" Hawk asks me. I glare at him, but he just shrugs it off. Do my glares hold no power over these people anymore?

"I think they're just coming up with a plan. I mean, I did kind of take out more than half of them." I wince at the dead tone Nii-san uses. I link my arm with his, leaning my head against his shoulder.

"Well, either way, we're in for a fight." Hawk doesn't have to sound so happy about that.

 **#Hawk's happy.#** I sign to Fox-nii, behind Hawk's back. He snickers.

"Hnn?" Hawk wonders what's so funny, but that just makes Fox-nii laugh harder.

An influx of memories hits me. "Incoming. That way." I point. Both of them know about my issues with 'left' and 'right' so, I won't waste anyone's time with silly words like that.

I knock on the door to give Captain a heads up, while Fox-nii starts spamming out shadow clones like they're going out of style. I unseal a _prepared_ Fuuma shuriken, wielding it right-handed. "Hawk, eyes." I remind him, just in case. Even if it means copying my jutsus here, I'm not risking lives for the sake of comfort.

The first of them enters my field of vision. I won't lie, seeing at night is a bit hard, but it's not as bad as it might be. I remember reading the info on a jutsu from the Namiki library that would help me see at night… but frankly that requires chakra control I don't have yet, so I didn't even consider it.

Anyway. The clones act as a first line of defence. Hawk and I mostly focus on picking them off at a distance. I throw my giant shuriken, cast a genjutsu on my target and see if they drop on the first hit – most do, but those that don't usually get hit by the ninja wire attached to my shuriken, which after some crafty manipulation wraps around their neck. A simple tug later and that's another target down. I see a few clones that are getting overpowered, so I cast a genjutsu or two on their attackers to help them out as well.

Things are going well, for the first fifteen or so minutes. Then…

A string of poofs announces that all of Fox-nii's clones get dispelled in one shot. Oh really? I unseal my windmill shurikens, offer one to Hawk, and we let both of them fly. Of the twenty-something that remained when the poofs happened, only five or so survived the shurikens. Sure, I have no idea where those things flew off to, but they did their jobs.

"Fox, Hawk. You alright?" I ask carefully.

" **Nn.** " They both noise. Five targets left, but the one that just arrived is clearly a cut above the rest.

"Alright team. You've done your job. These are mine." Catain announces. "Support only. No heroics. Understood?"

Not a whole lot of difference then. I mean, Fox-nii's been pretty much handling them. We've only been allowed to be support. " **Understood.** " We answer as one.

Captain strolls ahead, casual, like it's a relaxing Sunday afternoon. "Lovely weather tonight." He comments.

"Cut the crap, Konoha dog!"

"Hnn? You say that like it's a bad thing." It finally hits me. These people have no idea who we are. I mean, Hawk, Fox and I aren't that special. But even at the worst part of our 'relationship', I had to admit that Captain isn't one to mess with. "So… tell me. How many of you are left, exactly?"

One of the idiots attacks, out of rage, but I can't even see what Captain does. They just fall to pieces before they even get close to captain. The next four attack as one, keeping Captain dodging and slashing to try to take them all out one at a time. I'm so focused on them that…

"Down!" Hawk calls out. I duck on instinct, hearing a coughing-wheezing sound behind me. I turn around, finding that Fox-nii took a kunai that was meant for me, and Hawk slicing the attacker's head clean off his shoulders.

I grab Fox-nii, easing him down onto the ground as gently as I can and trying to assess the situation a lightning speed.

The kunai hit him in a lung. Not dead centre, thank Kami-sama, but still not a good place to get hit. I pull out the kunai immediately, my hands flashing through the handsigns for the diagnostic jutsu. I memorize what needs the most attention and deactivate the jutsu, then activate the healing palm jutsu. I focus on the lung first. Yes, he's losing blood through the surface wound as well, but this one worries me most.

It's a tense five minutes, but I manage to close the wound. I dig into my first aid kit and clean the surface wound. Then I switch back to the healing palm jutsu and close that as well. I still disinfect the freshly grown skin, before dressing it. I look to Fox-nii, finding him patiently looking right back at me.

"You're getting better at that." He says, offering a pained smile.

"You're just as protective of me as ever." I tease. "Still hurts?" He nods, but smiles anyway. "It's probably going to trouble you for a few days." I say seriously. I promise myself to take extra good care of him. I consider giving him a blood plasma pill… no, forget it… Nii-san's worth the cost of it and more, regardless if it isn't exactly needed right now. It wouldn't hurt. So I dig into my pouch again, and offer him a pill. I then unseal a bottle of water and instruct him to take the pill. I help him up so he can, and I let him drink the rest of the bottle in peace, before I carefully help him to his feet.

"Hey, Hawk… thanks." Fox-nii means it. I look over to Captain, but he's just wrapping up his last target now.

"Yes… Sasuke. Thank you." I bow to him – I want to bow low, but I'm currently helping Nii-san stand up. He just literally saved my life, along with Naruto-nii. Nii-san starts to cough and wheeze again. "Nii-san, cough it up. That's the blood that I couldn't get out. Don't try to swallow it."

I really should have left him laying down… but I don't have a stretcher sealed. I need to work on that. And on top of that! I'm not letting my Nii-san sleep outside in the cold! No way! I'm taking him inside and getting him as comfortable as the situation will allow!

And as soon as he's up for it! I'm sooooooo making all the ramen his heart could desire!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"How's the patient?" Captain asks early the next morning.

"Surprisingly good. I scanned his lung and he's already showing no sign he ever had an injury to begin with." I explain honestly. I hadn't slept a wink, refusing to let Nii-san go without medical attention if he needed it – or company, seeing as he had to stay away to cough up the blood.

"Good. I've already rounded up… the others. Our mission is complete." He explains. I nod.

"I would advise giving him another day, two at the most, to make sure he's in perfect health before travelling." I say, preferring to be overly cautious.

"Sis, I'm fine. Really!" He tries.

"You're also my patient, Nii-san. I'm not taking any chances with you. Seeing as we're not in any rush. I see no reason whatsoever to force you to run when your body needs time to heal."

"Actually. I was going to say that we're travelling with civilians anyway. So we'd be travelling at a somewhat leisurely pace regardless." Captain offers.

"… I'll check him later to be sure."

"Sis… come on! We still need to scout the place for weapons and jutsu!"

"Sasuke's doing that for us." I counter. "You need to **rest**! No clones until I say otherwise, and no… no anything other than eating, drinking and breathing!"

"But-"

"Nii-san." I interrupt, tears in my eyes. I don't want to think about it, but… hearing that kunai entering his lung, the coughing-wheezing sound he made right after, seeing him over and over again, laying there with a kunai lobbed in his chest. "Please?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's just after lunch time when Sasuke comes back into Nobu-san's house. He tosses me three scrolls, before wordlessly sitting to the table –a high one, with chairs– and I fix a plate for him with some tea. "I found your two windmill shuriken by the way." Sasuke tells me.

"Thanks." I ruffle his hair playfully. He looks annoyed, but doesn't say anything. "Captain wants us to hit the road soon. He'll probably start bugging me once you're done eating."

"… is _he_ up for that?"

"… I want to say yes." I admit. "I mean, I've scanned him at least every half hour since last night, and I know that his wound is completely healed… but…"

"I understand." He says, a faraway look in his eyes. "I never thought I'd be grateful for _the furry one_."

I snort, amused. "You and me both." I doubt Nii-san would have survived without the Nine-tails inside him.

"There was quite a selection of jutsu scrolls by the way. Everything ranging from elemental, to training, to medical, to Yin and Yang release… the works." He tells me. I shrug, not really caring too much.

"We'll go through everything when we get home. Now eat up before it gets cold."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

With no reason not to, we leave for Konoha around two in the afternoon. I make sure I'm within reach of my Nii-san if anything should happen though. I keep scanning him from time to time, making sure his condition doesn't… change in any way that isn't positive.

It's mostly a leisurely walk, so it shouldn't REALLY be too bad for him. But I'd still prefer if we had a stretcher and had him lying down. But… really, the timing is just so horrid! The rainy season should start any day now, and we can't rush back to Konoha. That means that if it starts raining…

Don't think about it, Aya. He'll be fine. You'll be watching him like a… well, like a hawk. I smirk at the wording. "No shortness of breath?" I ask Nii-san. He smiles patiently. "Pain? Tightness in the chest?"

"I'm fine, sis." He says, rolling his eyes.

"Not every damsel gets to save her hero! Let me take care of you too, Nii-san!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's only on the fourth day that I agree to let Nii-san try running along with us. It turns out that all three of our (adult) guests are chuunin –go figure– so they don't mind picking up the pace considerably. We make it to Konoha within a day, which I'm grateful for.

We head straight for the Tower, to give in our report. Seeing as this ended up being an A-ranked mission, that means a verbal initial report to Hokage-dono himself. Captain, of course, deals with the bulk of it, explaining everything – but mostly just giving the highlights.

"I see." Hokage-dono eventually says. "So it would see that Team Seven is at long last growing closer."

I bite my lip a little, but find myself smiling anyway. I nod. Sasuke **was** kind of awesome during the mission.

"Very well. You have all, once again, preformed admirably. Take the rest of the week off. And Aya, please have Naruto brought to the hospital just in case."

"Oi! Old man! That ain't right! I'm in perfect health! Even Aya has to admit that!"

"Oh?" Hokage-dono seems amused. "Is this true, Aya? Would you give Naruto a clean bill of health?"

"… Under the condition that he takes a few days to let his body rest, yes." I say cautiously. "I'd still prefer it if at least Hinata were to scan him just to be certain. And I plan on doing just that."

"I see. Very well. I will trust your judgment in this." He seems quite pleased with that. "And by the way. The Fire Daimyo has been informed of the incident."

"…" That brings me up short. The Fire Daimyo?

"Anything regarding a hidden village he knows nothing about is bound to attract his undivided attention. So I would say, look sharp. You three have in fact attracted his attention."

I can't even tell if that's a good thing… or a bad thing…

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 30_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Hmm. Interesting. It seems that Sasuke is part of the pack now. Hmm, but... doesn't that make things more complicated? I mean, Orochimaru still wants the boy, and there isn't a doubt in my mind that he'll hear about Sasuke growing less isolated, and perhaps even less power hungry as a result of this? Will this change things? Will Orochimaru have to alter his plans?_**

 ** _Well, there's still a few months before that's even important (chronologically). We'll just have to wait and see. And now, especially now, we're going to have to see what the deal is at home. And how this new development changes things (if at all)._**


	37. A New Butterfly Unchained

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 31 – A New Butterfly Unchained_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Running. Jump, dodge, roll, stand. Running again. Music's playing. My shinobue, 'calm lake'. Not attacking. Attacking is for later. Just moving, dodging. Pebbles. Lots of pebbles.

Breathing deep. Moving. Playing flute. Manipulating sound, continuous sound. No jutsus. Just sounds. Music. Beautiful music.

"Alright! Break!" Captain announces. The pebbles stop, the running and dodging stops, but I keep playing anyway. I like this song. "Aya." Fine. I stop playing, letting the sound waves dissipate.

"Sis, that was… **AWESOME**! How long did she keep it up!? Huh, huh!? TELL ME!" Nii-san demands.

"One hour, forty-five minutes."

"ALMOST TWO HOURS!" That's not what he said. "You were playing your flute for that long! And you didn't get hit once! Sis, you are the definition of awesome!"

I roll my eyes, but find myself smiling regardless.

"Calm down, Naruto. She still has a long way to go." Sasuke announces. Yeah, he's been helping to throw pebbles at me. I nod, agreeing with him, but my smile doesn't go anywhere. This is a good place to start.

"Sasuke's right. She has a long way to go. But… I think it's safe to say she's getting there." Captain says, eye-smiling. "Aya, I want you to practice this with Naruto later. Only this time, with clones attacking you. I want you to defend for as long as you can, while using only kicks. When you can keep that up for the same amount of time, we'll start including genjutsus and ninjutsus. Alright?" I nod, liking the idea.

"Good. Now, team jutsu training. I'm going to teach each of you a sensory jutsu based on what I believe will work best for you. Once you've mastered the jutsu I give you, it's your job to teach that jutsu to your teammates so that in the end, you each have three sensory jutsus to work with." Captain explains, tossing us each a scroll. "Keep in mind, that we're officially on down time. Do not let anyone other than Yoshino know that I'm actually training you. It'd look bad on my record." He teases.

Sasuke and I snort, and Nii-san just waves it off. We're more than happy to spend the day training – days off are for wimps after all! Well… wimps and hospitalised patients.

I open my scroll, finding an olfactory sensory jutsu – smell based. I read through it a few times. Ability to identify chakra signatures, strength of those identified, distance from user. This is an Inuzuka jutsu!

"Ca-"

"I've already asked Inuzuka Tsume. And besides, this is also a Hatake jutsu." He placates. "She doubts that Sasuke will be able to learn it, but she believes you and Naruto will learn it just fine, considering your heritage and your summoning contracts."

I nod, but I still wonder about that. Why would… "She knew our parents." I don't ask.

"She and your mother were always at each others throats." He says, laughing. "But, no one completely dominated otherwise impossible missions better than those two when they teamed up. So long as they didn't talk about 'dogs versus wolves' that is." He seems amused.

"I see." That almost sounds like Kiba and me, to be honest. Even if our problem is more 'date me, Aya' related.

"By the way. Her daughter, Hana, offered to show you some cool tricks. After all, there aren't a lot of… canine users that happen to double as medics in Konoha." I snort, liking how he worded that.

"I'll take her up on that." I promise. I just have to remember not to bring up 'wolves versus dogs' to not start a feud of some sort.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Later that afternoon, I corner Hina-nee and Hanabi for their training, but Saki decides she isn't getting left out. I shrug. "Come on then. If you want to play with the big kids, you'd better be ready to play by big kids rules though." I say, smiling.

"You can count on it, ya know!" She says. Well… that's new. Since when does she have a verbal tic? Whatever, she's probably just trying to be like Naru-nii.

Either way, I lead the three of them into the dojo. I ask Hina-nee to take out her shinobue, but… "Umm, I… kind of have a problem?" Hanabi says, a bit embarrassed.

"Being?"

"I have a guitar?"

"Well, go get it." I smile, wondering why that's a problem. "And ask Naru-nii to join us if you see him." I'll ask him if he can make a storage seal so she can keep it on her at all times.

"Oh… by the way… we're going to have to get you an instrument as well, sis." I say, looking to Saki.

"Can I… maybe try your flute then?" She asks shyly. I smile, motioning for her to come closer. When she's close enough, I take out my shinobue and offer it to her. "REALLY! Thanks a lot, ya know!" I giggle a little, but I kiss her brow anyway.

Hanabi and Naru-nii come back into the dojo not five minutes later. "Nii-san. Hanabi needs her own scroll so she can keep her guitar sealed in it. Think you can help her out?"

"Of course I can, 'ttebayo!" He announces.

Immediately followed by Saki's: "Naru-nii's the best, ya know!"

"Thank you." I say, smiling at them. "By the way, Nii-san. Did you want to learn sound release too?"

"Hmm? Well… it couldn't hurt, I guess." He rubs the back of his head.

"Alright." I say motioning for everyone to have a seat. "Now, the first thing you need to know about sound release is that it's picky."

"Picky?" Saki asks.

"Yes, picky. Some jutsus work really well with certain frequencies, but horribly with others. For example."

 **Snap!**

I give them a moment to snap out of the genjutsu. Once all their eyes are focused on me again, I continue. "Genjutsus aren't too picky with the frequency of the sound you use. But,"

 **Snap!**

I use the sound waves to create my Ball of Sound. "This jutsu falls apart easily with lower frequencies. So I have to heighten the pitch, then amplify the sound, and only then will it become stable." I explain. "If I tried to use the natural frequency of my snap, this jutsu falls apart. Understand?"

"What's 'pitch'? Is that like throwing things?" Saki asks. I should try to tone down the language I'm using, or she'll never understand what I'm getting at.

"Pitch is what a sound sounds like. So this," I hum a high note. "Is a high pitch. And this," I hum a low note. "Is a low pitch."

"Ohh! I get it now, ya know!" Saki announces happily.

"Sound is not like any other style of jutsu." I continue. "We need a something for our sound waves. Normally that's air. Sound makes the air vibrate, and our ears pick up that vibration. But sound works just as well with dirt, sand, water… anything that allows that vibration."

"What's 'vibation'?"

"Come let me show you." I say, motioning for her to come to me. I take her hand and place it on my throat. Then I start to hum loudly. She giggles a little, saying how that tickles. "Understand?"

"It's like really little movements that keep going back and forward?"

"Exactly." I nod, smiling at her. "So, what you would need to learn to do is fill that part that will make those vibrations with chakra. Then any sound made will be able to become your jutsu."

"So… with my guitar…" Hanabi asks curiously.

"I don't know how that will work. I would advise starting with just the strings, but when your chakra reserves are large enough, you might want to try filling the guitar's body with chakra as well, and see what that gets you." I say honestly. "There aren't any sound release masters here in Konoha. Everything I've learned through a book, and that book is often vague. But… there is an advantage to this. Everything I've learned to do via sound release is unique to me. That means there's no known way to counter it."

They each 'hmm', wondering about that.

"That's why I want you guys to become awesome with sound release as well. That way, I'll have people that can learn to counter my moves. Which will force me to come up with new ones." They smile proudly, knowing that I mean to make them great and nothing less than that. "So… what I want you three to focus on is making the purest notes you can. Sound release is picky. So that purer the note, the less trouble you have."

"And me?" Naru-nii asks.

"I'm skipping that part with you. I want to teach you the counter I came up with for my Siren's Call."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, but that means I'm going to need to help you to unlock sound release like today! So, we're going into the back yard and you're going to spam those clones of yours and we're going to get to work!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I circle Sasuke, trying to find a hole in his guard. Trying to find the weak spot in his stance. I'm coming up empty-handed though! This is supposed to be taijutsu only. So, technically, I have the advantage. But, Captain decided to have me spar with him using my flute again. I don't understand why, but I'm not arguing with the man. This is something I need to master like yesterday!

"You know, this is almost unfair, Aya." Sasuke comments. "You can't use your hands, and I'm still not sure I can take you."

I glare at him, knowing that if I stop making music I automatically lose the spar – Captain's rules. I roll my eyes at him, knowing he's just trying to make me lose.

I kick at his head, testing his response. I try to balance my breathing with my body's natural response to the kicks. Thank Kami-sama I've already learned to fight to a beat through Capoeira, or this would be nearly impossible!

He ducks under my kick, tapping the back of my calf with his fist. I nod, acknowledging the point he made – if he'd hit me, my breathing would be affected and my music would stop. So I need to focus on my defence and only attack when he shows an opening. Got it.

I back off a bit, letting him come to me this time. He throws a punch aimed at my gut, but I knee it off course and snap my shin towards his face. I only tap him though, showing him the same respect he showed me.

He nods, backing off. He knows I'm still not used to fighting like this, so he's trying to help me get used to it. After all, Captain already said that after this it's Naruto-clone-brigade time… again. I try not to groan, seeing as that would mess up my music. I switch songs, seeing the annoyance from my partner. I really like playing Sakura while sparring with Sasuke – it messes with his head just enough to create an opening.

Just as he rolls his eyes, I dash to him and kick him behind the knee. After landing on his knee and bending his foot almost painfully, his head snaps to me, annoyed. I'm eye-smiling, trying not to laugh. He nods though, accepting my point; _don't drop your guard_.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After breakfast the next morning, the most annoying thing ever happens. Naru-nii decides he needs to take me shopping. Now, normally this is a good thing – how could shopping ever be a bad thing after all. The problem…?

"Now that you mention it, you're right, Naruto. I'll be taking you three somewhere special." Captain agreeing with anything social is never a good thing. I make sure to eat just a little extra, and I wolf down two extra packs of chocolate mousse. I don't doubt for a second that this is going to end up being more trouble than it's worth.

And… of course… I have to be right. Where does Captain lead us? Anbu Headquarters. "Are we even allowed to be here? I mean, we're not under arrest are we?" I complain, but even to me it sounds like more of a whine.

"Would you relax? We're just here to do some light shopping." Captain says, amused. I groan. Shopping? In Anbu Headquarters? What are we shopping for? Trouble?

Everyone we pass stares at us openly, each and every one of them wondering the same thing we are: what are three kids doing here?

"Oi, Weasel, it's been a while." Captain waves lazily at the man.

"Something I need to know?" The man codenamed 'weasel' asks. I feel his eyes on me especially.

"SJ9246PSTU-5."

…

What?

There's a low whistle. "What do you need?"

"The basics." Okay, someone start explaining something!

"Weapons?"

"No, they're stocked up."

"Gloves."

"That's part of the basics."

"True, but so are weapons. What kind of masks?"

"Hawk. Fox. Wolf."

"… I just hope history won't repeat itself." There's a pause. "Hawk, these are yours." Sasuke walks up, taking the items he's offered. "Fox. You're up." Naru-nii does the same. "Wolf." I'm handed my items. "I worked with your mother. Do her proud, ya hear?"

"Nn." I noise. Wondering what all of this even means. I look at the items I'm given; black clothes, a white flak jacket, a wolf mask (still completely white). Are we… joining Anbu?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Captain leads us into a room, empty other than a desk and four chairs. He sits behind the desk, telling us to take a seat. We do, but… my head's still kind of swimming in the situation to be honest. "While in this room, I will talk, you will listen. I am in charge, you are to follow orders. There will be no questions, only instructions."

"You are not joining Anbu." He says simply. "What you are doing is starting your Anbu training so that, once completed, you _may_ be asked to join Anbu."

But… I'm only twelve. And I'm already being considered?

"The training takes anywhere from one to three years, depending on how fast you master what you're expected to. You will each be assigned a role in the team, and you will be expected to master the skills of that role without question." Captain isn't letting up in his little 'pep talk'.

"Fox, you are our trap master and tracking and stealth specialist." Fox-nii nods, happy this is playing into his strengths.

"Hawk, you are our scout and assassin." Hawk nods, but doesn't really react otherwise.

"Wolf, you are our medic and defensive specialist." I nod. My skills seem to be developing in those directions anyway.

"You will each be given a task. If you complete that task, you will be given a scroll with a skill to master. Only once you master that scroll will you be given another task. No one is allowed to know of this. And while wearing your mask, you may reveal your identity to no one. That means covering any identifiable trait, masking your natural body language and changing your speech pattern. You will bathe using special soaps and shampoos to erase your natural scent. You will use different weapons while in uniform. And you will **not** mistake one persona for the other. Your Anbu persona and your alter ego are two separate entities, treat them as such."

I nod, not quite believing this to be real, but understanding it nonetheless. "I will be your trainer. I will give you your tasks, and I will give you your scrolls. No Anbu operative other than me is to be obeyed. And only Hokage-sama's word weighs heavier than my own."

"Hawk. I assume you have signed your clan's contract. If you have not, you will sign it today. Starting next week, your hell will at my beck and call."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Head. Swimming. Anbu…? Anbu. Trainee, but Anbu.

I'm being considered for Anbu? Sure, I still have to go through a hellish training before I can really be asked to join, but… we're being considered!

And I have the wolf mask too! Just like mama! But… that leads to so many problems. First of all, I need to start really hitting the ball out of the park, every time I swing. That's… impossible, but I need to try anyway.

I need to keep my Anbu gear in a scroll so no one ever finds it… heh, _my_ Anbu gear.

Aya. Focus. You need to focus. How do you create two separate personas using the same skill set and not allowing anyone to identify one based on the other? Alright, let's break this down.

Sound release is not used in Konoha, and people know I use it. So sound release goes to 'Aya'. Summoning wolves, and the jutsus surrounding that are a Namiki thing, and people will automatically make the connection. Wolf-related jutsus go to 'Aya'. That doesn't leave a whole lot, now does it. That means that my kodachis will just have to go to 'Wolf'. I'll keep my tanto for 'Aya' seeing as I can combine sound release with it.

I'll keep my earth release jutsus for 'Wolf', and I'll see if I can't learn some barrier jutsus or something for 'Wolf' as well. But it'd have to be non sound release, non Namiki hidden barrier jutsu. Maybe Captain would know one I could learn? Time will tell.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You getting a headache from this too?" Naru-nii asks. I look to him, wondering what he means. "What Kaka-sensei talked about earlier?"

I shrug. "It'll be annoying, but I think we'll manage." I say, rubbing his upper arm soothingly. "Besides. Don't you think the future Hokage can handle this?"

He grins at that. Then he turns to Sasuke. "What about you? Think you can stay ahead for long?"

"Seeing as I'm studying much higher level jutsus of my clan, I think I'll manage." He says, smirking.

Uchiha clan jutsus? "But…"

"Not using every skill available to you while on a mission is suicide. Do not limit yourself." Sasuke explains seriously. I nod, understanding – though not really liking it. "Besides, while on missions it'll just be us. And we know."

I smile. Yeah, I like that idea.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Looking around, I can't help but smile. We're in the Akimichi restaurant, celebrating 'another successful mission' – that's what Captain told the others at least. Naturally, that means that the WHOLE PACK is here!

Chouji-kun is sitting next to me. Naru-nii is sitting next to Hina-nee. Sasuke is with Asami – both of them look uncomfortable about the implications. Ino and Nara-san – neither of them caring who they sit next to. Yoshino-sensei – who's been glaring at Captain every chance she gets, so I think she understands but hates this with a fiery passion. Hanabi, Saki and Yasu-nee are here as well. Along with Haku and Momochi-san? Not sure why he's here, but… meh.

"Ah, I thought I might find you all here." Hokage-dono announces his arrival. "Would you mind if I join you?"

"Please do." Captain announces, seating his boss between himself and Yoshino-sensei. I can only smirk at that not so subtle bullet-dodge. Still, Yasu-nee blushes a little as Captain is now sitting next to her…? Interesting, interesting.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Hokage-sama?" Yoshino-sensei asks, her tone pleasant.

"I happen to live not too far from here? And I'm hungry?" He offers, his tone completely neutral. I don't buy it.

"Uh huh." And neither does Sensei. "You do realise that I'm going to be giving you one headache after another over this?"

"Now, now, Yoshino-chan. Whatever do you mean?" He plays innocent. Yoshino-sensei knows the rules – she can't tell anyone.

"Hey, Sensei, I was wondering if you could help me with something tomorrow?" I change the subject.

"Sure, but now I'm curious." She eyes me sternly – almost like she's warning me to stay out of the conversation.

"Well, I've been working on adapting the shadow crow jutsu so that I can make other animals out of it, maybe even alter their colour through subtle genjutsu. But I can't seem to form the thing as anything but a crow." I give it all in one go. I'd ask Captain to help me, but… no. Just no.

"Hmm… I think I know just the thing." She says, but still glares at me; _don't think I didn't notice the 'convenient timing'_. Busted.

The waitress comes and takes our orders, smiling extra brightly at Hokage-sama. She fades into the woodwork quickly after that. "You know what I don't get? Why is it that you guys get all the mislabelled missions? I mean, that's like the fourth one?"

"Third." Sasuke corrects.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Why do they keep getting mislabelled missions?" Yoshino-sensei is at it again.

"Well, let's see. If a missions is labelled as a C-rank, but the interviewer of the client suspects something they can't prove…" He trails off, mostly because Yoshino-sensei is sitting next to him and looks very much like a volcano about to erupt. "But it could also just be a coincidence?" He finishes lamely.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Night found Naru-nii and I in the visitors' sitting room again. A sealing arts night. It's quite… interesting to note that both Naru-nii and I have 'beings' studying in the hidden library – he has four shadow clones, I have eight shadow crows (they take up less space).

"You're getting better, you know." Sasa-nee tells me, smiling. I look down at the VERY simple seal she has me practising. It's basically just a heartbeat counting seal, nothing special. If you place it over an artery, the seal would count the heartbeats. That's it. It doesn't tell you what the number is, and it doesn't do anything else, it just counts on into infinity.

"I am?"

"Yeah." She confirms. "So much so that I think it's time you worked on a simple tandem seal."

"A… tandem seal?"

"Uh huh. Tandem seals are seals that work together – you know, 'in tandem'?" She explains. "Since you're Naruto-kun's personal medic. I think it's best for you to mostly focus on medical seals. So I figure a vital signs scroll will work really well for you. So we're going to make the pieces so you'll always have something one hand to help you take care of the twerp for me." She winks.

"You do realise I can hear you. Right?" Naru-nii doesn't sound impressed.

"Good news, Aya. You don't have to check his hearing anytime soon." She bates him further. She likes getting on his case while he's working on a seal – and he gets back at her by being loud and obnoxious while she's reading a book.

"And even better news. I taught Kono-chan something new. I'm sure he'll be _more than happy_ to show you." Touché, Naru-nii, touché. Asami pales slightly, unsure if she even wants to know what that might mean for her.

"Anyway." She waves is off, but still looks a bit flustered. "You already have the first seal hear down pat. So I'll just show you the tandem seal that can actually show you what this one is recording. Now, keep in mind that this is a good deal more complex, but I'll explain the parts as I go, okay?"

I nod, wondering about that. "Now, the lowest layer of the seal is the transceiver. That simply means it transmits and receives information from outside of the seal. Now, you have to keep in mind that this dot right here, is what we call a connector. It connects multiple layers of the same seal to each other, to exchange information within the seal."

Okay… "How is that different from a 'transceiver'?"

"Well, transceivers only work with information from outside the seal itself, while the connector only works with information within the seal. And on top of that, there are different parts to a connector… there's splitters, EITHER, OR, NEITHER, NOR, AND, and a few other really important symbols you need to remember while drawing a seal. Not to mention you have to stay within a certain seal scripting language."

"… huh…?" Can we go back to speaking Japanese, please? Because this makes no sense.

"Hey, I said I was going to explain it as I go, didn't I?" I blink. "Look, I've been teaching you and Naruto the Uzumaki sealing script. Which means that everything you learn from me will work well with each other, but horribly with anything anyone here in Konoha makes. They all use the Fujiwara sealing script." Yes, that makes _so much sense_ now.

"Put it this way. Sealing scripts are like different languages. If you make a seal in one language, it can only understand seals made in the same language. Get it?"

I take a second to think about it. Yeah, that sort of makes sense. I nod.

"Good. Now, the different parts of a seal are called matrixes. These matrixes each have their own function, and each stands or fails on their own. But if every other matrix works perfectly, and just one fails, the seal won't work the way you want it to. That's because the job of that function won't get done." She really knows what she's talking about.

Why do I suddenly feel like just spending the day with Chouji-kun?

Huh? Aya! Focus, Aya!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After lunch –Captain pretty much owns our mornings these days– I decide that today's _that_ day. The day that I bug Chouji-kun until he tells me why he won't ask me on a date.

I nod, liking my decision more than ever. "Naru-nii, I'm heading out."

"Where you off to?" He asks, working on some new wind jutsu with Sasa-nee.

"To get some answers. I've been patient enough." I answer vaguely. He understands though; the look in his eyes, the knowing smile. He understands all too well.

"May I come with you?" Haku asks. Our eyes meet briefly – she's begging wordlessly. Oh yeah, her mission and all of that crap. I nod, telling Naru-nii that I'll be back later.

We make our way to the gate, down the road, and into the busy streets of the Shinobi District. I don't really mind too much anymore. I still get really nervous in crowds and especially jittery if people are getting too close to me, but I'm feeling a bit more solid in my shoes these says… if that's a thing.

Either way, we make our way to the Clan District without a word. She's mostly just enjoying the hustle and bustle of the village, I'm enjoying the fact that no one's starting any craziness this time. And oh yeah, we still need to take Haku and Momochi-san out to a restaurant. I can't let Naru-nii forget that! The promise of one is the promise of the pack, after all.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I find myself in training ground three, located on the outskirts of the Clan District. Sarutobi-sensei is running Team Ten ragged, but seeing as they're mostly just doing a cool down, I'll just assume he's not nearly as bad as Captain.

I sit in the sunlight, patiently waiting for them to finish. It takes almost a half hour, but I don't mind too much. I've been working hard lately, so not doing anything for a while is just… divine!

When they're done, Ino waves to her sensei and rushes over, plopping onto the ground next to me. Chouji-kun and Nara-san are slow to follow, but they eventually land nearby as well. Nara-san seems especially happy to just lay in the grass and watch the clouds float by.

"So, Aya, what brings you all the way out here?" Ino asks. I blush, wondering what to say. "Ah. I see. Haku, right? Well, Haku-chan, our team usually breaks for lunch about now. And sensei always takes us out to eat. Want to go with us? I think Aya wants… a little privacy."

Haku and Chouji-kun both look to me, wondering about that. "That sounds lovely." Haku agrees, getting up. "Aya, will you be joining us shortly?" She asks.

"Nn. This shouldn't take too long." I hope. Ino, Haku and Nara-san make their way over to Sarutobi-sensei, and they agree to head over to wherever they're going to 'get a good seat', or something.

Chouji-kun swallows nervously, hearing the other's (Ino's) chatter fading into the distance. "There's something I need to talk to you about." I begin, feeling nervous myself.

He nods seriously, trying to sit comfortably but appear interested too. "Sure. What's up?"

I can feel my heart throbbing in my throat. Am I really going to go through with this? "Why haven't you asked me out yet?" Obviously I am. I fight to control my breathing – before I hyperventilate or something.

"…" He blushes deeply, looking away. He obviously didn't see this coming.

"And for that matter…" Aya, shut up. Shut up, **right now**! "What exactly are we?" Kami-sama! No matter how much better I'm getting at this whole 'social thing', I still suck BIG TIME!

"I… wish I had answers for you, Aya-chan." He says, still not looking at me. "But…"

"… but what?" I encourage him gently. I can't tell what's worse, the uncertainty or the nervousness that makes my lunch want to come back with a vengeance.

He sighs. "This can't work."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 31_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: ... Ouch! This is... kind of a mean place to leave you. I've never pretended I'm not evil ^_^_**

 ** _Side note! Early in this chapter Kakashi (dog summoner) talks about 'dogs versus wolves', but Aya (wolf summoner) only talks about 'wolves vs dogs'. Subtleties, but they show the priorities of the speaker._**

 ** _Until next time. *blows a kiss*_**


	38. New look, old habits

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 32 – New look, old habits_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 _This can't work_ , he said. _I'm not good enough for you_ , he said. _I'm not saying this to hurt you_ , he said.

Whatever. "Aya, you're not yourself." Captain says after a one-on-one training. I look at him, wondering what he means. "You've barely said a word all week. Even to Naruto. What's going on?"

I shrug. It's just stupid personal problems, nothing that would affect a mission should we take one.

"Aya, please answer me." I'm doing everything you say without complaint. What more do you want from me? "Verbally." No.

 **#Is this way easier?#** He signs. I offer nothing more than a blank stare. He sighs. "Fine. You're dismissed. Remember what I said about that jutsu. We'll be taking a mission in a few days again. Be ready." I nod and body flicker out of the training ground he'd brought me to.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I make it back home quickly, unlock the gate and enter. I make it to the front door before I hear it. "Give me **one** good reason." Sasuke sounds pissed.

"Because hurting Chouji will hurt Aya too. Even though she's upset right now, she still cares for him." Naru-nii.

"Oh? So you're trying to tell me I **don't** have the right to break his legs for doing this to her?" Sasuke counters.

"I'm trying to tell you that doing that will only hurt her even more. Think, Sasuke!" I never thought I'd hear Naru-nii say something like that. "I'm just as pissed as you are! But that **doesn't** change what happened, and it **certainly** won't make anything better!"

"You do realise that she's standing just outside the door and can hear every word you're saying?" Yoshino-sensei points out. Well, there goes free information. I slide the door open, announce that I'm home, and start taking off my shinobi sandals and my rain coat. I hate that Captain decided for himself that we should train not only outdoors, but outdoors AND on the other side of the village. That man makes no sense.

"Welcome home, Aya. How was your training?" Sensei asks, sliding the inner door open to greet me. I shrug, but don't comment. "Kakashi said he was going to help you with a new sound release jutsu. How'd that go?"

I shrug again, noising and making a vague gesture with my free hand; _it went okay, I guess_.

"Just okay?" She smiles, teasing me. I smile a little too, rolling my eyes; _okay, it was pretty good_. "So you have the jutsu figured out?" I nod, smiling a little this time; _it's not perfect, but it's not bad either_.

"Yasu-san is in the kitchen making a snack, if you're interested?" Yoshino-sensei has been like this for days, trying to get me to open up like I was. I shrug, not really in the mood for food. I think I'll just grab some chocolate and settle in for a nice afternoon in my office, reading.

"By the way, the girls have been practicing with their instruments. I think they're getting good enough to start working on some simple jutsus, but Naruto is still helping Saki unlock her chakra. It's taking a while." I shrug. Yeah, I can help them with that a bit later. And we really do need to talk to Yasu-nee about signing Saki into the academy. Still, no rush, the new schoolyear doesn't start for months.

Someone rings on, repeatedly. What's the rush! I slip into my slippers and raincoat and go find out. Captain. "Wolf. Yuuhi Kurenai's team has been ambushed. They need backup. Get the others ready, we leave in thirty minutes."

I don't open the gate, and he disappears before I decide to. I rush into the house. "Fox, Hawk. A team's been ambushed. We're the back up. Thirty minutes. Move!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's not even fifteen minutes later and we're already out the door. We're at the gate in less than three minutes. And Captain is already there waiting for us. He nods to us, and we start moving immediately. No one talks the entire time we're moving.

It's almost sunset, but none of us even consider using that as an excuse. We take a break, to eat and drink and see to our needs, but we're already back at it in no time at all. It's times like these that I'm grateful for raincoats and the Namiki scroll on enhanced vision – it wasn't as complicated as I'd feared, thank Kami-sama.

 **#Stop!#** Captain signs. He jumps down to the ground, so we follow him. **#We stop for the night. Wolf, first shift. Fox, second shift. Hawk, third. We move out at dawn.#**

 **#Question. What's the situation?#**

 **#Team Eight didn't report in. Last communication stated the client lied.#** People lying to ninjas. Does the world never learn?

 **#Wolf said 'ambushed'. What do we know?#** Hawk asks, knowing that Fox will be too emotional now.

 **#Land of Tea. Gangster territory. They hire shinobi for underhanded missions. Team Eight's mission was to track down the kidnapped child of some important gangster. It's possible shinobi were encountered.#** And no one took that into account from the start? I mean, gangsters lying to you? Not exactly something they'd lose sleep over.

 **#Understood.#**

 **#Rest. You'll need it.#**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the border of the Land of Tea by noon. Captain signs for a break, so we stop for a quick lunch and the usual bathroom breaks. It's not more than a half hour before we're on the road again.

At sunset, we're well within the Lanf of Tea – I can tell _mostly_ because the rain stopped. So we all seal out raincoats during the next break, revealing us in our trainee Anbu gear. I'm wearing a single tanto, full black. Fox is wearing dual wakizashis, also black. Hawk is wearing a simple straight sword, white. He just had to be different. Captain is wearing his Dog mask, but his is the only mask that's painted – a sign he's not only the captain, but he's the only full Anbu Operative on the team.

Our clothes are identical though. Sleeveless black shirts with high collars. Fingerless gloves up to our mid bicep. Metal armguards that reach from our elbows to our wrists and another guard on the backs of our hands. Black pants, not skin-tight, but not loose either. And standard black shinobi sandals, with metal shin guards. Oh, and let's not forget the pocketless white flak jackets. It took me almost a week to find a proper place to fit the scroll containing all my things!

After a quick dinner, we head out again.

Going on ten o'clock, Captain signs for us to stop. **#Wolf, Fox, sniff. We need to locate the team quickly.#** I don't know everyone's scent on their team, but I know Hina-nee's scent like the back of my hand.

 **#Two kilometres, that way.#** I point. Fox agrees a moment later, pointing in the same direction. Thank Kami-sama we're down wind from them!

 **#Move out!#**

It takes us less than five minutes to get to the house where I smell Hina-nee. This place is HUGE though! We don't knock on the front door, naturally, so we simply enter through an open window on the fourth floor.

We make our way silently, sticking to the shadows, never touching the ground for any reason. We don't know if our comrades are in friendly company or not.

 **#Shinobi presence other than Team Eight?#** Captain asks.

 **#Negative.#** Fox-nii and I sign at the same time. Captain nods, probably thinking the same thing and just wanting us to either confirm or show that we should be checking for that regardless.

 **#Captain. Team Eight are trackers. They would recognize us.#** Hawk asks. Good point. They're job is identifying people and tracking them for miles!

 **#Moot point. Leader assigned this mission this way. Trust Leader's judgment.#** Captain signs back. Yeah, there's no sign for Hokage, for some reason. I find that completely idiotic by the way! If someone recognizes the handsigns as Konoha Anbu signs, they automatically know we're from Konoha! Whatever.

We make it to their location, Captain signs that Fox should send in two shadow clones to be sure. A moment later, Fox-nii casually strolls into the next room. "Good evening. Lovely weather."

I'm quick to follow, trusting his judgment. I find Yuuhi-sensei unconscious in a futon, Inuzuka next to her, conscious but in bad shape. I don't even need the order to tend to them.

I start with Yuuhi-sensei, scanning her from head to toe. Chakra exhaustion, shallow cuts, traces of poison. Hmm, not a very dangerous one, but one that slows the body's natural healing. This is common for… Mist shinobi?

 **#Fox. Poison. Slows body's healing. Mist shinobi. Confirm?#**

 **#Affirmative.#** Both he and Captain sign back. I nod, knowing enough. I reach into my jacket, taking out my scroll and unseal my first aid kit. I take a syringe and fill its chamber with a broad spectrum antidote. I know for a fact it'll deal with this poison, but it'll leave her immune system somewhat weakened. A risk we'll just have to take for now.

"Captain. Her arms please." Captain takes her dominant arm, Hawk grabs her legs and Fox take her off hand. I jab the needle in her arm –after removing all air bubbles of course– and quickly empty its chamber into her. Even in her weakened state, she fights back with all she can, but Captain talks her down.

"Kurenai. It's alright. We're from Konoha." He says soothingly.

"An…bu… good. One… team… Mist…"

"Yuuhi-san. Do not speak. Your team can fill us in. Rest." I order. I still unseal a soldier pill and a bottle of water. She downs both, falling back to sleep almost instantly.

"Kurenai-sensei was saying that there's a team of Mist shinobi. Chuunins we think, protecting the kid we're supposed to save. They're client's holding the kid hostage. Ransoming him for more money than our client can pay." Inuzuka-san lays it all out. Idiot. I don't react. I just move to him, scanning his injuries. Hmm, Hina-nee must be low on chakra as well. His wounds are tended to and dressed, but not healed. I take my time healing them each in turn. I then make sure to scan Akamaru, just to be on the safe side. You just never know.

"Thanks, Aya."

 **SLAP!**

"Oi! Isn't there some rule against hitting a patient!?"

 **SLAP!**

"Wolf." Captain warns, but hearing Fox-nii snickering doesn't help his case any. I growl briefly, but stand down anyway.

"So you guys are up in Anbu training. Can't say I'm surprise." Inuzuka-san continues as if nothing happened. Even though his forehead is bright red in two places. "So. You're Wolf. You're… Fox. And that leaves Hawk over there brooding. I should have known about Dog though. Common sense."

"Inuzuka. You know what I'm about to tell you." Captain says. Revealing the identity of Anbu Operatives, even those in training, is punishable by death; common knowledge in a hidden village.

"Yeah, yeah. Dunno why you guys'd come like that knowing we'd identify you in a heartbeat." Inuzuka's a complete moron. There's no cure for that level of idiocy.

"What do you know about the kidnappers." Captain changes the subject.

"Four ninja. Three guys and a girl. Water release users, but not too skilled. They mostly rely on stealth and guerrilla tactics to pick us off one by one."

"That is wholly incorrect. Why you ask? Because you simply rushed ahead and got injured." Aburame counters. I laugh at the boy, not in the least surprised. Even Fox-nii and Hawk get a good chuckle out of that.

"Are we in any risk of a counter attack?" Captain asks.

"Negative. They seem content to wait us out. Why you ask? Because time is on their side. If the money is not delivered in two days time, the child is executed." Aburame-san explains. I like it when he talks. He makes sense.

"A-ano. I think we should… try again tomorrow. To s-save Yoshirou-san, I mean." Hina-nee manages. She's trying her best to stay calm here, but she's exhausted and she's not exactly happy with the situation.

"Negative." I say plainly. "You're in no state."

"Wolf is right. We'll take it from here." Captain announces, thinking about the best way to go about this. "Hyuuga-san. Do you have anything with the child's scent? And perhaps a picture?"

"O-of course." She looks curious, but she leaves to go get something down the hall. "No, H-hamacho-sama… A-another t-team has arrived." I hear as she makes her way back. A tall woman, in her mid thirties, with long flowing hair and an obviously expensive kimono walks in with Hina-nee. She takes one look at us, plainly shocked.

"Are you here to help?" She asks, her accent refined and elegant. She's obviously been educated in the fine arts and the like. Captain nods. "Good. Good. This is good." She's in tears. "Please, save my baby." She begs, kneeling and bowing to us, her hands clapped together over her head in a sign of begging – almost grovelling at this point. Her pride be damned, she wants her child back.

"That's the plan." Captain takes the item of clothing – a blanket. He sniffs it a few times, to make sure he has the scent. He then tosses it to Fox, who does the same. Then it's tossed to me. The picture is handed to Hawk though – he didn't care for a jutsu to 'smell things better'.

Even through my mask, the scent is easy to pick up in the blanket. The child uses it regularly.

"Subject is eighteen months, correct?" Hawk asks. Ever the charmer.

"My SON is seventeen months." The woman corrects.

"We'll find him." I assure her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She's in tears, thanking me over and over again.

"Aburame. You're in the best shape here. You'll show us where we need to be." Captain is all business once again. "Hyuuga. You will stay here and tend to these two." She nods, feeling downright miserable.

 **#Fox, leave ten clones here. Stealth. Wolf, give her three soldier pills. They attacked the enemy today, that means they're on high alert. We need to take them out immediately. No jutsu. Target might see. Move out!#**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We're lead to a two storey home on the edge of the village. It looks like a gambling den almost, and a bit run down. Not the kind of place I'd like to be.

"I've tagged the shinobi with my bugs. I should come with you." Aburame-san offers.

"I know you did. But you've done your part." Captain placates. **#Fox, shadow clone. Lead him back to safe house.#**

Fox-nii makes a single clone this time. "Come on, Shino. You can tell me all about what you know of their skills. I'll make sure the boss has that information as soon as they need it." The two are already running back to the safe house. Whatever.

 **#You know formation. Wolf, genjutsus allowed. No other jutsu. Last Resort is still last resort.#** Siren's Call. Yeah, yeah. Let's just see if we can get the kid to safety, alright!

We make our way in, sticking to the shadows again and making almost no sound. **#Target upstairs.#** I sign. Fox confirms it a moment later. It's a good thing we have three noses on the team, it helps to confirm things sometimes.

 **#Secure downstairs first. No surprises.#** Hawk signs to us. Captain likes to 'be the hero' and only step in when it's needed. So Hawk is usually in charge on missions.

We go through every room, finding nothing downstairs. It's not a total loss though; we come across their weapons cache and food storage. Fox seals it all without being asked to.

We make our way upstairs, sticking to the walls to not make a sound. **#Target down the hall. Four others in room with target.#** I sign. Fox-nii confirms it as well.

 **#Captain. Best stealth option is Last Resort. They could kill target the second we open the door.#** Hawk signs to Captain.

 **#Permission granted.#** I nod, soundlessly unsheathing my tanto. I skulk up to the door, try to listen in for who is where, but they're not making any sounds.

 **#Three are sleeping, one on watch.#** I sign, but I can only identify where the light snores are coming from.

The door swings open – inwards, so it doesn't hit me, thank Kami-sama. I don't panic, I just look up and find the woman staring at me, disbelief in her eyes. I start singing immediately. Her eyes gloss over, but she's fighting to break the genjutsu. I end her quickly, moving into the room and end the others just as quickly. Checking around the room, I notice no signs of enemies still breathing. So I stop singing.

Captain comes in and grabs the sleeping child – for the best, I'm covered in blood again. **#Fox. Scout the house, scalp everything we value. Hawk, check identities. Behead anyone with a bounty. Burn evidence when Fox is done. Meet back at safehouse in one hour.#**

 **#Affirmative.#**

 **#Wolf. You will stay with them.#**

Like I'd have it any other way? **#Affirmative.#**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We're back at the safehouse in record time. They didn't have anything we'd want, but all four of them had some hefty bounties on them. Technically they're all my kills, but I don't mind sharing with my team. I'll treat them to a nice dinner when we get back home – I'm kind, not stupid.

"Fire! There's a fire! In the old gambler's den at the edge of town!" I hear someone shouting out in the street. We're busy avoiding the crowd, so please don't ask us to help out a fire we started! It's counterproductive. And silly.

We make our way back up to the room where Team Eight is resting. The lady from earlier is missing, but Captain signs that she's tending to her son.

"Mission accomplished. Good job, team." Captain says. It could technically count as praise, but Captain never praises. He speaks his mind. "Wolf. When you've cleared Kurenai and Kiba, we'll head home. Until then, we're on standby."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next morning, after breakfast and a wash-down –Anbu don't 'bathe' on missions, we cleanse and remove all scents, not the same thing– I go and check on my patients. Yuuhi-sensei is awake and doing much better, which her scans confirm. Inuzuka-san is much the same.

 **#Physically healed. Recommend another day, maybe two.#**

 **#Reason.#**

 **#Rainy season.#** I remind him. The last thing these two need is an infection when they're just recovering from their injuries.

"We leave at dawn." Captain announces. No one argues with him, so Captain leaves the room.

"You know what I don't get?" Inuzuka-san starts the second the door slides shut.

 **#I could write a book on things he doesn't get.#** I sign to Fox-nii. He covers his laughter with a few coughs, but Inuzuka-san doesn't seem to notice.

"How come you three are suddenly so all powerful?"

I blink. Not that he'd see that through my mask.

"Your logic is flawed. Why? Because no one suddenly becomes powerful. Either they already were and you never noticed, or they've trained hard since the last time to earn their power."

"I-I agree with Shino-k-kun." Hina-nee says, not telling the whole story. She knows just how hard we train, she also knows how hard we study. She's with us for most of it – and frankly, she's probably FAR more skilled that Inuzuka-san. I can't say for sure about Aburame-san though. He's a sneaky one.

"Aww. That's sweet." Fox-nii says, wrapping an arm around Hina-nee's shoulder. She blushes, 'eeps', and faints. Luckily he catches her. I just shake my head. That she's still like that, and he's still just as clueless about her being like that… What's he trying to do? Desensitize her?

Hmm, that's not a bad idea, actually. Still, I'll ask him later. He's too busy asking me to see if she's alright. He's lucky I can't slap him with his mask on.

"So, Wolf-chan. What are you doing when we get back?" I know this pup isn't hitting on me while I'm on duty! Who cares if we're on standby! I'm in my fricking Anbu uniform! I feel a tingling sensation, to show he's almost trying to touch me. I turn, looking to him, but his eyes are glossed over. He's body is held in such a way that I can tell he just tried putting an arm around me. I look to Hawk, seeing Sharingan eyes swirling angrily.

 **#Thanks. Saved me the trouble.#**

He nods.

"You'd think he'd learn, after all these months." Yuuhi-sensei sounds annoyed, and exasperated. "Just to be safe. You're…?"

"Wolf."

"Fox."

"Hawk."

Yuuhi-sensei nods to each of us as we introduce our alter egos. "Good. Thank you, for not only saving my team but for saving the boy as well."

"You don't have to thank us. We're just glad we got here in time." Fox-nii says as he rubs the back of his head, obviously embarrassed. I can tell, even without seeing his face, he's grinning like an idiot.

"Wolf." I turn to the woman, wondering what she wants with me. "I'll need your help with Kiba. We'd have accomplished this mission if he hadn't tried to rush ahead. Even against a team of chuunins." She explains seriously.

I snort, but don't comment. "Rest, Yuuhi-san."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The trek back to Konoha is mostly uneventful. Mostly, because Inuzuka-san is mostly doing anything he can to get on my nerves. I get it, don't get me wrong. Strong female, affinity with canines just like his clan, and a healer like his big sister. I get it. That doesn't mean I'm not going to break his arm if he touches me.

Luckily both our teams know to keep him away from me. But that doesn't stop him from trying. And it's even worse seeing as I tend to want to scan him at every break to make sure his wounds stay closed and aren't getting infected or anything.

"You know, Wolf-chan. It's alright to fall in love with an alpha male." He tries, during our lunch break.

"When you find an alpha male, let him know for me." I counter, scanning him anyway.

"Ouch." Fox-nii rubs it in.

"Kiba. If you keep troubling my subordinate, I'm going to step in." Captain warns in a tone that lets him know that he most DEFINITELY doesn't want Captain to step in.

"Hey, Wolf. Don't you have a meeting with Hana coming up?" Fox-nii asks. I nod wordlessly, trying to close one of the wounds that had reopened because Inuzuka-san is pushing hard than he should. "Well, make sure to bring up with unprofessional attitude. I'm sure his clansmen would want to know."

Inuzuka-san blanches, not liking that idea at all. "Captain, we have to slow the pace." I say, changing the subject.

"His wounds reopened?" Captain asks. I nod. "Kiba, you will stop pushing yourself to impress Wolf. If she has to close one more wound of yours, I will allow her suggestion to put you in a coma and drag you back to Konoha that way. Understood?"

I didn't suggest that. Not because I didn't think of it, but because I don't plan on carrying him. Still, whatever cooks the rice.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once back in Konoha, we check in –it's much easier for us than them, because we go into a separate line and only Captain's identity needs to be checked at all– and we head to the Tower.

Yuuhi-sensei and Captain give their initial verbal reports, Hokage-dono asks us a few questions. Nothing special. "Very well. Team Eight, you are dismissed."

The door closes behind them and a full minute passes before Hokage-dono continues. "Dog, how would you say your team handled themselves in this mission?"

"Admirably, Hokage-dono. Hawk took charge when the situation called for it, made a solid plan, and they all performed well under pressure." Captain explains, his tone professional.

"And the Mist chuunins?"

"Wolf took them out. They each have a bounty, so I'll take her to collect that."

"Do not become too dependant on that jutsu, Wolf." Hokage-dono warns carefully.

"It was by Hawk's suggestion, sir. Due to the target being in the same room with the Mist team and no way to assess if they'd try to kill him as we entered." I explain seriously. He nods, but I can tell that isn't his point. "I will take your warning to heart, sir."

"You do that." He smiles warmly. "Dismissed."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Soaking. In the hot water. In the middle of the day. I'd just gotten home from another debriefing, mission's payout and collecting the bounties. As usual, it all gets transferred to my bank account, but I write down the total so I have a number to work with.

As a sit here, I think… I wonder. The missions are getting steadily more complicated, sometimes more desperate. The trainings are becoming more and more ruthless. The tasks are getting less and less likeable. The jutsu I'm expected to master quickly are becoming more complicated, more chakra intensive.

I've passed out from chakra deprivation so often by now, it's become almost normal.

Winter's begun. Every tree is without a leaf, replaced by inches of snow. Luckily, the weather's normalized somewhat, so it stopped snowing last week some time. But the sky is still grey and the world seems so lifeless. I think it'll end up snowing again tonight. Not that we need more snow, but…

"Aya! Are you still in there? Everyone's already here for that tournament thing!" Yasu-nee calls out. I'm soooooo not looking forward to this.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 32_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: The is the relapse that has been coming since the chapter named 'Relapse'. Aya had Chouji and Naruto to pull her out then, but only Naruto and missions now. Date wise, we're almost to Christmas in this story. There will be a 'Christmas special', of course, but that's going to be an interlude, and that's going to be released a bit closer to Christmas._**


	39. Let it snow

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 33 – Let it snow_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I slide the door open, finding everyone relaxing in the back yard. Team Eight, Team Ten, and my own team. Haku is here as well, with Momochi-san and Asami. Saki's probably in the front yard having a snowball fight with Hanabi, Konohamaru and his friends.

Naru-nii takes one look at me and decides he doesn't like what he sees.

"Good. Now that we're all here, we can start with the warm ups. Let's start with Ino versus Hinata!" Captain announces. I plop down onto the porch, near Nara-san. He eyes me, but doesn't say anything. He nudges Akimichi-san, sitting on the other side of him, but he doesn't react. I keep out – whatever that nudge is supposed to mean, it has nothing to do with me.

Hina-nee uses my signature snap-genjutsu, but I'm too far away to be in her effective range. She closes in on Ino and places a kunai at her throat, scoring a win. "Winner, Hinata! Next match, Chouji versus Sasuke!"

"I would advise against that." Sasuke says honestly.

"Advice noted. Now get up here or forfeit." Captain doesn't budge. Sasuke isn't one to forfeit a match, so he body flickers into the ring –the pond, as usual, even though it's half frozen so we have to still 'water walk' to not break the thin ice– awaiting his challenger.

Akimichi-san looks unsure of himself, but he enters the ring nonetheless. "Combatants ready? Begin!"

Sasuke wastes no time pressing the attack. He's been training on that little pond every day since it froze over, so the slippery surface doesn't even bother him anymore. Akimichi-san blocks the first punch and ducks the follow-up kick meant to break his neck. He throws a punch at Sasuke's gut, trying to use his momentum to his advantage, but Sasuke sidesteps it and kicks out his legs from under him then punts him before he even has to land. Akimichi-san lands in the snow surrounding the pond, earning Sasuke the win.

"Winner, Sasuke! Aya, check if Chouji's alright." Oh, so that's your plan? I don't react, making my way over to where Akimichi's roll ended. He stands up, covered in powder snow. I scan him visually, but everyone's so covered up against the cold that I can't make out anything other than his rosy check and disappointed eyes. His eyes meet mine for a brief moment, and I see something there, something I can't quite describe. It's gone as quickly as it came.

I scan him with the diagnostic jutsu, finding almost nothing. **#Just bruises.#** I sign to Captain, turning on my heel and walking back to the porch.

"Next match! Aya versus Kiba!" I growl, eyeing Captain like he just lost what was left of his mind. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Sasuke. Step up or forfeit."

"What's the matter, Aya? Scared to fight a real alpha male?" He baits me. I glare at him, willing to warn him only once not to provoke me. "Check it out, Akamaru. She thinks her glare's scary."

I step into the ring, the chakra I need to not take a dunk focused on my feet. "Aya, don't break him." Sasuke intones. I can tell from the smirk that he's only making a 'helpful suggestion', which immediately gets ignored.

I take out my flute, wondering when the match is going to start. "Aya, this is taijutsu only." Captain reminds me. I shrug. I wasn't going to use nin- or genjutsu. I'm going to beat the snot out of him with a handicap. I start playing 'Sakura' again, which gets a few chuckles out of my teammates. They know I play this song when I'm feeling particularly spiteful – especially Sasuke.

"Oi, Aya! You think you can take me without using your hands?" Inuzuka-san asks, obviously upset. I loop at the end of the song, starting back at the beginning. My notes are coming out quick, agitated, and crisp. "Fine. Akamaru, go sit on the porch. I'll be right there." The pup puts his partner down, who scampers through the snow and onto the porch, as instructed.

"Combatants ready? Begin!" Inuzuka rushes me, slightly hunched forward. He dives, trying something really stupid; I don't know –or care– what. At the last second, I jump over his attack, somersault and blaze a kick into his skull, knocking him down and through the ice face first. "That was uncalled for."

I shrug, putting my flute away and pulling the pup-sickle up out of the freezing water. He coughs and sputters, but I saw it coming so I make sure he's pointing away from me. I toss him into the snow without a care, glancing at Naru-nii to tell him to deal with this.

"Come on, Kiba. You can take a nice long soak to warm up a bit." Naru-nii half picks the boy up and drags him inside.

 **#Hypothermia risk, concussion, wounded pride.#** I sign to Captain, letting him know my diagnosis before I'm asked.

Captain sighs. "Next match,"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Kiba's out of commission. After he warms up, I'm still ordered to tend to him. All that does is confirm the concussion and the onset of a virus – likely just a cold or, worst case scenario, the flu. Yasu-nee refuses to let him out into the cold, even after I 'fix him up'. Good riddance.

Everyone's been **_REALLY_** nervous about fighting me ever since. Other than Naru-nii and Sasuke, of course. They can take me, and even when I get the upper hand, they know I won't hurt them too badly.

"Aya versus Chouji!" And then this has to happen. I don't even glance at Akimichi-san. I just make my way over to the mostly frozen pond. I step onto the surface, grateful that my boots are covering everything down there.

Akimichi-san walks up, clearly nervous and not just about the match. "Combatants ready?"

"Wait." Akimichi-san says. "Aya. I'm sorry." He says, sorrow in his eyes. I shrug. I know nothing other than that you're 'sorry', so don't expect anything from me. I get into the Muay Thai stance, waiting for the match to start.

He nods, obviously understanding he's not getting whatever he's looking for. The match starts, but I don't move. Neither does he. We just stand here, waiting for something that doesn't seem to come.

"I… wish I could make you understand." Akimichi-san murmurs, still not moving. I understand. You've been clear as crystal. You don't want 'this', 'us'.

Already tired of nothing happening, I walk away, my back to him. Once on the porch I kick the snow off my boots and open the door to go inside. "Aya. We're not done here." Captain calls to me. I don't even pause to show I hear him.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I spend the rest of the day in my office, mostly reading. I know everyone's going to be upset with me, and I can't bring my self to care.

I'm too busy practising this aural sensory jutsu – to enhance my sense of hearing. It would really help if I combine a heightened sense of smell with better vision at night and keener hearing. The only other thing I could possibly need –as far as I know– would be the ability to accurately sense chakra directly, but that's a rare gift I do not have.

"Sweetie, can I come in?" Yasu-nee asks, already sliding my office door open. Thanks for the heads up at least. She comes in and sets down some tea and two chocolate muffins on my desk near me. "The others are worried about you, you know." I shrug, not putting my scroll down. "I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine." I say, rereading a section to make sure I understand the details well enough.

"No, sweetie. You're not." She says, worry in her tone and eyes. I sigh, but don't comment. I take the one of the muffins, sniffing it –purely out of habit– and take a nibble. "If you're interested, Yoshino-san and I are making some snacks to celebrate how well you all did in that tournament thingy." She tries.

I nod, taking a sip of my tea.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Dinner time comes. Yoshino-sensei is the one to come and call me, probably because she believes she's the only one that could get me to come to the table and eat. I can't say if she's right or not.

Naturally, everyone tries to play the 'happy little helpers' and I'm seated next to Akimichi-san. I sit without comment, not looking at anyone. Haku helps Yasu-nee fix everyone a plate, and Yoshino-sensei is doing everything in her power to get me to talk. The closest she's gotten is an annoyed grunt when she asked me why I was that hard on 'Kiba'.

I look to Haku and Yasu-nee, smiling at them in thanks for the food. They smile back, but no words get exchanged. I do chorus 'Itatakimasu' with everyone though – it's rude not to.

"Hey, sis. It's starting to snow." Naru-nii comments, pointing outside. The sliding paper screens are wide open, of course. Even when it's this cold, they're always open. It's not like closing them makes any real difference in the temperature after all, so we just put more firewood in the little woodstove to drive out the cold.

"Oh? Does Wolf-chan like the snow?" Inuzuka asks. Everyone glares at him, other than me. I just don't care. He can claim he's being a prick under the influence of his concussion, and really it's not like anyone here would tell anyway. I'll still report it though. If he gets executed for his own stupidity, it's not my problem.

Once my plate is empty, I drink my tea and I bring my dishes to the kitchen and wash them. "Sweetie, you're not going back into your office." Yasu-nee demands, pointing towards the group sitting and watching the snow come down. She and Haku are already gathering the dishes, so I move to help. "Go join them." I'm ordered.

"Go on, Aya. I'll go grab you a quilt so you can keep warm." Sensei offers, smiling. I don't react to any of them. I know what they're doing, so I do this my way. I make my way into the visitors' sitting room, and I slide the paper screens open. I sit down, by myself, gazing out into the snow.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I don't know how long I'm sitting there, watching it all come down, but, "Why are you all by yourself?" Saki-chan asks sliding the door closed behind her. "Yasu-nee asked me to give you this." I turn to her, seeing her holding a folded up quilt.

I motion for her to come sit with me. Once she's comfortably sitting in my lap, I wrap the both of us in the quilt, thinking back to simpler days. "Each snowflake is unique." I quote. "Just like things that bother you. The clouds, they are just like you, bottling it all up until it becomes too much."

"Ehh?" Saki doesn't make any sense of my words, just like I didn't make sense of _hers_ back then.

"And just like the clouds, you should let it go. Let your troubles fall away from you like the snowflakes." Mama's words haunt me, even now. "Everything that weighs you down, might just make someone else really happy if you let it go." Tears fall. Tears of pain, frustration, loneliness. All of if falls. Unlike the snowflakes, my tears bring joy to no one.

"Someone's being antisocial again, I see." Naru-nii teases, sliding the door shut behind him. He scoots up behind me, tugging me into his warmth. He wipes away my tears, looking uphappy that I'm crying without him again. I've been doing that a lot lately.

"Why are you guys sitting over here by yourselves?" Ino asks, dragging an obviously muttering Nara-san with her. I hear another's footsteps as well – I can guess who that is.

I untangle myself from between my siblings, refusing to cry with _them_ here. "Sis, you don't have to go." Yes, I do. I'm already halfway to the door, my face held perfectly neutral.

"Naru-nii, why does Aya-nee cry so much these days?" A string of tears escapes, in full view of Team Ten. I don't wipe them away, hoping they'll just not notice.

"Because sometimes we end up giving our hearts to an idiot that doesn't know what to do with it." I slide the door closed behind me, doing my best to remain as… _poised_ as I can, seeing that I just want to be alone right now. I know if anyone else –Yasu-nee and Yoshino-sensei especially– sees me crying right now, I won't be allowed to be alone.

Unfortunately, the stairs are near the family sitting room, and guess who I happened into on my way up to my room?

"Why are you crying?" Yoshino-sensei asks, just loud enough for _someone_ hear it over washing the dishes. Yasu-nee opens the kitchen door, finding me trying to wriggle out of Sensei's hug. I sigh. I don't WANT to talk! Just leave me alone!

"Alright, young lady. Let's go." Yasu-nee shoos both Sensei and me up the stairs so we can have some privacy.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I'm lead into my bedroom. Yasu-nee dragging me along by the hand, Sensei sliding my door shut behind her. She even activates the seal so that this will remain a private conversation.

"Sweetie, it's time you get it off your chest." I'm told. Get what off my chest? "Don't give me that look. I know you better than this." Whatever.

"Aya." I wince. I don't know why, since her tone is gentle and sweet. I still get the feeling I'm not going to like whatever else gets said. "You might think that you are some kind of superwoman. That you can take on anything or just walk away from it… The world isn't that kind."

Yasu-nee takes me into her arms, hugging me tightly. Sensei seems to like the idea, and sandwiches me in from behind. "I know firsthand just how ruthless, how cruel, men can be." Yasu-nee really needs to shut up. "But Chouji-kun… he's not like that. He's not the kind of man. He's just a little boy that doesn't know what to do."

…

"And that's alright, sweetie. He has a lot of growing up to do. And so do you."

…

"You're just a little girl, Aya. A little girl that sometimes just needs someone to hold her so she can cry her heart out."

…

"Don't be afraid to be that little girl. And don't you ever think I won't be here to hold you when you cry. Don't you dare think that."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Weather's getting worse." Naru-nii points out. Yeah, it is. It's so bad that we have to close the sliding paper screens to keep the wind and snow out of the house. "I don't think anyone should leave in this weather.

"Shikaku-san is coming." I murmur, knowing he'll hear me.

"I know. I'm gonna go open the gate when he gets closer. Mind warming up some sake for him?" I nod, easing up out of his lap and offering him the quilt he'd wrapped me in again. I make my way into the kitchen, seeing Sensei and Yasu-nee quietly chatting about something while… cooking? We already had di… ohhh…! Sensei must know her husband is coming.

"Shikaku-san is almost here." I murmur, reaching into the cabinet with the sake and grabbing three bottles – Sarutobi-sensei will likely want, and it's not like Momochi-san will **ever** say no to sake.

"I figured as much. Shouldn't you wait until after he eats to offer sake?" She wonders, her eyebrow suspiciously high. I shrug, putting the sake into some warm water and grabbing the three saucers they'll need. "Aya~aaa."

"He's walking through a snowstorm to be with his family." I say, meeting her stern gaze. "That kind of loyalty should, and will, be rewarded."

"Nn." She nods, agreeing fully with me. "Naruto-kun's going to open the gate, so you'd best get busy if you want to spoil my husband."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Shikaku-san enters the family sitting room just ahead of me. He's shivering, trying to warm himself up as best he can. He sits down to the table, trying to be as detached as he can. I roll my eyes – guys and their pride.

I set the saucer in front of him, already pouring his first drink. "Wow. Talk about service." His voice is neutral, if a bit shocked. No shiver or stutter or tremble to be seen.

After pouring enough into his saucer, I kiss him on the crown of his head and lean in to whisper into his ear. "Thank you for coming. It means a lot to us."

"You know what I don't get?" Inuzuka-san is at it again. "Why is it that she's so soft and gentle with some people, and always halfway to the point of killing others?" Not 'others', mostly just you.

I roll my eyes, but offer Momochi-san and Sarutobi-sensei their sake all the same. They seem a bit shocked, but smile nonetheless. "Boy, I don't have the years it'd take to explain women to someone like you." Momochi-san says, raising his saucer to me, then to Shikaku-san and Sarutobi-sensei. They both cheer 'Kanpai!', before downing their drink – Momochi-san in one go, while the others sip.

I leave them be, heading upstairs into the linen closet for another quilt. I bring it back down, and gently drape it over Shikaku-san's shoulders – he strikes me as the type of man that prefers it this way, for some reason. He smoothes my hand, just as I'm arranging the quilt just right, looking to me with a soft smile in his eyes. I smile a little too, before pouring him another saucer. I also try to chase away the last of the snow still clearly visible in his black hair.

Seeing nothing else he needs, I go back to sit down with Naru-nii – who's leaning against the wall so he can 'keep an eye' on his surroundings. Saki-chan comes over to join us, looking blue from the cold and shivering a little. She sits in my lap again, shivering as I wrap my arms around her. Nii-san wraps both of us in our quilt, and we just huddle together against the storm.

Sensei comes in not long after with Shikaku-san's dinner. I see the look in her eyes, as she takes in her husband; the joy just below the surface, the comfort of knowing that I took care of him for her. She eyes the quilt, the sake he sets aside to make room for a warm meal. She places the plate in front of him, gently. She sets the chopsticks to the right of the plate, gently. She kisses him on the cheek, welcoming him and thanking him in one go. Just before she turns to go, she places her hand on his shoulder for a little squeeze – he kisses her hand.

Even after all the years together, I can easily see the love they have for one another.

"It smells delicious." He says, a smile in his voice and eyes.

"Eat up." She says, smiling just the same. I can tell that the 'novelty' of scenes like this is long gone – no matter how precious something is, it's easy to forget its value if you see it every day. But at the same time… I feel something deeper between them. The promise of a lifetime smiling at them even when logically every other option was easier.

I hug Saki a little tighter, snuggle into Naru-nii's embrace a little deeper. I… I wonder at the family that I happened upon. Little, broken, and made up of –at one point– total strangers. But we're a family all the same.

"Sit with me?" He asks. She looks unsure, obviously having other things to see to. "Please?"

"Alright." She caves, sitting beside him. As the minutes drip past them, she leans more and more into him, until his arm snakes around her waist and her head lies snugly in the crook of his neck. He eats, quietly enjoying and … drinking in the moment.

Is it bad that I want that too? That trust, that warmth? That yearning for someone that I couldn't not walk over a kilometre in the middle of a snowstorm just to be with them? I sigh, my eyes studying Akimichi-san briefly.

Does it matter what I want? If he doesn't want it just as badly, then it's just not meant to be.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Listen up, everyone!" Yoshino-sensei gets everyone's attention. "No one is going out in that storm, so I've discussed it with Aya and Naruto. If you're here, you're spending the night." As usual, Sensei just isn't taking 'no' for an answer.

"The boys will be staying in one room, the girls will be staying in another. Sakiko, Hanabi and Moegi, I think it's best to have the three of you in Sakiko's room tonight. Ino, Haku, Asami, you'll bunk with Hinata. Boys, you'll all be bunking in with Naruto. Asuma, Kakashi, Zabuza, you three will bunk in together. Kurenai, Yasu-san already clearly stated that you'll be sleep in with her. She seems to think you'll, and I quote, set a bad example for her little sisters otherwise." Yuuhi-sensei and Sarutobi-sensei both try not to, but I notice just enough of a blush to mean something.

"What about you then?" Nara-san asks, his eyebrow ticking just a little high for less than a second.

Sensei blushes a little herself. "Aya refused to let Shikaku and I sleep in separate rooms. So… she's sleeping in with Hinata as well… and we're taking her room for the night."

"Just be sure to change the sheets, lovebirds." Momochi-san quips, his smirk obvious under his facial bandages. I bite my lip, trying not to smile too much – I'd told Sensei the same thing.

Sensei's cheeks flame up, and she refuses to meet anyone's gaze. I glare at Momochi-san, warning him to be on his best behaviour. "Whoa there, ease up on the death threats." He tells me, his voice flat and he's clearly being sarcastic.

"Hnn!" I turn my nose up at him, walking past without a care. I make sure to go into my room and grab some clean clothes for myself and Ino – Hina-nee already suggested that both Asami and Haku borrow something from her since they're… _similarly developed_?

I did make sure to give Sensei the scroll that contains all the futons we… _acquired_ some time back. So I'm sure she'll make sure everyone has enough space the little things they'll need to get comfortable.

Hina-nee suggests that we all go wash up together, which I'm not against. It's _really_ cold, and a nice, long, hot soak is just the thing I need. Just as we're all ready to go, Sensei knocks and asks if she can come in.

"Girls, I assume you'll need three futons for tonight?"

"Well…" Ino declares herself the spokesperson. "We were kinda hoping for five? So we could all sleep together?"

"That sounds perfect." Sensei beams at us, shooing us down the hall so we could wash up. I hear some poofs behind us – probably Sensei unsealing the things we'll need.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Waking up the next morning, I kind of feel… awkward. Mostly because Haku and Ino are… squishing me between them. I nudge them both to win back some breathing room, but that just makes them turn and wrap me in their hug attack. I can't help but feel jealous for a lo~ooooooooong moment – both of them have more boob than me.

Stupid thought.

Then an even stupider thought hits me. I'm here, lying between two gorgeous girls, their arms wrapped around me and their boobs firmly pressed against my chest. Most guys would kill for this opportunity. Not that I find anything particularly amusing or pleasant about it – I'm mostly enjoying it for the warmth and comfort. I mean, how often have I felt comfortable being this close to people? With someone other than with Naru-nii and more recently with Yoshino-sensei, Yasu-nee and Hina-nee… it never happened.

Well… there was _that person_ too, but… it's not like _that's_ going to ever happen again.

Either way. It doesn't matter, because here, now, in this moment, I feel… safe. Sleeping like this between two of my… of my friends… I feel like the world can wait a little while longer before I go out and conquer another part of it today.

"Gir~rrrrrrls. It's time to get u~uuuuuuup!" Sensei almost sings, gently rapping on the door. I groan, wanting to enjoy this moment just a little longer. The change is immediate. "Don't **make** me come in there!"

"I'm up, I'm up!" I complain.

"Aya! You only have to say it once!" She storms down the hall loudly muttering about Shikamaru having a sister she didn't know about. It's not even a minute later when I hear her shouting at Shikamaru as well.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Alright! Let's see. I need to go into town. We're running low on blank scrolls. Naru-nii and I could use some more regular and sealing inks. Saki-chan still hasn't gotten her own flute. And I really want to deal with my custom tanto as well." I go over that list once, twice… yes. I didn't forget anything, and I'm certain that even if I did I'll remember it while we're out shopping.

"Someone's in a good mood today." Ino says, smiling coyly.

"Sleeping with a cute blonde in your arms will do that to you." I say with a teasing smile. She blushes a deep crimson, but most of the boys are ready to pass out from a nosebleed. Perverts. "Or was it having a blonde _and_ a brunette?" I tap a finger against my chin, pretending to think about that. Haku's the one blushing this time, but she's smiling a little as well.

A low whistle draws my attention to Momochi-san. "Not bad, Namiki. Most guys can't claim to be that lucky."

"Most guys would want to do something different than sleep." I drone, glaring dully at him. He chuckles, not bothering to deny that. "Oh! I still have to officially change you guys' names too!"

"Sweetie, you don't have to." Yasu-nee tries for the millionth time. I offer a dull glare, letting her know she's still getting shot down. To deny someone a sense of family, a sense of belonging, is a punishment worse than death. I will not allow her to suffer that burden so long as I can help it. She shakes her head, smiling. "Anyway, while you're out shopping. Would you mind picking up some things for me as well?" I smile, telling her I wouldn't mind in the least, so she hands me a list with some basics – and some more personal things for her. I nod.

"Hey… that reminds me! I still needed to take you shopping for _that thing_!" Naru-nii remembers whatever it is that he forgot. So he invites himself to go shopping with me.

"Hnn. I'd better tag along." Sasuke says, sounding exasperated about something.

"Who invited you?" Naru-nii asks defensively.

"No one. But someone has to warn the shopkeepers you two are always like that…" He trails off, almost rolling his eyes at us.

" **Always like what?** " Naru-nii and I round on him in stereo.

"Like that." He drones, glaring dully.

" **Whatever.** " We wave him off, already turning to Sasa-nee to bug her a bit. " **Hey, Sasa-nee, you wanna come too?** "

"That's… a little… much?" Sasa-nee looks really uncomfortable. Obviously she hasn't spent a lot of time with Naru-nii and I together.

" **Don't you start!** " Naru-nii and I look at each other, finally realising that we really _were_ just talking completely in step with each other.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Instead of heading into town, we decide to bring Udon and Moegi home first. Konohamaru went with Sarutobi-sensei, so we're not worried about him.

"This brings back memories." Naru-nii says, sounding thoroughly annoyed. I nod, agreeing with him. The same orphanage where we got kicked out. Udon and Moegi didn't tell us they were orphans – but, to be fair, Konohamaru didn't actually tell me that he was the Third's grandson either, so…

"Come on, let's just go explain the situation." Asami says, not knowing how many bad memories this place calls up. Orphanages in Konoha always seem to be packed beyond capacity, so the caretakers are just always in a bad mood. Having to use the same amount of money, the same amount of food, the same amount of clothing, and make do with it? It'd test anyone's patience.

Once inside, we head straight for the matron's office. We don't even need to ask where it is – we've gotten in enough trouble to know the route by heart.

"Kami-sama! Not **you two** again! And together!?" The woman is in her mid forties – ten years is a long time, but she looks like she's aged twice or three times that. "Who'd you kill?"

" **We didn't do anything!** " We announce, sharing an annoyed look.

Matron looks even more annoyed. And not just the rolling-her-eyes annoyed, I mean the just-get-out level of annoyed. It took her years to get that far with our combined efforts – now that I look back on it, we were kind of always in trouble at the same time.

Whatever. "Look. We just came here to explain why Udon and Moegi didn't come home last night." Naru-nii says, exasperated. This woman just knows how to get under your skin, and fast.

"… Oh… you two didn't come home?" She sounds more than a little surprised. Obviously **nothing's** changed here. "Well. They're here now." She shrugs, unimpressed.

 **Twitch.**

"Let me get this straight." I say a little too sweetly. "They could have fallen asleep in a snowstorm and died of hypothermia, and you wouldn't even have noticed they were missing?"

"Look, if you two little snot-nosed brats think you can take better care of them, by all means! TAKE THEM!" She rages, slamming her hands on her desk. "I have a hundred others just like them! _All of them_ need **all of my attention**!"

I can't believe I use to be afraid of this woman.

"Okay." I say, shrugging. "Moegi, Udon, go pack your things. You're coming with us."

She leans a little bit too far forward, trying to get in my face. Are you sure you want to do that right now? "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? YOU CAN'T JUST TA-"

There's a muffled choking sound. Kind of expected seeing as I just grabbed the woman by her throat and pulled her right over her desk, stopping just as her toes meet the edge of it. She's kind of just… magically 'hovering', her body weight supported only by how tightly I grip her neck and that line of the desk digging into her feet.

Her eyes are show fear, her sweat shows fear, her face, her body language, everything on this woman speaks of fear. And her whole head is already turning bright red.

"You just said we should take them. We are taking you up on that." I say in far too calm a voice. "Udon. Moegi. Go pack your things."

"… We… uh… don't really have anything… worth packing." Moegi says, embarrassed.

"Yeah… it's not like we could afford it." Udon adds, feeling miserable.

"Well. That saves time then. Guess what, matron. You now have two empty beds. Good day." As I coo that last word, I drop her.

True to my old moniker, she drops nose first onto the wooden floor. I've never felt so satisfied to hear that familiar cracking-crunching sound. "Heh. Aya the nose-breaker strikes again!" Naru-nii announces.

"And they wonder why I need to tag along." Sasuke intones, already walking back outside.

"Well, it's not like you warned the woman." Asami points out.

"I was expecting them to be weird, not violent." That wasn't violent, Sasuke. She's still breathing, so that could have gone worse.

"We're talking about Namiki Aya while she's defending two people she cares about." Asami counters.

"… Point." Sasuke shrugs.

"Who cares! We finally took down the old hag! I feel like some ramen to celebrate!"

"I know, right!" Kami-sama, I've been praying about this moment for years and you finally deliver! Thank you!

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 33_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: The thing about people who build walls to keep others out, they don't even realise that some people just know how to get around that wall. It's almost scary sometimes; no matter how good your defence, there's also someone that knows how to get past it. In my experience at least._**

 ** _There are only a few more things that need to get handled, before we move onto springtime. That means Chuunin Selection Exams, and a WHOLE lot of tense situations._**


	40. Let it flow

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 34 – Let it flow_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"This is soooooo much better than what I had planned!" I announce happily. More shopping to be done! Moegi needs clothes. Udon needs clothes. They both need furniture for their rooms – even though Moegi will be sharing a room with Saki, she still needs her own things. We're picking up… well, not _more_ food, seeing as the two of them eat practically every meal with us anyway, but we're trying to include some of their preferred foods as well!

"Hnn." Sasuke looks almost annoyed, but I see that little smile he thinks no one else will notice! He's enjoying himself too! Ha! Take that, stick in the mud!

Other than the things Udon and Moegi need, and the list that Yasu-nee gave me, we're also stopping by some random stores just for a look around. Sure, this is putting a major dent in the projects we have planned, but the pack comes before the den! You can always find a new den, but finding a new pack is nearly impossible!

"We need to get Moegi some makeup and stuff too!" I point out, already steering the group into the drug store.

"Really, Aya-nee!? Can I!?" She asks, shocked but beaming nonetheless.

I nod, smiling. "And we soo need to get you and Saki-chan a vanity. You're both a bit young, but I see no reason not to get you something I think you'll need anyway." I say. Luckily we haven't gone into the furniture store yet.

"Oh, hey sis. I was thinking. You're already kind of halfway adopting Yasu-nee and Saki-chan. So I'll take Udon and Moegi." Naru-nii says. I blink. Uzumaki Moegi and Uzumaki Udon. That works.

"They're part of the pack either way." I shrug. "I'm still training them though."

"Like I'd have it any other way. Think you could include them in sound release too? I'll try to teach Saki and Yasu-nee sealing?" He bargains.

"Sounds fair." I agree, and we bump fists to make it official.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Udon, Moegi. We need to get you two properly suited up." Naru-nii announces as we enter the blacksmith's. "We'll go through weapons and whatnot when we get home, but for now you need proper a proper shinobi uniform and… Hey sis, shouldn't we get those targets while we're here?"

"Sounds good. We're setting them up in the front yard though." I tell him. It'll be better if Udon, Moegi, Hanabi and Sakiko can practice their kunai and shuriken throwing without nearly getting killed from out training. "Ah. There you are. I was hoping to speak with you about a custom piece?" I say as the blacksmith comes into view. He nods to me, motioning me to join him at the counter.

"What do you need?" He asks, already grabbing a notepad to keep track of the details.

"Twin tantos. About the length of my forearm." He looks at my arms for an estimate, nodding for me to continue. "They need to be made of chakra conducting metal. No hilt. Grip and sheath both black."

"Reverse edged or not?" He asks.

"Hmm… reverse edged."

"Sounds simple enough." He says, going over his notes to see if he has any other questions. "Anything else?"

"Yes, but a different project. I need windmill shurikens, but smaller. And as dark as you can make them." He narrows his eyes at that. I raise my hand, fingers spread wide. "About that big. And a much lighter material if possible."

"Hmm, maybe a titanium alloy? I could coat it with another alloy to make 'em black? Would make it lighter and more durable, but a lot more expensive too." He explains, eyeing me curiously.

"That is acceptable."

"Retractable blades?" He asks, referring to how the standard windmill shuriken folds up.

"No. I want them to always be open. I'll need about… fifty of them, to be safe." He nods seriously.

"The kodachis will end up being heavier than normal, because of the material I'll be using." He says.

"That is acceptable. And please include a hole in the grip so I can tie ninja wire to it if needed?"

"In the kodachis?" I nod. "Nearer the back or front of the grip… Sorry… closer to the blade or farther away from it?" I tell him as far from the blade as is stable. "Hmm, nothing too unique about either order. Should take me about a week, maybe two. I'll need a down payment before I start working on it though. About… thirty thousand Ryou."

"Done. I'll pay once they're done with their shopping. I'll also need a few other small things. Is that agreeable?" I offer.

"Under the name Namiki, right?" I nod, he nods, we shake on it. Having dealt with that, I go back into the section with flutes. But I do hear negotiations starting up behind me.

"If you aren't too busy… I would like a sword custom made?" Sasuke begins.

"What you looking for?"

"A chokutou. Longer than my arm by half. And made of chakra conducting material."

"Oi! Oi! If you guys are going custom made! They you know I will too 'ttebayo!"

"Hold your horses, boy. One customer at a time! Now, anything special need to be done?" The blacksmith turns back to Sasuke.

"Not really. No hilt. Black grip and sheath. I do want the grip and sheath to look it it's one piece."

"Sounds simple enough. Hmm, it'll need a lot more material than the kodachis. Down payment should come up to about the same as hers though. Under the name Uchiha, right?"

"That's right."

"Good. Should take a little longer though. I'll contact you when it's done. Now, mister impatient. What do you need?"

"Twin scimitars, 'ttebayo!"

"What are you, an Uzumaki?"

"You better believe it!"

There's a pause. The man's probably putting two and two together – Uzumaki, with blond hair and blue eyes? "Works for me. Let me guess. Chakra conducting material. Black hilt. Uzumaki red grip and sheath. Uzumaki swirl on everything."

"You know it!"

"Can I get creative? If you're who I think you are, then your mother use to come here for regular care of hers. I know what your clan likes." Worst kept secret in history. And no one ever seems to believe me!

"I like it! And can you do a kitsune design near the tip? Three tails?"

"On both sides?"

"On both sides, 'ttebayo! And I'll also need like three pairs of practice twin scimitars. I've got two young Uzumakis here that need to learn the ropes, dattebayo!"

"Hnn. Now that you mention it. Could you put the Uchiha fan on the blade, sheath and bottom of the grip?"

"Can do."

Now I feel left out. "Blacksmith-san! Could you do the same for me? But with the kanji for 'wolf'?"

"I think I can work with that. Anything else?" We each agree that we're satisfied with the orders as they currently are. I love my team sometimes. Now let's see. No idea what colour Sakiko would want. But it would be smart to have some spares just in case something goes wrong. I'll just pick up hiyashi styled shinobue of every colour, and let her pick one she likes. Having the extras will come in handy.

"Udon, Moegi, you two really need to pick a musical instrument as well, by the way!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Minutes gather and turn into hours. Hours huddle and turn into days. Days group and turn into weeks. And before you know it, two months pass, almost without notice. I hated Christmas – I blame Naru-nii. New Years was fun at least – I thank Yasu-nee.

Trainings are only getting harder. Jutsus are only getting more demanding. And Sasa-nee is being a total slave driver with my sealing studies too! As if I don't have EVERYTHING else going on right now!

Moegi is growing into her new role. She used to be a patchwork of hand-me-downs, now she wears traditional Uzumaki reds and blues, with some black and pink. Seriously. Uzumaki red winter jacket. Black skirt. Uzumaki blue leggings and shinobi boots (you don't wear sandals in the snow, that's just silly). With a pink sweater and top under her jacket. She's also taken to wearing her twin scimitars everywhere! And she's taking her sealing studies VERY seriously as well.

Udon, like Moegi, is taking to his new role well. He mostly wears Uzumaki blue though – a bit monotonous, but it's his thing. He also wears his twin scimitars. But he's a good deal better at sealing that she is. And they both wear the Uzumaki swirl on everything they own – even their socks and books. Naru-nii just laughs and gives them pencils and pens with the Uzumaki swirl to encourage them even more.

Not that I'm any better these days. I've taken a liking to their style and asked Yasu-nee to embroider the kanji for 'wolf' on everything I wear, using the same earthy brown from mama's scrolls. Even my Anbu uniform. Saki-chan likes it, and decides that she wants the same! So we double-team Yasu-nee to get her to follow suit. She doesn't put up too much of a fight, so we know we did the right thing.

Haku's kind of getting dragged into this as well – she should know that if she hangs with us, she'll have to go with the flow. So Yasu-nee designs a stylized six-point snowflake, that almost looks like it's made of the senbon Haku specialises in. She makes sure it's the purest white we could find – just like snow. Haku's in tears when Yasu-nee shows it to her. In fact, she likes it so much, that she offers to pay Yasu-nee to embroider it into her clothes and uniform – which Yasu-nee does happily, but she flatly refuses the payment. "My sister doesn't keep many friends. So that you've earned a place in her heart and continue to do so, is more than payment enough for me." She says.

Even though Haku and Momochi-san still have their 'dinky little place' in the Civilian Sector, they spend most of their free time by us. We don't mind. I don't understand why they don't just look for another apartment, and Momochi-san's 'that would just waste more money on a place we barely go to' didn't really explain a lot to me.

And the missions. Kami-sama those mission are getting annoying! At least the pay's good, and with our luck we encounter more rogue shinobi than any other Konoha Team we know!

Even though we're still in the 'dead of winter', Capatin insists that we take on or about one 'C-rank' mission per week – averaging to about four a month. So far, only one of those missions remained C-rank. And that's because we were helping Umino-sensei with a lesson in the Academy. No chance of rogue shinobi there!

"Oi, Kaka-sensei. What's our official mission count right now?" I remember Naru-nii asking a few weeks ago.

"Hmm, well let's see. Eighty-two D-ranks, two C-ranks, twelve B-ranks and three A-ranks. You'll have to work harder if you want to get an S-rank though." I remember laughing in his face, telling him that all it would take was to encounter someone like Orochimaru during a mission and we automatically get our first S-rank. The funny part, is that even Captain can't argue against it – we have the worst luck with missions.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Oi! Come on sis! If you don't come out soon spring's gonna start without you!" Naru-nii, please shut up!

"You don't rush a girl when she's getting ready!" I shout to my bedroom door.

"Oi, Moegi, Saki, can you two PLEASE go in there and see what part of her face she needs to rebuild before we leave? We HAVE A **RESERVATION**!" So ignoring you!

"Alright, alright! Just go downstairs and we'll be right down." Moegi shoos him. Honestly, boys! Rushing me will just making me nervous, and that'll make me mess up, and that'll make me do certain parts over again, which will just MAKE ME TAKE LONGER!

SO. STOP. **RUSHING!** _ME!_

There's a knock on the door. "Aya-nee, can we come in? It's just Saki-chan and me." Moegi assures me.

"Sure." I say, applying my eyeliner. The door slides open and the two of them walk in, sliding the door shut behind them. I put away my eyeliner, looking at the two girls in their new kimonos. We're going out tonight to celebrate Yasu-nee's birthday, so Naru-nii and I agreed that she deserves for us to really go all out. So I took the girls, and Yasu-nee, out to buy a new kimono for tonight. And I convinced Naru-nii to take Udon to get nice kimonos for them as well.

Moegi is of course wearing Uzumaki red again, with white plum blossoms to offset the colour. She also wearing an orange obi belt with, of course, the Uzumaki swirl on the back of it.

Saki-chan couldn't decide on what to buy, so I suggested the peach coloured kimono she's wearing, with wolves howling at the moon – she's been begging to wear it for no reason ever since. She's wearing an Uzumaki red obi belt, with the kanji for 'wolf' on the back to show her allegiance. They're both also wearing the standard white socks, and I made sure we got them wooden sandals to complete the look.

I can tell that Yasu-nee fixed their hair for them. Saki's red hair brushed back, but with a decorative comb –with a silvery-white lotus– on one side. Moegi's thick, orange hair, has been combed out, brushed, and done up in a fancy bun with chopsticks holding it in place and a decorative comb with a white plum blossom.

They look gorgeous!

Me on the other hand? I simply don't have the patience for fancy hairstyles. I asked Yasu-nee to French braid it for me earlier today, knowing we wouldn't have the time otherwise. I'm amazed the braid reaches my upper thigh… I didn't realise my hair grew so long.

Anyway! Focus! Just your lipstick now. I start off with a clear base coat to kep my lips from drying out, then my red lip pencil, drawing the outline of my lips with it and colouring it in right after. Once satisfied, I take my red lipstick and add apply that over the first two layers. Then a top coat to make sure it lasts longer. I sigh, knowing that I'm going to hate wearing lipstick tonight, but… this is for Yasu-nee! She'll really appreciate how much trouble we're all going through to make tonight simply amazing for her!

Okay. I think I'm done. I already powdered my face to help the makeup set. Pink and chocolate eye shadow, light bronzer, VERY light foundation. Okay, I think this is about it.

I get up, walk over to my bed and the pink kimono waiting on me there. I've already put on the base kimono –the layer no one sees– so I just need to put on the two extra layers. I'm glad this is a much thicker kimono, meant to be worn in winter time. Because really, I won't wear ANYTHING over this! That means that this needs to keep me warm while we're outside in the SNOW!

I pull on the second layer of my kimono, glad for the extra warmth, then the outer layer. I watch myself in the mirror, studying the silvery wolves frolicking all over my kimono. I tie it into place, and wrap my Uzumaki red obi belt over the string and tie that snugly into place as well. I turn to check that the 'wolf' kanji is in exactly the right place, and that my socks are still wrinkle-free.

"Alright. I'm ready." The girls smile, telling me how nice I look. I'm just glad I managed to not mess up too badly with the eye shadow without wearing my glasses! "Thank you, but really you two are the ones that will get all the attention. I'm sure of it." They blush, pleased with the compliment. "Come on. Let's go before _that boy_ starts complaining again."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once downstairs, I find the Hyuuga sisters wearing matching burnt ochre (kind of a brown-orangey colour), and a white obi belt with the Hyuuga clan symbol on the back.

Naruto and Udon are wearing matching burnt orange kimonos with Uzumaki red men's obis. Between their shoulder blade they bare the Uzumaki swirl.

And Yasu-nee…

All the girls are wearing Iromuji kimonos – though fancy, they aren't the 'top of the line', so you would expect that we're going out to dinner. But Yasu-nee is wearing a gorgeous violet Furisode kimono, with long sweeping sleeves. She's also wearing a kimono with silvery wolves, howling as one at a silvery moon. And her bright red obi belt has little orange foxes skulking over it. And the kanji for 'wolf' on the back.

She's also done up her green hair in a huge bun over the crown of her head, bangs, two locks of hair framing her face and a pink rose decorative comb keeping it in place. She's wearing dangly ruby earrings, to match with the subtle reds of her makeup.

Her grey eyes meet mine. She smiles, but looks down. "Yasu-nee, you look beautiful." I tell her honestly.

"Thank you. I was about to tell you the same." She says, smiling a bit brighter. "All of you."

"Yeah, yeah. We're all cute as buttons. Can we please get going now?" Naru-nii is being REALLY impatient. Still, we don't have a reason not to. So we all head for the door and slip into our traditional wooden geta 'shoes'. Really, they just look like planks of wood with butt-floss to stick to your feet. But… seeing as it IS snow we'll be walking through…

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We all filter through the gate, and Naru-nii shuts it behind him. Captain, Momochi-san and Haku are all waiting on us. Captain is ACTUALLY wearing a fancy men's kimono, and so is Momochi-san! That's how much respect Yasu-nee's earned with them! Even New Years wasn't reason enough for them! In fact, I remember Yasu-nee demanding that we not be away on a mission for Christmas or New Years, threatening to never cook for Captain ever again if he didn't give in.

Whatever.

Haku, like us, is wearing an pale white Iromuji kimono, with a deep burgundy obi belt. Her hair isn't done up at all, choosing to simply let it down for tonight. And, like us, she's also carrying a red umbrella. All of us –other than the guys– have a red umbrella. Well… Yasu-nee has a violet one. But she's the birthday girl! She DESERVES to stand out with every single detail!

They each take a turn to wish Yasu-nee a happy birthday, and we start walking as a group.

Yasu-nee's the only one (other than Saki, because she'd never keep it a secret) that doesn't know where we're going. We've been planning tonight for WEEKS, trying to make sure everything is simply and absolutely and irrevocably perfect!

We mostly chat about little things as we walk. The sky being so clear tonight, Saki mentions how funny she finds the sound her geta are making in the snow, Hina-nee and I talk about how grateful we are the EVERYONE is wearing their best for Yasu-nee.

Naru-nii does kind of ruin it, asking me whether I'm carrying a weapon, but Yasu-nee's kind of used to us by now. I sealed all my weapons in my scroll, which is in my sleeve. I don't tell him this though, I just nod.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We arrive at the Akimichi restaurant, finding the lights out. Yasu-nee shrugs, walking ahead like nothing's wrong. I can't help but smile, knowing that she REALLY trusts us that much.

Just as we enter the main dining hall, the lights switch on, and everyone's there with streamers and banners and happy shouts of 'surprise' and 'happy birthday'. Everything is decorated in violet and green – Yasu-nee's favourite colours. There's a long table stacked with gifts, and another stacked with food.

Sasuke's here. Yoshino-sensei and her family are here. Akimichi-san and his family as well. And Ino and her family. Asami, Sarutobi-sensei, Konohamaru, and even Hokage-dono, are here. Ayame and Teuchi are here – it turns out that Naru-nii took Yasu-nee out to get some ramen, and Ayame and Yasu-nee really hit it off. We've even gone so far as to hire three geisha who are playing some music to set a festive mood.

Everyone takes a turn wishing Yasu-nee happy birthday, telling her how gorgeous she looks, and how happy they are no one let slip about this surprise – even though Yasu-nee didn't look surprised at all.

Captain takes it upon himself to seat Yasu-nee himself; even going so far as to offer his arm to properly escort her to the decorated chair in the most 'important' spot at the table. She smiles brightly, thanking 'the gentleman', and carefully sitting down. He also makes sure he's the ONLY one getting her food, asking her what she would like to try, and serving her like the princess she is.

I smile at Captain knowingly – he isn't like this because of her birthday… there's a deeper reason.

Still, we all gather around the table, eating and drinking merrily. Sake flows for those who wish it – Yuuhi-sensei and Sarutobi-sensei seem the be the most frequent of the bunch drinking, for some reason.

The geisha continue playing whatever music they feel fits the mood. And every time Yasu-nee has a request, they happily oblige her. They even perform Yasu-nee's favourite dance – a dual fan dance I don't recognize.

Once dinner is over, it's time for presents. Yasu-nee is, of course, forbidden to stand. So Captain fetches her presents for her. And stands near her, in case she needs to hand him something.

Decorative combs, perfumes, fans, books (of stories she actually hasn't read yet, but those were mostly from Hina-nee and I, since we know what she likes and what she hasn't read), sealing arts equipment (from Naru-nii and Sasa-nee), earrings and other jewellery. No expense is spared for her gifts. Even though there are less than thirty people here, the gift count is over a hundred!

What really amuses her though, is the scroll on a frying pan kata, from Yoshino-sensei. Sensei explains that it's just something every woman in Konoha should know. And, it comes complete with two special frying pans fit for fighting and cooking with.

"Speaking of which!" Yasu-nee says, after unwrapping a set of three cookbooks – from Reimi-san. Leave it to an Akimichi to find cookbooks from Sand, Mist, and Cloud 'just lying around'. "Aya's birthday is next month, isn't it?"

I'm sooooo grateful for the low lighting and the makeup, but I think they'll notice be going white as a ghost anyway.

"Yeah, it is. Don't worry. You can help us plan for that, 'ttebayo!" Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. Naru-nii made 'Christmas plans' for me… and look how that ended up.

"Yasu-nee, please be the one to plan that! I don't need another… incident!" I beg, ignoring Akimichi-san flushing in embarrassment.

I mostly ignore the conversation after that. Until Yasu-nee gets to one of my 'special presents'. She opens the envelope carefully, taking out the card within. Two tickets fall into her lap, which she carefully grabs before it has a chance to fly away.

"Dear Yasu-nee," She begins reading it. "Though words will never truly express the depths of our love and gratitude for all you do for us, we hope that a memorable birthday will help. If that isn't enough (by some miracle)," She even says the 'between brackets', rolling her eyes and laughing a little. "then we hope two tickets to 'Yagura, Yagura!' will do the rest. Love always, your adorable little sisters, Aya, Hinata, Hanabi, Moegi and Sakiko."

"There's also scribbled just below that: And your super awesome little brothers, Naruto, Sasuke and Udon, dattebayo." She's in tears, even as she laughs. Captain, ever the gentleman, offers her a handkerchief so she won't risk her makeup too much.

"That's it! I need my hugs! Now please!" She demands playfully. We take turns hugging her, whispering how we mean every word in that card.

When it's my turn, she hugs me a little tighter, a little longer than the others. "None of this would be possible without you." She whispers.

"No… Not without you." I correct, whispering just as softly. "You're the one that glues us together, Yasu-nee. Never forget that."

Before we even end our hug, this perfect moment ends.

Cat appears next to Hokage-dono, saying something so soft only he can hear. **#Dog. Hawk. Fox. Wolf. My office. Fifteen minutes.#** I sigh.

"Yasu-nee. I need to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." I lie easily, signing to Naru-nii as I go. **#Four clones. Transform into us, so Yasu-nee can enjoy her night. And please remember to leave a clone at home so they can get in!#**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

In Hokage-dono's office, ten minutes later and ready for a mission. He wouldn't call us here for a polite chat, especially knowing the situation. "There's a team that has reported being ambushed. They were to pick up the payment from the bridge builder in Wave. A single C-rank. Twelve hours since the report." He tosses Captain a scroll. "That has a description of the location the report was sent from, the report itself and pictures and descriptions of the team sent. You leave immediately."

"Yes, sir." And we're out.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We leave Konoha at just after eight in the evening. We run at top speed until going on three in the morning, then take a break. Captain gives us a basic layout of the situation. Cloud shinobi, no names or descriptions. Four of them. A genin cell, Captain guesses, but he tells us we're to be careful anyway. Duh?

After we rest, we head out again. We all agree without a doubt that we cannot rest until we get to our comrades. Yasu-nee wouldn't be happy if we had to bail on her birthday and didn't even save the lives we'd set out to save.

Luckily we can use that new bridge that was built. But we don't care too much about it. The sun is just rising when we set foot in Wave. And captain calls for a break. He tosses Fox-nii and I the report, so we can get a scent. Chuunin level. Female. Sweating badly as this was written, so the scent is even stronger. Good. I nod, tossing it back to Captain.

Taking a good whiff of the air around me. I pick up nothing resembling the scent. **#Three kilometres from last know coordinates. Alert at all times.#** Duh?

We dash off, hot on Captain's heels. It's not even five minutes later when I get pick up a trail. Fox-nii calls it first, but I'm quick to confirm. We follow the trail, which leads to the bridge builder's house. We enter, finding a black-haired woman. "The Konoha team. Are they here?" Captain asks.

"They left yesterday. Why, did something happen?" She asks, concerned. We don't answer, we just leave. That means there's another trail. We pick it up quickly, following it into the woods. There are signs of battle everywhere. Day old, and fresh. **#High alert!#** Duh?

We continue following the train, both of the battle and the scent. Until we come across a body. Our targer, breathing, thank Kami-sama. I don't wait to be told to check her. **#Breathing. Steady pulse. Lost a lot of blood. Her team's near. Fox, clone and go!#** I demand. My hands flash through the familiar signs for the Healing Palm, and I start closing every wound I can.

I hear a poof, so I know they'll listen to me. "You will join us the second she's stable." I'm ordered. I nod, refusing to let this woman die on me.

It takes almost ten minutes before she regains consciousness. "An… bu… san… my team…"

"I'm not here alone. My team is tracking them. Stop speaking, you're already weak." I order. After the last wound is closed, I drag her towards a tree so she can sit up. I force-feed her a soldier pill and a blood plasma pill, helping her wash it down with water. Her eyes flutter and are slow to focus on me. She's in bad shape. "I'm going to go help my team. Fox here will guard you. Stay here. No matter what. Understood?" She nods a little, falling asleep.

I immediately take to the trees, following the trails again. My team's scent is impossible to track, so I don't bother try. It only takes about two minutes to catch up, but I stick to the shadows. They've found the three genin, alive and kicking, thank Kami-sama. But I can see they're in bad shape. One has a broken arm. Another is bleeding badly. The third is scuff up, but he's by far in better shape.

 **#Wolf. We need you.#** Fox-nii signs, knowing I'm here. I body flicker next to him, swatting his shoulder so he knows it's me. He nods, the motions with his head to the genin.

"Listen. I don't care what the reason is. You attacked our comrades. Stand down, or we end you." Captain growls, pissed to the max. I ignore them – Fox-nii and Hawk will keep me safe no matter what. So I tend to the genin. I start with the one that's bleeding – she's at the highest risk.

Luckily, she's in better shape than the chuunin was, so it only takes me about three minutes to close her wounds. I give her a soldier pill and blood plasma pill and some water as well, ordering her to sit and drink the bottle empty. She nods, doing as told.

I immediately turn and tend to the boy with the broken arm. He can't be older than nine, but he's taking this like a champ. I take my time, setting the bone manually and fusing the broken pieces together. All he does is grunt a few times – I've dealt with grown men that screamed out in pain, so I have to say I'm impressed. Once that's dealt with, I scan him for further injury, finding mostly bruises and nicks here and there. I disinfect those, leaving them heal on their own.

Then I go to the last genin standing. He waves me off, but grabbing him by the ear gets the cooperation I need. He sits down, letting me scan him in peace. Nothing other than some surface bruises. This kid's tough, I'll give him that.

"Captain. Nothing life threatening. The chuunin's also been stabilized. Request that Fox get her."

"You two will go together." Captain informs me. Can't argue with the man. So Fox-nii and I go fetch our brave little chuunin, and I unseal a stretcher and we carefully set her in it.

"You lead, I follow." I tell Fox-nii. He grabs the side her head's laying on, and I grab the feet. We carefully walk together, back to the others, finding that things have settled down quite a bit.

"You're lucky we arrived when we did." Captain says evenly. "If even one of them died, we'd have to kill you all."

"Captain, is the situation neutralized?" I ask carefully.

"Hmm. Well, Cloud-san. Is the situation neutralized?" He redirects, his voice holding an edge to let them know that he's threatening them.

"It is." The leader says.

"Good. Wolf, tend to them."

"No." There's no way I'll heal someone that just damn nearly killed my comrades!

"Wolf." He warns. I huff, walking over the Cloud shinobi.

"Oi! You be-" One of the Cloud shinobi starts. The one in the worst shape, mind you.

"If you refuse care, I will sit here and watch you bleed out. I even brought popcorn." I warn once, and only once. He looks hesitant. So I take out my scroll, and I unseal a bag of popcorn. I put back my scroll and sit on the ground, popping the bag open. "Oi, Fox, you want some?"

"A show's always better with popcorn." He agrees, suddenly beside me. He plops on the ground next to me and we both slide our masks slight up so we can eat in peace.

"I'd make up my mind quickly." Hawk begins. "They're serious."

"I give him two minutes before he passes out." Fox-nii says, tilting his head to see if I agree.

"Meh. He hasn't passed out yet. And we don't know how long he's been like that. He might have taken something. I'd give him ten."

"Ten minutes!? What'd he take then!?"

"My guess is a blood plasma pill. He's obviously their medic… in training from the look of how banged up he is. I wonder if he knows that I can't give him another until at least tomorrow." I take another handful of popcorn, munching away as I wait. "Hey, you think _she's_ upset?"

"Nah. We saved lives. She'll be alright."

"Oi! You two are idiots, aren't you!" The unscathed genin from Konoha says, obviously annoyed with us.

"Hey! I'm a psychopath, and he's a blonde! Completely different!" I defend, but I know I'm just riling them up more.

Then the bleeding one from Cloud drops, unconscious. "Well, you were right. He didn't last two minutes." I take another handful of popcorn, hating that the bag is already half empty. "Think they'll let me save him now?"

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

I wake up hours later in the bridge builder's house. I feel annoyed. I feel bloated. I feel like killing someone – brutally. And when I go to the bathroom…

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 34_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Sorry for the filler-ish content here. But these are things that are subtly important. Foreshadow the Christmas Interlude, the New Years Interlude, giving Yasu the love she obviously deserves for taking care of the pack. Bringing Team Dog out on this mission, which will set the tone for things yet to come. And... who'd like to guess what Aya (Wolf) finds in that bathroom? I'll give you a hint: it's not a puppy. X_X_**

 ** _Anyhoo! Until next time ^_^_**


	41. Let it go

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 35 – Let it go_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Sigh (annoyed). Bite. Chew, chew, chew. Swallow. Sigh contently.

Killing is easier than dealing with this. In fact, being bathed in someone else's blood is easier to deal with than this. And that includes having to wash it out of my hair afterwards!

The bloating is annoying, but I can deal with it. And, looking back, I think it was actually worse yesterday, but I was too busy dealing with Yasu-nee's birthday and getting everything ready to pay too much attention – I wrote it off as nerves, or something.

But now… now I get to deal with some _REALLY_ fun stuff. Like Fox-nii sniffing the air as I walk into the living room (they don't have a visitors' sitting room, so I was told this is just the living room'). He tenses, his head snapping to me. I can tell, even through the mask that he's shocked and worried and scared and really, really embarrassed for me. I don't know what he understands of it, but… I can tell he isn't completely clueless.

I've smelled blood of all types and situations. And this… thing I'm going through smells unique among them. This isn't the smell of old blood, or new blood. Yes, blood is most definitely in there, but there's so many other smells –each more gross than the last– mixed into this Molotov cocktail that I'm not really sure what to think about it. And what's worse, the smell seems to be stuck in my nose, so I constantly fear that EVERYONE smells it!

To be fair… of my team, only Hawk won't smell it.

"You okay, Wolf?" Fox-nii asks. I sigh (annoyed). Take another bite of my chocolate bar. Chew and swallow. Letting that be my only response. "Come here." He demands. I don't fight it, letting him wrap me in a nice, warm hug. I still take another bite of chocolate though. There's just something about chocolate that seems to dull the worst of this crap.

"Oi, oi! Say, are you two an item, or something?" I ignore that. "Aw come on, it's not like I'd hold it against you! I'm just trying to understand!"

I push Fox-nii away from me, studying those I find myself surrounded by. The speaker happens to be the boy that was without a major scratch; tall, gorgeous, long, black hair kept in a bun with two locks framing his very girly face. He's also wearing a guy's kimono and a very, VERY annoyed frown. He probably thinks we don't trust him or something.

Next is the Konoha genin kunoichi. She's slightly shorter than the boy, red, shoulder length hair that seems straight and well kept in some parts and wild and unruly in other parts. Her violet eyes scream anger and bloodlust for some reason. She's wearing Uzumaki blue clothes, with an Uzumaki swirl on her lower back. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what clan she hails from.

The last genin, the nine year old boy. He's shorter than I am, almost a head and a half shorter. He has short, red hair, but it's completely wild and untamed. His violet eyes are soft, gentle, his body language very Hinata-like. His clothes are all Uzumaki red, with the Uzumaki swirl between his shoulder blades. Hmm. Two Uzumakis. I can guess why those Cloud idiots attacked.

The Konoha chuunin is a woman in her early twenties. Pale blonde hair, long, kept in a ponytail. Pale blue eyes with a distinct black band around it. Very pretty, even though she's obviously still recovering. She's a Yamanaka, I can tell just by looking at her. Her clothes are a mess though. The purples and blues are cut up pretty badly. She'll need new clothes or she'll never be able to travel.

"Yuki-san… they're brother and sister, more or less." Yuki? The tall Konoha brunet is a Yuki? Or is it just his given name?

"Really? One of them is a girl? Hmm, I'd have to say it's Wolf-san then seeing as Fox-san is the one being all protective and stuff." The pretty boy announces, wondering why I'm staring at him so intensely. "Something the matter?"

"Hnn!" I shake my head, annoyed. "Sorry if I'm not _feminine enough_ for your tastes." I grind out.

"Hey, hey, I'm not saying that. I just can't see anything that defines you one way or the other, that's all. Besides, most people take me for a girl anyway. It's not something I see as an insult either. Girls are awesome!" He says, seemingly meaning it.

"Yuki? As in, Yuki clan from Mist with ice release, Yuki?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, Wolf. I've talked to them already. Privately." Fox-nii says. Good. Good. Then I can just leave this mess alone before I chew someone's head off.

"Wolf. Please check Yamanaka-san, then get some rest." Captain orders. I nod, liking the idea.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Dinnertime roles around, so Fox-nii wakes me up, calling me to the table. As I sit down, I'm immediately crowded by the redhead girl and the Yuki boy. I don't smile, but they wouldn't even notice anyway.

"Hey, hey! I'm Uzumaki Minori. This is Yuki Aomaru." The redhead says, bubbly as Ino ever was. I sigh mutely.

"You shouldn't crowd her. She's called 'wolf' for a reason." Hawk warns. The two of them shrug, but don't back off.

"You're a girl." Yuki-san states the obvious. I thought we already went over this? "But you're our age and already in Anbu. That's soo cool!"

"And a medic too! I mean, how much cooler could you possibly be!" Uzumaki-san enthuses. I groan, getting a wince out of her. "Oh… sorry. Forgot." She reaches into one of her pouches. "Here. I know how horrible it can be to… deal with this on a mission." I'm handed a bar of chocolate.

"Minori-san. I like you already." I say, taking the chocolate, tilting my mask up slightly, and happily munching away. Chocolate-danna, you always treat me right, don't you.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Yuki-san, asking me if you can ask me something is stupid. You already did! "Are any of the guys on your team… _that way_?"

I shrug, knowing he means to ask if they're batting for the same team. "Sorry, no." I say, munching on some more chocolate. "Although, I can't swear for Captain. He's…"

"Very much into girls. Thanks." Captain finishes for me. I shrug, taking another bite and loving the chocolate that found me.

"Well, you're still a lucky girl. Being on a team with some cuties." Yuki-san winks at me. That trips Captain up. "I mean, just look at the those well defined gluteus maximus!" He says, talking about their butts. Hawk trips over his own two feet, but catches himself so he doesn't fall. I giggle at his expense.

"I wouldn't know." I hear the smile in my tone, so I know he'll pick up on it too. "Just don't flirt with Fox. He's spoken for." I tease, biting my lip to not laugh at the annoyed glares from Hawk and Captain. I love how I know them well enough to know they're glaring just from the tension in their necks and shoulders.

"Ooh! Mystery and intrigue. I think I'm going to love hanging with you, Wolf-chan." Yuki-san says, lightly nudging me with his shoulder. "And please, call me Ao-chan. Everyone does."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After dinner, I'm wide awake, so I don't bother trying to go back to sleep. I'll just end up messing with my internal clock that way. I'm not feeling very… social, but I'm not running from the group either.

"Oi, Haruki-kun. Stop being like that and go introduce yourself to Wolf." Fox-nii demands, but the last boy of their team doesn't look very pleased with that idea. He rubs his bicep nervously, eyeing me and immediately looking away when he notices me eyeing him as well.

"Hey." I say, waving him over. He, looks down and away, but meekly shuffles to me anyway. I hug him, not minding that he's stiff as a board in my arms. "Is your arm feeling better?"

"N-nn." He nods. It takes almost a minute before I feel him slowly wrap his arms around my middle. He relaxes in my arms. "Th-thank you." He says.

"Nn." I like hugging him. He's cuddly. And this hug is really helping me feel less… bleh?

"Wolf. How long before Yamanaka-san is fit to travel?" Captain asks.

"A few days at least. We could strap her into a stretcher and transport her. Might be smarter too considering ventilation issues she's having." I say, not letting the little boy out of my hug.

"We'll do that. We leave at dawn. Wolf is the best rested, so Hawk, Fox, we're going to sleep. Wolf, wake one of us when you need to rest." No timeframe? No rotation? And I get to wake whoever I want? Interesting.

The others head off to bed, I can bet they're tired from not sleeping at all last night or during the day.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Yamanaka-san?" I nudge the woman. Her vital signs are improving, the colour's slowly returning to her features, but she's just as tired and worn out as she was this morning. I can't blame her, really. Her body is trying to recover from physical trauma.

"Wolf-san. Is it already that time?" She sounds worn out, but she sounds much better than before. I nod, unbuttoning her shirt and moving it out of the way so I can check her wounds. Yes, they've all closed, but new skin isn't as thick so they reopen at the littlest thing. Add to that the risk of infections, the weakened immune system from have to work in overdrive, and all the vital nutrients she'd lost from nearly bleeding out? I have to be super careful to keep her in good health.

Her belly and chest are riddled with bright pink slits of new skin. None of it shows any signs of her condition worsening, so I'm really happy with that. I take out my scroll and unseal a balm meant to aid her body in recovering at this stage – one part antibacterial, one part moisturiser to help stimulate the new skin, one part beauty cream to help her build back the beauty she deserves to get back. Sure, scars are badges of honour, but that doesn't mean we want to collect them!

I carefully rub the balm into her skin, hating that the scent overwhelms my senses. She whimpers pitifully – the balm helps, but new skin can be REALLY sensitive! "Sorry." I say, meaning it.

"Don't be." She says. "My team might have died without you." She sounds… hurt, having to admit that.

I snort. "Without my team, you mean." I correct.

"Your team didn't stabilize me." She presses. I sigh. This isn't worth discussing right now. I help her onto her side, rubbing the balm into the skin on her back. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I ask, still carefully tending to my patient.

"… I'm sorry." She repeats, in tears this time. "I'm… sorry. I'm so sorry." She says it over and over again, crying more each time.

I'm silent, letting her repeat herself over and over again. When I'm done with her back, I try to balance her on her side for a bit, so the balm has time to be absorbed into the skin. She just keeps repeating those words, over and over and over.

She blames herself for what happened.

Luckily, she didn't have any wounds on her lower half, so I straighten what's left of her shirt and jacket, and lay her on her back again. I button her up, zip her up, and wrap her in the blanket to let her warm up naturally.

I move near her head, carefully picking her up by supporting her shoulders and neck. She's so worn out that I doubt she'd be able to support her own weight right now. Once she's tilted up enough, I move behind her and let her rest against me. Now that she's sitting up, I take out my scroll and unseal some chocolate. I break off a small piece, then bite it into two. I place the chocolate at her lips. "Chocolate is a girl's best friend, isn't it?" I tease, slipping the snack between her lips and letter her chew on it. Honestly, this isn't the brightest idea. She could choke on it, no matter how small.

She needs this right now.

I carefully watch her chew, watch her swallow twice to get it all down. I unseal a water bottle as well, carefully bringing it to her lips and only letting small amounts trickle into her mouth. She swallows a few times again.

"Yamanaka-san. I won't lie and say I know how you feel. I've never been in your shoes." I tell her honestly, breaking off another small piece of chocolate and biting it in half. "But I know that you were willing to die to keep your team safe. Don't you dare look down on that kind of loyalty."

She chews as best she can once again, but I know the chocolate's mostly just melting in her mouth – it's why I'm willing to take the risk. She swallows a few times. We're going to have to put her on liquid foods for a while, until she builds back up her strength.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once back in the living room, I find three fidgety and clearly nervous genin. Minori-san and Ao-chan rush me immediately.

" **Is she okay?** " They ask as one.

"She's weak, but recovering." I tell them honestly.

"But is she okay? She's not crying is she?" Minori presses.

"She's fine. Come see for yourselves." I invite them into my patient's room. "But please keep it down. She needs to rest." The three genin nod seriously, following me without another word.

I keep a keen eye on them, worrying about how they're coping with this. Yamanaka-san opens her eyes, taking in her team the second they're visible. She starts crying again, but remains silent.

"Mika-sensei…" Minori-san murmurs, crying herself. Ao-chan isn't much better. And poor Haruki-kun looks like he's halfway to a meltdown.

"I'm fine." Yamanaka-san say softly. "Wolf is taking care of me. Nothing to worry about."

"What do you mean 'nothing to worry about'? Sensei, you almost died protecting us." Minori-san says softly, but I can hear the frustration in her voice, smell the tears in her eyes.

"And I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Yamanaka-san says seriously, smiling a little, worn out smile.

"Alright. You three need your rest. I will be in here with her all night. No complaining." I demand, shooing them out of the room.

The three of them look at me, betrayed. None of them move. I thought so.

"Go grab your futons. You'll sleep in here tonight. But if any one of you makes so much as a peep to keep my patient from resting, you'll all three be sleeping in the snow. You hear me?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I don't sleep at all during the night. So I wake everyone about an hour before dawn, telling them to get ready. With Fox-nii's help, we get Yamanaka-san onto the stretcher again, and we strap her in snugly. She looks to me, smiling her little worn out smile. Everyone eats their breakfast, but Yamanaka-san can't risk eating, so I take two rations bars, a bottle of water and a lot of patience, beating the mixture into a mushy porridge-like substance; which only takes forever to do. I take my time, feeding it to her with a spoon – which Tsunami-san demands I take with me so I'll have it, and the bowl I'm using, to tend to Yamanaka-san on the way back to Konoha.

We carefully wrap Yamanaka-san in some extra blankets I have sealed, making sure she'll stay warm in this weather. With little else to do, we head out, saying our thanks and farewells to the family that took us in when they didn't have to.

We move fast, but not so fast as to risk my patient's health. At every break, Minori-san and I help my patient to go, if she needs to. I make sure to change my pad each time as well, hating being female like never before. But, this is the life of a kunoichi. Love it, or back away slowly.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes us three days to make it back to Konoha. Fox-nii and I take Yamanaka-san straight to the hospital, before rejoining our team at the Hokage Tower for our debriefing.

Entering Hokage-dono's office together with the genin we'd saved, I notice how nervous the three of them are. Hmm, they must think this is a bad thing. I offer Minori-san a gentle squeeze on her shoulder, letting her know that it'll be alright.

"Ah, there you are. I'd gotten the report from the gate, saying that Yamanaka Mika was being brought straight to the hospital. Tell me, what is her current status." Hokage-dono looks to me for answers.

"She lost a lot of blood and suffered some nerve damage. She's going to need time to rehabilitate, but I see no reason she shouldn't make a full recovery." I say professionally.

"Then her being brought to the hospital… makes no sense." He says, carefully checking for my reaction.

"Standard procedure." I say, shrugging. He nods, deciding not to press further.

"Well, Aomaru, Minori, Haruki, it would seem the three of you have a very trying mission. How are you holding up?" He asks kindly.

"… Well enough." Ao-kun says. I snort.

"You disagree, Wolf?"

"I do. They show signs of mental trauma, even though Ao-kun hides it better. I recommend reduced missions and increased training until further notice. I would also recommend they not be separated for the time being. They didn't take it well when I tended to Yamanaka-san out of their sight." I lay it all out.

"And who would you recommend to see to their rehabilitation?" Hokage-dono asks, eyeing me carefully.

"Namiki Aya."

"Very well. Wolf, you will bring Aya-chan up to speed. Have her collect Yamanaka Mika from the hospital. And inform Yamanaka Inoichi of the situation. I expect a full report on my desk tomorrow morning, and inform Aya-chan that I'll need weekly reports on each of them. She'll be advised against taking missions for a while, and if she has a problem with that, she can come to you for answers."

"I will see that she understands the situation." I nod, not caring. These four need this, and no one will see to them the way I will.

"Good. Have Aya report to me before collecting her charges. And I will have a scroll ready so that the hospital won't be able to give her a hard time. Aomaru, you and your team will wait in the hall for her. Dismissed."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes me almost an hour and a half to arrange things at home. Apologizing to Yasu-nee, sending Naru-nii for a blender in town, getting a bed for my patient, discussing the situation with Inoichi-san… it's all just very time consuming.

When I make my way to the Tower, with Naru-nii at my side, I see three familiar, but very nervous, genin waiting in the hall. I walk up to Hokage-dono's secretary. "I've been summoned." I tell her simply. She nods, entering the office for a moment, before inviting me in.

"Aya-chan, thank you for coming." He says, smiling. "I have that scroll ready, as well as the scroll for the long term C-rank mission for the rehabilitation of Team Mika." He says, tossing them both to me. I nod, slipping them into separate pockets to read through later. I really don't care either way, I'd have helped them even if I wasn't getting paid for it.

"Also… I want to thank you." Hokage-dono says, smiling warmly. "Part of the reason for the genins' trauma is that they've isolated themselves since arriving. The other genins you'd saved all blend in effortlessly, building up bonds with their new teams, making friends at every turn. But these three…"

"I understand. I will have Yoshino-sensei help me, if she is willing." I say, smiling. Yoshino-sensei got through to **me** , so these three should be a piece of cake for her.

"You do that. And by the way. Both Zabuza and Haku have fulfilled their probationary mission." He says, eyeing me closer than he normally would.

I snort. "That was true two months ago." I point out. He shrugs, not giving anything away. "They'll be taking the missions I'd usually be on then?"

"Until further notice, Haku will be filling your role on your team. That way I'll still have a first response cell on call. And you'll be able to tend to your patients."

"I understand." Naru-nii doesn't look pleased though.

"That's all for now. Do remember what I said. Weekly reports on their progress." I nod. "Dismissed."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Out in the hall once again, I walk up to the genins. They eye me warily, wondering what to make of me. "Genins Uzumaki, Yuki and Uzumaki." They nod. "I am Namiki Aya. This is Uzumaki Naruto."

The two redheads stare at Naru-nii, shock plain in their eyes. Naru-nii turns around, showing them the twin scimitars he's once again wearing and the Uzumaki swirl between his shoulder blades. They nod, knowing what they need to.

"You will be staying with us until I say otherwise." They nod, once again eyeing me. "Come. I believe we have to collect another member of your team." I turn, letting them see the 'wolf' kanji on my jacket. I don't need to see them to know they they're making the right connection.

"Oi, oi! Aya-chan!" Ao-chan is at my side in a flash. "Say… are you…?"

"Do not finish that sentence. You know what you need to." I tell him simply, smiling a little. He nods, understanding. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you." I say. He nods, smiling brightly.

We make our way to the hospital, finding Yamanaka Inoichi at my patient's bedside. I nod to him, motioning everyone into the room. "Ah, Aya-chan. You work quickly, you know." I look to him, questions in my eyes. "I know this team. They are slow to trust and quick to spurn." He says, noticing how Ao-kun and the others are following my nonverbal commands.

"If anyone knows the value of trust…" I trail off, knowing he'll understand. "I need to transport my patient, Inoichi-san. You may come with us, if you like."

"Thank you, but I really must get back to work. I'll be passing by to check up on her though." He says.

"You do that. And please bring Mariko-san and Ino with you." He promises he will, and tells his clansman something I can't make out, before excusing himself.

"Yamanaka Maki." She eyes me, nodding a little. "I am Namiki Aya. Hokage-sama and Inoichi-san have agreed to let me take you and your team to help you recover."

"Th-thank you." She says, her eyes smiling.

"I know this won't be fun, but I don't think transporting you in a wheelchair through the snow is a bright idea. So we'll be transporting you on a stretcher again." Her eyes widen slightly when she hears 'again', but they soften and tears well up a little. "I assure you, you're in good hands."

She nods, her eyes smiling again. With nothing else to do, we ease her onto the now familiar stretcher, but don't need to strap her in this time. I unseal the same blankets, tucking her in to keep her warm. Aomaru and Minori all but demand they be allowed to carry her; Naru-nii and I don't mind.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Once we get her into our home, Naru-nii and I take over transporting the patient. We bring her upstairs into the room we prepared, motioning for the three genins to back up for a second. We ease we out of the stretcher and onto the bed, propping her us so she's sitting comfortably but not at risk of toppling over.

"Introductions." I say, motioning Yasu-nee over – she'd never want to be left out of this. "Namiki Yasu. These are Yamanaka Maki and her team… Yuki Aomaru, Uzumaki Minori and Uzumaki Haruki." Yasu-nee's eye's nearly fall out of their sockets from shock. I understand all too well.

"As in…?"

"Yes. Is Haku here?"

"No. She's out on a mission with Zabuza-san."

"… Zabuza-sama… Haku-nee… you know them?" Ao-chan asks carefully.

"Yes, they've been here ever since they came to Konoha. They practically live here to be honest." Yasu-nee says, a little worried about how careful the boy's speaking. "Why? Is that a problem?"

"No, no! It's just… I haven't… we haven't really…" He's flustered. Really, really flustered.

"Ao-chan?" I encourage him a little. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He lies. He's not angry as far as I can tell, but he obviously feels something about those two. Time will tell.

"Anyway." Changing the subject is for the best. "I don't want to give you guys a crutch for too long. You'll be allowed to sleep in here with her for a few nights, but no more than that. As well, I'll be running you into the ground during trainings, so don't as for sympathy. You won't get it."

"Umm…" Haruki begins, worried. "You're… taking over for sensei?"

"For a while, yeah. At least until she's up and around again." He still looks really nervous about that. "Haruki. I don't belittle my comrades." He blushes and looks away. I'm not sure if he believes me or not, but I'm positive that's the issue.

"Come. You need to meet everyone."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Alright! Everyone settle down!" I tease, seeing as everyone's already quiet and staring at the three standing behind me. Still, that does get everyone's attention. "Everyone, please meet Yuki Aomaru." Everyone murmurs, wondering if the boy's really Haku's family. "And Uzumaki Minori and Uzumaki Haruki."

All murmuring stops. In fact, I think they stopped breathing from a second there. "As in, Uzumaki Naruto… Uzumaki?"

"Yes. We haven't gotten into the details yet, but we're almost certain they're related. Their sensei is upstairs as well, Yamanaka Maki. Now… guys, please meet Namiki Sakiko. Namiki Yasu you've met upstairs. The Hyuuga sisters Hinata and Hanabi. Uzumakis Udon and Moegi." I point them all out one by one. "There are others that are here often enough. You'll meet them eventually. Just keep in mind that everything you see here, everything you hear, everything you learn… it's all a secret. I will not trust you around my pack if I you mess up. And trust me, it only takes one screw up with me." They nod, nervous about that. Good, that means they'll be careful.

"Some basics you need to remember. Every family has its own hierarchy, and each family has one alpha who's therefore the head and has the final say. Yasu-nee is the only exception to this. I am the alpha of the Namikis, but Yasu-nee can pretty much control everyone in this house if she wants to." Yasu-nee rolls her eyes at my words. "For the time being the Hyuuga sisters are part of my family as well. However, know that we are many families but one pack."

The three nod seriously. "Good. We all try to help Yasu-nee with everything we can around the house. I won't be able to help as much, seeing as I have a patient. Yasu-nee, I would advise that you start making a chores list so everyone knows what they need to do. I find it completely unfair that you're job becomes harder because I accept others into my care."

"Now, now, sweetie. If I minded you know I'd tell you. Besides, Naru-chan has been helping me with everything he can. And Asami is here most days as well. And Yoshino-san, Remi-san and Mariko-san come over often enough to help if they can. Really, it's fine."

I glare at her dully, but she just smiles a little brighter. She's obviously not budging on the matter. I roll my eyes, deciding to let the matter rest, for now.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 35_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: ^_^ I had to rewrite a few parts of this chapter, so it took a good deal longer. Not to mention bringing out Broken's chapter today as well!_**

 ** _Not much left now... just one more major milestone, but it may or may not take up multiple chapters to get done properly. We'll see how the next chapter works out ^_^_**


	42. A tale of Clans

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 36 – A tale of Clans_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's been a hard few days. Finding a balance between tending to my patient, my training, training with my team, training those in my care, training Minori, Aomaru and Haruki in some of the more basic things to assist Maki so that I don't have to stay by her side every second of every day – and setting up a simple rotation so that Maki isn't ever alone.

Then there's still having meetings with Yoshino-sensei to discuss what we could do for Minori, Aomaru and Haruki… And on top of that there're the meetings with Mariko-san about her clansman's health and plans for rehabilitation. Mariko-san does come over to spend time with Maki as well, which I count as a blessing – having the matriarch of her clan show that much care for her is doing wonders for Maki's mental health.

And that doesn't even cover the meetings with _the three genins_. Meetings Naru-nii about what he wants to do with Minori and Haruki – and then more meetings with them to discuss if they agree. It's… exhausting trying to get everything done.

"Minori-chan, please sit down." I say, starting meeting number… only Kami-sama knows. "I know this has been a trying week for you. And I'm sure you have more than enough going on." I begin, trying to show that I'm not missing the effect this all has on them.

"N-nn." Minori noises, looking away.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to discuss how you think the current situation is." She looks at me, confused. "Please think about every answer you give before speaking it. I don't want the polite answer… I want the truth. Do you think I'm helping you in every way I can?"

She thinks about that for a moment. "I'm not sure." She says, thinking about that some more. "I mean, you're certainly doing everything I can think of and then some. You're family's doing everything they can and more. We haven't started training under you as yet, so I can't say anything about that… but I understand why you'd prefer for us to rest first."

I nod. "Do you feel safe here? Emotionally, physically?"

"… Of course?" She sounds confused. "I mean, I don't think I've felt this much at home since…"

"… Yes?"

"Since… my parents." She says, a pained look in her eyes, on her face.

"… I understand. I lost my parents too." I say, but I'm quick to shake off the emotions that I have no use for right now. "Would you say you're treated fairly here? That we take care of you?" I make sure to keep all emotion out of my voice, offering only the words – no assumptions, no judgment, just me asking her what she thinks.

"Yes. Yasu-san has done everything she can to help us feel right at home. She's even teaching me how to cook." Minori says, a soft smile on her face. "And Saki-chan keeps asking me a million and one questions. It's… I don't feel like an outsider here." She says, that smile still on her lips, unshed tears in her eyes.

I nod, smiling a little. "Good." Our eyes meet for a second, before I continue. "Are you afraid of us?"

She looks at me, confused. "No. Not even a little." She says evenly. "I mean, sure, you could probably take us in a fight any day of the week, but… I don't believe you or anyone here would harm us."

I nod again. "Do you believe we'd harm Maki-san?"

"Of course not! You've been taking the best care of her! I mean, I haven't seen her do much of anything other than smile around you! And she's an excellent judge of character." She narrows her eyes at me. "Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I need to know." I tell her honestly. "I don't want to believe something that isn't there. I want to hear if there's something going wrong that I can fix."

"The value of trust…" She murmurs, a faraway look in her eyes. "You… don't trust easily, do you."

"I'm an orphan." I say, as if that explains everything. She nods. "Do you believe your teammates would offer different answers than you have? And I don't mean different words, I mean… would the react negatively to any of these questions?"

She thinks about that. "Haruki is more careful, but… he'd tell me if something was bothering him. He hasn't said anything yet." She thinks some more. "And Ao-chan… I think he's happy that you know about his… preferences and don't talk down to him for it."

"I see. Thank you." I say smiling a bit. "Just one more question?"

"Sure." She says, not at all nervous.

"Are you truly of the Uzumaki clan?" Her eyes widen a little, obviously not having expected that question. Then her eyes soften, tearing up a little.

"Yes. My… my parents were little when Whirlpool was destroyed." She says, her eyes holding sadness but not pain. "They didn't know much of any specialized trainings and whatnot, but they trained hard to avenge their clan. They thought they were the only survivors."

"I see."

"They joined the rebellion to get back at Mist for their part in…" She looks away from me, crying silently. "They… it happened when Haruki was almost a year old."

"I understand." I don't press her, and she doesn't continue. Instead, I walk around my desk and wrap the girl in a hug. She'd already stopped crying and holding her doesn't change that, but she doesn't push me away either. "Thank you for trusting me with this. I know… I know it isn't easy to talk about it."

"… nn." She doesn't seem to know how to react to that.

"My parents… died years apart." I really don't know why I say that. "My father when I was three, so I don't remember much about him. I just remember how he'd wrap me up in a quilt so I'd be warm while we watch it snow."

"My mother died when I was five. On a mission with Captain no less." I say, my tone sour. We still haven't really sorted that out, but talking to him about it isn't going to bring her back. "She was in Anbu. She came home from missions covered in blood most of the time. She even taught me how to wash blood out of your clothes."

I don't know why I'm telling her this. Not very professional, and seeing as I'm the one crying here I can say for sure that it isn't helping her at all.

"… I was sent to an orphanage, but I constantly got into trouble. I picked fights with anyone that said something mean about anyone else… so I got into a lot of fights." I smile this time, sad and wary, but a smile all the same. "Looking back, it was mostly with people that picked on Naru-nii. They all seemed to love picking on him."

"Hmm. I can understand that." Minori says, smiling. "I'd break anyone that picks on my little brother."

"He isn't my biological brother." I correct. "We aren't related in any way."

She stiffens in my arms. "I… but you two are so close."

"We are now. But we didn't start out that way." I tell her. "I kept everyone away from me. I didn't let anyone close, didn't let anyone in. And in fact, I only allowed Naru-nii to see behind my mask because Sasuke was being clingy and stalker-ish at the time."

"… I would have never guessed."

"Nn. Most wouldn't, looking at us now." I agree. "My respect for them is hard earned. I mean, Naru-nii took a kunai in the lung for me. Sasuke put himself between me and more chuunins and even jounins that I care to count. And Captain… he's…" I roll my eyes, smiling a little.

She nods into my embrace, relaxing a bit. "Ao-chan's the same. He's the only one that ever defended us. And he keeps telling me that I'm the only one that ever defended him…" She pushes me back looking up at me with tears streaming down her face. "Until you guys showed up."

"During the mission?" I ask, confused. She nods, letting me wipe away her tears. "We were just doing our job."

"Maybe… but you didn't make fun of us after that. And you didn't care that Ao-chan is into guys… and you don't make fun of Haruki for being so shy, or so short or for both of us having red hair or violet eyes."

I scratch my cheek, trying to understand that. "Umm… duh?" She snorts amused , more tears falling again. "I take it others weren't as accepting?" I ask, wiping away her tears again. She looks away. "People are idiots."

She doesn't argue against that, but she doesn't really say anything else either.

"People used to make fun of me all the time too." I confess. She looks at me, clearly not believing me. "It's true. You can ask Naru-nii… wait, that idiot probably never noticed. Just trust me. I always sounded like an idiot when I talked, and I was always singing to myself and doodling. So people called me names and told me how I'd never get adopted." I snort, amused. "They were right too. _And_ I got kicked out of the orphanage for causing too much trouble."

Her eyes widen with shock. "So… let's just say that I know that pain too well to hurt you, your brother or your best friend like that." I say, offering a watery smile. She stands –almost a head and a half taller than me– and wraps me in her arms this time.

"Thank you." She says, practically smothering me in her bust. I sigh, trying not to get annoyed – does EVERYONE have to rub my nose in the fact that I'm boobless!?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Sweetie, Zabuza-san and Haku-chan are back. Did you want to speak with them?" Yasu-nee asks, entering my office without knocking. Not that I need her to, really. I mean, if I can't trust Yasu-nee, then who can I trust?

"I'll be right there." I say, writing the last part of my first report on Team Maki. Satisfied with my report, I roll up the scroll and tie it off properly – I'd written it with a pen so it'll dry faster.

Having dealt with that, put the scroll into on of my pants pockets and head towards the family sitting room. As expected, Haku and Momochi-san are there. What wasn't expected, is Aomaru, Minori and Haruki sitting across from them and glaring daggers at the pair. Hmm, interesting.

"Welcome back." I say, making a face to sort of indirectly apologize for not giving them the heads up on this.

"Nn." Momochi-san noises, but I'm not sure what to make of that.

"As I'm sure you've noticed, we have… guests." Momochi-san snorts at my wording. "I was hoping to talk to you before this, but… this works out just as well."

"Aya-chan…?" Minori turns to me, wondering what I'm getting at.

"Do you trust me?" I ask the three of them. Haruki looks away, but he nods a little. Ao-chan rolls his eyes, raising an eyebrow; _what do you think_? And Minori… she's harder to read. Much harder to read.

"I do not know what your history is together. I never asked." I begin. "I'm not going to ask now either. All I need to know is if there's something I can do to help ease the tension."

"No." Ao-kun says, crossing his arms and glaring at Haku.

"I see." I say, sorrow in my tone. "I'm sorry to hear that." Ao-chan winces, but tries looking away from me to hide that.

"… So the she-wolf's pack grows." Momochi-san say, amused. "I can't say I'm surprised. These three are talented. Good picks."

"Don't." I glare at him.

"How dare you." Minori says through gritted teeth, her eyes almost burning with anger. "Aya-chan would NEVER do something like that."

"So she isn't helping you because you're an Uzumaki?" Momochi-san asks, not buying that.

"…" Minori looks away, unsure how to respond.

"No." I answer. "I've let her and her team into my home because they are Uzumakis and a Yuki. That is true. But I would have helped them anyway, just in a different way."

Momochi-san glances at me, eyes narrow, face blank. "… is that so." He mutters. I can't tell if he's being sarcastic, or whatever, but I know he doesn't believe me.

"Zabuza-san. I would advise you to be careful with that tone." Yasu-nee gets on his case. "Aya wouldn't lie about something like this. After all… she had no reason to help me or Sakiko."

"Huh… but… aren't you three sisters?" Ao-chan asks, clearly confused.

"She is as much my sister as Naruto is my brother." Yasu-nee answers, smiling brightly. "But when she found Sakiko and me, we were total strangers." Her smile wavers. She doesn't like talking about those days.

"Yasu-nee. It's alright. You don't have to." I say offering her an understanding look.

"No, I don't. But I will not have Zabuza-san talking about you like that. Not now, not ever. Apologize, or leave." She demands hotly.

Momochi-san looks almost insulted by that, so Yasu-nee crosses her arms and gives him a look that would level a small forest. Dang. I didn't know she had it in her. He relents. "Fine. Sorry, Namiki." He drones. She taps her finger against her bicep, unimpressed. He sighs. "Namiki, really. I'm sorry about that." He bows his head a little this time, then looks away.

Don't mess with Yasu-nee.

"That's better. Now, Ao-chan. I want you to tell me what the issue with this man is." Yasu-nee clearly isn't letting anything go this time.

He looks away from her. "He… he abandoned us."

"Idiot." Momochi-san drones, completely ignoring Yasu-nee's warning glare. I was right to adopt her into the Namiki family. "I didn't abandon anyone. I gave you all the chance to fit in, to forget the pains of the past."

"Bullsh-" Yasu-nee glares at Ao-chan, warning him to mind his tongue. "That's crap!"

"Oh? Is it?" Momochi-san seems sure of himself, I'll give him that. "Tell, me other than you three, how many are still plotting against Mist?"

"Tha…" That brings Ao-chan up short.

"None." Momochi-san answers for him. "Because forgetting that struggle is easy if you're given the home you were fighting for – even if it's in another village."

Ao-chan doesn't have an answer for that.

"I didn't abandon you. I gave you a chance. And only you three wouldn't take it." Momochi-san drives his point home.

"Is that why you come here so often?" I ask. "To give Haku the chance to make friends as well?"

"At first, yes." Momochi-san is really chatty right now. He must really want these three to hear what he's saying. "After a while, it was because not coming would hurt Haku for keeping her from her friends. She still can't stand being away from me for too long." Haku blushes at that, but doesn't deny it.

"I see." I murmur. "Thank you, Momochi-san."

"I didn't do it for you, Namiki." He drones.

"No. But I'm thanking you for putting her first." I counter. He scoffs.

"…" He mumbles something I can't quite make out, but I guess he doesn't want me to. And seeing that Haku is blushing and smiling happily, I think she's the only one meant to hear that.

"He said, 'Haku will always come first.'" Captain walks in, eye-smiling. "Yo." I just roll my eyes, keeping out of whatever this will turn into.

"Haku. There's something we need to talk to you about." I change that subject. "Care to join us outside?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Haku… Naru-nii… I… have a plan. It's going to sound crazy, and you're probably going to laugh in my face, but…" I begin, feeling a bit nervous how they'll react. "I want to start a clan. The Namiki clan."

They share a look, questions in their eyes. "That's great… but why would that sound crazy?" Naru-nii asks.

"And why would we laugh?" Haku asks, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Because… I want the two of you to do the same." I explain. They look at each other, worried now. "Haku, you could establish the Yuki clan here. And Naru-nii, you could re-establish the Uzumaki clan."

"So… what you're saying is you want to form a bond, like the Ino-Shika-Chou?" Naru-nii asks. Haku looks curious as well, having spent enough time with Ino and company to know how deep that bond truly goes.

"Not quite as specialized, but… I do want that kind of closeness, yes."

"Define… closeness?" Haku is being a bit careful.

"Like I told Ao-chan and his team… many families, one pack." I say, nodding at my own words. "Like… one large pack with alphas leading their own family, but hunting together and rearing and protecting our pups together, you know?" I run that over and over in my head. "And like how I can trust the Uzumakis to show them secrets jutsus of my family, how Naru-nii can trust the Namikis to show us secret jutsus of his… I would want that closeness for you as well, Haku. So that we can grow strong together, you know?"

Both of them look unsure. "I'm not saying we give each other's clan unrestricted access to every secret." I assure them. "I'm not saying that you'd need to teach anyone the secrets of your ice release. I'm saying that we could trust each other to guard those secrets, just like Naru-nii's parents trusted my mother to guard them. Just like I'll teach Saki to guard them… just like I'll teach future Namikis to guard them…"

"Hnn… are you willing to make that deal for me as well?" Sasuke asks. I turn to him, completely forgetting he was even here.

"… Hmm…" I think about that. Would I trust Sasuke with something like this? Honestly, yes. Sure, he's still such a complete and total idiot with most things, but… I know I can trust him with my life – he's proven it often enough. "Yes."

"… thank you." Sasuke says, his words simple but the emotions behind them deep.

"Well… I'm in." Naru-nii says, acting all cool and detached. I swat his shoulder, trying to tell him not to act so cool. "Hey! No attacking a fellow clan head!" I swat him again, just because.

Haku giggles, knowing us well enough to not bother getting involved. "Very well. I'm in." She says, smiling with her eyes.

"You three will have to register your clans as such." Sasuke says. "And you'll have to deal with the council…" His tone sours are the mention of the council. He also shivers a little and looks put out. He obviously doesn't like dealing with the council if he can help it.

"We can look into that today." Haku suggests. "I will go inquire."

"Would you? Thank you, that means I can start with Maki's physical therapy while you're out. Would you mind taking Ao-chan with you as well? He could probably use the fresh air?"

"That's fine. I would prefer it if I could get him some senbon to start practicing with anyway. Would you be willing to help teach him medical jutsu? He doesn't have the temperament for it, but I believe learning it will help him in the long run." She asks me.

"Sounds fair." I agree, but quickly turn to Naru-nii. "What about Minori and Haruki? I know you'll want them studying sealing and your clan's kenjutsu style, but I think at least Haruki has the state of mind to be an excellent medic. And Minori would definitely grow stronger from the training as well."

"Sounds good. Willing to train Moegi as well? I don't think Udon will be able to handle it, so I'd rather try build him up more as a sealing and kenjutsu specialist."

"Hnn! Shows what you know. I've been training both of them for months! You didn't think I was only teaching them sound release, did you?"

"That my sis for you." Naru-nii says, happy about that.

"I was actually wonder, Aya-chan… Sakiko is quite talented with kunai and shuriken… Perhaps I should start teaching her to work with senbon as well? She certainly has the aim for it." Haku offers.

"Aww, would you? I can't believe how quickly that girl learnt to hit the target though, seriously! I mean, she's not even in the academy yet!"

"Hnn." Sasuke smirks.

"Well, that explains it. Someone's been showing her proper techniques." I tease, nudging Sasuke with my elbow.

"She and Hanabi are good students." Is all Sasuke has to say about it.

"Yeah, they kind of are." I agree. "Ooh! That reminds me! I need to start teaching Saki to work with my special shuriken too! And I soo want to get that thing done soon!"

"That thing…?" Naru-nii asks, curious.

"I want to have a special tracking seal placed on all my shuriken, so that I don't lose them on a mission or something. I mean, they aren't exactly cheap, you know."

"That's all very interesting. But we still need to start our team training." Captain butts in.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We keep talking about things –planning things, plotting our… our clansmen's trainings– for another few hours, while training to shut Captain up. Afterwards, Haku decides to go get the information we'll need, and I need Minori to help me bring Maki to the bathroom.

I start with Maki's physical therapy soon after, making sure to show both Minori and Haruki what I'm doing and why. Working with Maki, we stretch all of her muscles, test her nerves' response, and slowly start building up to her doing little exercises herself. She's already doing so much better, feeding herself and holding little debates with her students about this or that. She still gets tired easily, but we'll work that out in time.

After that, we let her take a nap, and I call my little minions into the dojo for today's training session.

"Hinata, it's time to see what you can do." I say demandingly. "Hanabi, I want you to stand over on that side of the dojo and when I give you the signal you're to cast Siren's Call on everyone in front of you. I'll be standing behind you to test this." I explain, getting a serious nod from the younger Hyuuga.

"Hinata, you'll be standing in front of everyone else, trying to counter her with the Offsetting Sound jutsu. Everyone will be facing me, so I'll be able to tell if they fall into the genjutsu." Hinata nods, and everyone –Moegi, Udon, Sakiko, Minori and Haruki– spreads out behind her.

I stand behind Hanabi, who's just putting her guitar strap over her, and focusing on what she'll need to do. First off, she needs to focus the Siren's Call jutsu into her sound waves, second she needs to focus those sound waves to not affect me by channelling them forwards. Neither is a simple task, but this isn't impossible.

Hinata's job is technically easier, seeing as she only needs to use the Offsetting Sound jutsu, but Siren's Call –as I taught it to them– is D-rank, while Offsetting Sound is C-rank. So in this case, they are being tested more or less equally.

"Whenever you're ready, Hanabi." With a nod, a focused glance, and a single 'strike' of her guitar, her chakra fills the room in front of her. Hinata, using her flute, counters the sound waves, making the jutsu fail within her effective range. I briefly wonder if there's an advantage-disadvantage relationship here – guitar versus flute. I mean, Hanabi wouldn't have to worry about breathing half as much, but she's also much more vulnerable to attacks since her guitar is much bigger. Hmm… I'll have to look into that eventually.

"Good. Moegi, switch places with Hanabi. You haven't mastered Siren's Call as yet, but you do have my Snap-genjutsu down pat. You'll be using that instead."

Moegi stands in front of me, focuses hard, and snaps with her right hand. Hinata counters effortlessly – the lower level genjutsu is easier to break. Moegi then snaps with her left hand, which Hinata also counters.

"Good, good. Saki, you're up." Sakiko switches places with Moegi, but Sakiko looks nervous.

"Aya-nee… which jutsu did you want me to use?" She asks nervously. She hasn't really mastered any of them yet, but that's okay.

"Start with the Snap-genjutsu. You don't have to worry about me, I've found new ways of countering it." I tell her. It's only fair to test them on their level, and not compared to each other. Besides! An almost six year old that can do this is FRICKING AWESOME!

She snaps, but nothing happens. She looks frustrated, but snaps again. And again. And again. Nothing happens.

"Saki…" She looks to me, frustrated, downtrodden. "You need to relax." She nods. We take some deep breaths together, until I notice she's calm. "Remember, you need to focus chakra in only these three places." I say, tapping them each in turn, and once again explaining her how to place the 'genjutsu sequence' into that chakra.

 **Snap!**

 _I see all of us together, sitting on the porch in the middle of summer. We're eating watermelon together, Akimichi-san asking me if I want another piece. Naru-nii and Hina-nee are smiling at each other. Sasuke and Asami are teasing each other. Saki's showing me how far she can make one of the seeds fly. Udon and Moegi keep asking if they can jump into the pond to cool off._

I shake my head and the genjutsu falls apart on its own. I really didn't want that genjutsu to end.

"Sis…" I begin, meeting her VERY nervous gaze. I muss her hair a little, smiling. "Good job." She beams at me.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Ninety-two-thousand eight-hundred and thirty six. By myself I've made that much money from the last mission – not bad, but I usually make more seeing that I usually end up getting more because of collecting bounties. That means that… all tallied for the month… I've made over three-million Ryou. Considering that I –by myself– have five mouths to feed, that's still quite impressive; but that's mostly because the house we live in is paid for and we only have to worry about a yearly land tax. Not paying rent or a mortgage is truly a blessing for us.

Now… the going rate for a C-rank mission is roughly three-thousand Ryou per mission day. That means I should be making eighty-four-thousand Ryou per four weeks. Hmm… that is actually more than we'll need for the basics. We won't be able to do anything fancy. We do have enough set aside so that we have something to fall back on… and that doesn't even include the money set aside for those projects come spring. Luckily every time I've gone all out and splurged on something, I've almost immediately gotten a new mission that covered for that and more… so things shouldn't even get too tight around here with this.

"You are way too serious sometimes." I look up from my bookkeeping, finding Asami in the doorway. Hmm, I didn't even hear my office door slide open. She's good.

"Life taught me to be careful with money. So I'm very serious with it." I tell her, looking back down to finish this quickly.

"You realise that you're twelve, right?" She asks. Even though her tone is serious, she's obviously teasing me. "Why are you so focussed on bookkeeping and money?"

"I've been living on my own since I was… six? You learn quickly when there's no net to catch you." I say. Hmm… I should actually be able to start investing if this keeps up. I mean, if we can afford to live off this without the bonuses per mission, it means that I should start taking a slice of those bonuses and start investing in something… hmm, but what?

"You know what you need?" I'm asked. I look up at her, wondering. "You need to relax. Unwind. Remember that there's more to life than what's in front of you."

"… yeah…" I go over the numbers one more time. Hmm… yes. This should work out nicely. Not perfectly, perfect would be running into a few rogue shinobi with hefty prices on their heads. "It's too bad all I have is what's in front of me."

"Aya… I'm-"

"Asami." I cut her off. "I heard what you said."

"No, you didn't." She isn't going to let this go. Well, I'm confident we're not going broke, so I put away my books and I try to offer Asami the attention she so obviously needs. "I'm taking you out. Girls' night. And don't try telling me you can't afford it. I'm paying."

I roll my eyes, knowing that she and Naru-nii are too much alike sometimes. "… Who's coming then."

"I'll bug Minori, Hinata, Haku and Ino. That way you can't complain you won't like the company." I could have done without that last part, thanks. "We're going casual, but nice. Dinner, a movie, maybe some craziness after. I'll be here to pick you up at six. And I'll arrange for Yoshino-san and/or Mariko-san to be here to mind your patient. That way you won't be able to back out at all."

I sigh. She really isn't giving me any room at all to back out. Whatever.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 36_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Just one more thing. One more little detail to work out, and it'll be time ^_^ Sorry about the lack of Thanksgiving interlude and/or update so that you guys could use it as an excuse to be antisocial while your family is trying to spend time with you (dripping with sarcasm). I spend the day with my brother, thb, so even though I was working on the chapter, I was also cuddling with my nephew and teasing my brother all day long ^_^_**

 ** _No, I'm not American, nor do I have American roots. I'm from the Caribbean actually, but we kind of celebrate everything. Even the Three Kings on January 5th (Spanish holiday). Then again, I didn't really make a big deal of TDoR either. I like things to be more low key with some days._**


	43. Ties than bind

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 37 – Ties than bind_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You're sure you don't mind?" I ask Sensei for the fifth time in as many minutes.

"Aya. You're going. I'm staying. Enjoy yourself." She drones, narrowing her eyes at me. "Haruki-kun here knows what Maki's like and he can tell me anything she won't. I've dealt with situations like this with Shikaku. And I certainly believe that Yasu will be able to help me with anything should the need arise. Stop looking for excuses."

I blush, hating that people read me so well these days.

"Aya-chan! Give it up, we're going to totally have a blast tonight!" Ao-chan announces, dancing excitedly. I don't know why, but he's wearing a girl's kimono and makeup. I don't care why. He looks cute.

"Should we refer to you as a girl tonight?" I ask him. "I mean, it **is** a girls' night out."

"I don't care either way. We're gonna have fun!" He says, cheering himself –and us– on. From what I hear, he overheard Asami and Minori talking about tonight and invited himself. I don't mind too much either way. He is kind of a lot of fun to be around, after all.

"It's almost six." Maki-san says, smiling brightly. Our eyes meet for a moment, her smile grows more teasing. "Make sure you girls have the time of your life tonight."

" **You can count on it, sensei!** " Minori and Ao-chan announce happily.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We go to some new restaurant Asami says opened last week. We're immediately shown in and seated in the middle of the room. Our menus are handed to us and I take my time to… study where we are. I see two genin cells nearby. One with a panda looking girl, a green spandex wearing jounin and what looks like his mini-clone and the stick-up-his-backside Hyuuga that I refused to let onto my property some time back – he still looks as annoyed with the world, but too 'cool and detached' to let the world know.

The other genin cell I've never seen before. All guys. The jounin looks bored and slightly annoyed. The three genins keep looking our way. "Why is it that a group of girls always attracts guys' attention?" I ask, annoyed.

"Maybe because they're **desperate**." Minori announces loud enough to get three winces from the genins that have been eyeing us.

Anyway. The restaurant itself is quite nice. Not fancy, so we don't feel underdressed, but nice. The dark colours of the walls, floor and ceiling mixed with the colourful flowers growing everywhere, tough I can't tell if they're real or fake at this distance… it's really pretty here, if a bit crowded.

Looking over the menu, I see a few dozen things I wouldn't mind trying. The shrimp stir-fry, the beef stew, the 'home-cooked for my honey' (I really wonder about that name, but it advertises as a basic home cooked meal with rice, greens and meat all randomly selected by the chef). It all sounds delicious.

"What are you thinking about trying Hina-nee?" I ask, wondering about what I feel like ordering.

"Hmm… I'm thinking about the shrimp stir-fry." She says. "But the chicken specialty sounds yummy too."

"I dunno. I'm more leaning towards the pork dish. It sounds divine!" Ao-chan adds his two cents.

"Yeah, but the rabbit sounds good too! I've never tried rabbit in a ginger sauce." Minori jumps in. I smile, going over the menu again. Yeah, rabbit in ginger sauce sound yummy – if a bit spicy. No, I think the shrimp stir-fry is the better option. But I really like rabbit too.

"I have an idea, why don't we all order something different, so we can each try different dishes? I mean, this way we'll know what we like and don't like." Asami offers.

"I'm game!" Ao-chan is really bubbly tonight. We should drag him along for more girls' night outs. We negotiate a bit, trying to agree who'll order what, but eventually we all agree on something. I don't care, so long as I get something yummy. The waiter comes, placing and pouring our tea and taking our orders. He seems to be eyeing Haku and Ao-chan a bit too closely, so I ask him if something's wrong. He stutters and assures me nothing's wrong at all, before rushing back to the kitchen.

"Ouch, Aya-chan. Just ouch." Minori teases, smiling.

"What? If he likes them he should ask them out, not stand there gawking like a fish out of water." I say, teasing a blushing out of the two Yukis. "What? Like the two of you don't think he's cute."

They don't deny it, but Haku does wonder out loud of the beef she'd ordered would be how she likes it. I roll my eyes at the lame deflect.

"Excuse me?" I turn finding one of the genins that was gawking not ten minutes earlier. I thank all that is holy he isn't talking to me. "I just wanted to let you know that I think you're pretty and that I hope you ladies have a wonderful time tonight." Asami glares at him, unimpressed – she's the one he's talking to.

"That's nice. Goodbye." She waves him off. He leaves, downtrodden. And his 'buddies' are making jokes about him getting shot down. I roll my eyes. If that only thing you have to say is 'you're pretty', you might as well not bother. Yes, it takes guts to come up to a group of girls, but COME ON! Why not just ask her name, or just say hello and introduce yourself! START A CONVERSATION! Don't just be like 'hey, I know I'm hot, worship me'.

"Hello. I am Rock Lee. Konoha's Wild Green Beast. It is an honour to meet you." Another one announces. I turn, finding this one is talking to me. Ah, the green spandex mini-clone. And he's bowing at the hip, politely as well. "Might I ask what your name is?"

"Namiki Aya." I say, nodding to him – it's hard to bow while seated like this.

"Aya-kun." I wonder at the honorific. He doesn't want to be distant and call me 'san', but he doesn't want to assume too much and call me 'chan'... Interesting. "I see you are a shinobi of Konoha, just as I am. I was wondering if you would consider sparring with me some time." He offers, smiling so brightly that light glints off his too-white-to-be-natural teeth. He also gives me a thumbs-up while he's at it.

That brings me up short. I blink a few times, trying to figure out what to say. He's being nice, courteous, treating me with respect, showing the he respects my skill as a kunoichi by asking me to spar with him, and he's not being a pervert or outright flirting with me. I blink.

I don't really have a reason to say no. And I honestly wouldn't mind a spar to test my skills. "Alright. It will have to be early afternoon. Where?"

"My team trains in Training Ground fourteen. Perhaps tomorrow at two PM?" He offers, just as polite as he's been the whole time.

"We'll be there."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Dinner turns out to be enjoyable. We exchange bites of every dish, chatting and giggling the whole time. Another five guys work up the courage to approach us, but they all try to talk down to us or only seem to notice that we're 'cute', so either Asami or Minori runs them off – no matter who they're talking to.

Seriously. You don't walk up to a kunoichi and say, 'Hey cutie, where've you been my whole life'. You're asking for something vital to be broken along with your ego.

The waiting hall in the movie theatre is just as bad. Any guy younger than eighteen that sets his sights on us is bound to come over. And of course, of the dozens of them, only one or two doesn't talk down to us.

"Good evening ladies. May I ask which film you're here to see?" The latest victim announces himself.

"Oh look. Someone that's nice. That's refreshing." Ao-chan teases, not even noticing that this one is closest to him.

"I'm sorry about them." The tall, muscled chuunin says, sorrow in his eyes. "Though I can understand why you ladies would attract so much attention, it must get annoying after a while." He understands if nothing else.

"Sorry, stud. But this really is a girls' night out. I'm gonna have to shoot you down on principle." Ao-chan says teasingly.

"A girls' night out?" He looks confused. "I'm sorry, I thought… forgive me."

"Ao!" Minori elbows her teammate, obviously telling him to go for it.

"You thought what?" Ao-chan asks, eyeing him much closer.

"You're probably going to hate me for this, but I thought you were a… a guy." He says, embarrassed.

"And… you're interested in me?" Ao asks carefully.

"Well, I'm not sure yet. You're cute, you obviously have understanding friends. And you're also a shinobi, so you'd understand me easier than a civilian would." He explains. I eye this one a little closer. He's wearing his uniform, showing he's prepared to accept a mission at the drop of a hat. He seems to be about sixteen, on the tall side, has three scars on his face and his nose has been broken so often that it's grown wrong. He's not what I would call cute, but he is what I would consider capable. He's really buff too, even with a slight gut. And his beard is trimmed just enough to show he takes care of himself.

"Oh." Ao deflates a little.

"Yeah, that's what caught my eye. But I'm not into girls, so…"

"Take me out sometime?" Ao-chan asks, looking away from the boy and blushing deeply.

"Hmm?" He thinks about that, suddenly sure of himself once again. "I dunno. I'd have to get approval from your girlfriends here." He says coyly.

"Not tonight, obviously." Minori is the first to speak up. "But if you promise to treat him right, I won't complain."

"I second that. In fact, you should come by the house sometime." I offer. Ao-chan is without a doubt part of the pack, so anyone that tries to date him needs to be approved by the pack. "But I'd have to know who you are?"

"Hmm? Oh, where are my manners? I'm Kamizuki Hiro." He says, smiling. "You're Namiki-chan. The one that promised a pretty violent death to any that would harm the Uzumaki kid."

"Naru-nii, yes." I agree, smiling.

"Izumo was impressed when he heard. You moved back into your parents' house I hear… Hmm… would it be alright if I come by sometime? I'm supposed to head out on a mission tomorrow though. Might take a few weeks."

"I thought I just told you to pass by." I drone, wondering if he's a few cards short of a deck. "Anyway, girls, let's go. We don't want to give him the chance to ruin his good first impression."

"Yuki Aomaru, by the way." Ao-chan says, blushing as I link arms with him and drag him along.

"Ladies, what's the rush? I just got here." Another unwanted idiot walks up to us, obviously trying his luck.

"That's why we're leaving." Minori shuts him down. The rest of us giggle at how depressed he looks.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Guys suck." I complain the second the movie lets out. The main character had her heart broken over and over by the one man she truly loved, eventually settling for a farmer than at least treats her right.

"I take offence to that." Ao-chan says, all hurt innocence. I glare dully at him, but don't comment.

"Aw, come on, Aya-chan. Guys aren't all bad." Just as the words leave Ino's mouth, another guy walks up to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder like he's known her all his life, whispering something into her ear that makes her snarl angrily. I break his arm on principle alone. In three places. We leave him there, screaming in pain – quite a girly scream, might I add.

"Something to add, Ino?" I ask, glad the girly screams are fading into the distance.

"Yeah. A lot of guys give guys as a whole a bad name. But not all guys are like that." She tries. And just to prove me right, another guy struts up to us, his chest puffed up, his shoulders squared. He's trying to look tougher than he is. And he's a civilian.

"I broke the last guy's arm. What should I do to you?" I intone, enjoying the smell of his fear. He walks away, acting like he intended to walk off in that direction the whole time.

Asami leads us deeper into the heart of the Shinobi District, eventually ushering us into a bar-like place. This won't end well.

At the entrance is an Anbu I know well enough, Cat. He turns to us, walking up to us with purpose in his stride. "Namiki Aya." He calls, walking up to me.

"Yes?"

"Hokage-sama asks that you stop assaulting civilians." He tells me. I can tell he's more amused than anything right now.

"Anyone that cannot respect that I and my pack do not wish to be touched by strangers, deserves to be assaulted." I counter easily.

"… Message received?" He trudges on, as if he hadn't heard me.

"If it makes you feel better. Yes." I offer.

"Good. Hokage-sama asks that you write a report on the incident for the eventual paperwork. He also says that he'll post you as his secretary if you do this again." Cat continues.

"In which case I advice he remind the populous that touching perfect strangers –let alone a shinobi that might see it as an attack– is socially unacceptable. Or has that social norm changed without me knowing about it?" I tilt my head. "Oh, right. We're pretty. So we MUST want to be touched. Right?"

He shrugs, obviously not knowing what to say about that. "I'm just the messenger." He says, before disappearing in a poof of smoke and leaves.

"Whatever." I shrug, not caring. I didn't have to break his arm, I'll agree to that. However, he should know that in our culture it's rare for husband and wife to show that kind of affection in public. So just strolling up to a perfect stranger –or anyone really– and not just touching them, but putting your arm around them? Hnn! Disrespectful to the highest degree! I could have killed him and claimed I thought she was being attacked, and even Hokage-dono wouldn't be able to prove otherwise!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Last night was a total disaster!" Sasa-nee announces dramatically. Yasu-nee shouldn't have asked her. She really shouldn't.

"No it wasn't. Breaking that guy's arm was fun." I counter, grinning evilly.

"Aya!" Yasu-nee chastises angrily.

"Yasu-nee, if some guy just walks up to you and puts his arm around you, as if he's entitled to, then whispers: let's ditch the group, I'll show you a good time. Do you or do you not agree he deserves to have his arm broken?" I explain. Ino retold the tale at least fifteen times while we were at the bar after all.

"… You still don't have to be so proud of it." She insists.

"Oh? So if someone does that to you, you expect me not to hurt them in any way?" Everyone bristles at that. Even Momochi-san. It isn't hard to figure out that if some guy does that to her, his corpse would wind up in a river somewhere.

"Don't encourage her!" Yasu-nee demands.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Momochi-san says evenly, but Yasu-nee doesn't believe him and storms off – obviously not happy that everyone supports my 'senseless violence'. "You'll let us know if that ever happens."

"Of course." I grin, just as evilly as I did earlier.

"I'm glad." Maki says, shifting in her seat a little. She's been doing much better, so we try to keep her in the family sitting room for longer and longer periods of time, so she can get used to a high stimulus environment again. Momochi-san even crafted a special low chair for her so she can sit at the low table on her own, even if she's tired.

"Hmm?" I wonder what she means.

"That you all look out for each other… I'm glad." Maki explains.

I wave it off. "We're going to start you on walking exercises tomorrow, by the way." I change the subject.

"That's great! Maki-sensei, you'll be back to your old self in no time!" Ao-chan is really, REALLY loud when he's excited.

"Of course she will be. Maki-san is totally awesome!" I say, nudging Naru-nii in his side to show I'm mostly saying it to tease him.

"Sis, are you mimicking me?"

"Of course not, dettebayo!" That gets a laugh out of everyone, even Naru-nii.

"Aya-nee~eeee! You shouldn't pick on Naru-nii, ya know!" Saki-chan is so cute when she pouts like that.

"Now, now, baby girl." I kiss her brow and pull her into my lap. "Naru-nii knows I love him. And he knows only his pack is allowed to pick on him. If anyone else tries it…" I grin again.

Saki grins too. "Then we show them why the Namikis are rightly feared!" She announces, her fist in the air and a dangerous glint in her eyes. She catches on quickly.

"Exactly." I agree.

"Naru-nii is our idiot! So no one else gets to call him that!" Saki announces happily, but that just makes Naru-nii face fault.

"That's just being mean!" Naru-nii says, tears in his eyes. Fake tears, mind you.

"The truth can be harsh." Minori teases, patting him on the shoulder gently. Naru-nii doesn't look comforted at all.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"It's time." I say to myself, trying to pump myself up. Then I sigh. I haven't done this since that first time. I really want to spend some time with them again! So I bite my right thumb, and I go through the motions.

 **Boar – Dog – Bird – Monkey – Ram – Summoning jutsu!**

Once the smoke clears, I see one proud mother wolf and four pups, bigger than Pakkun by half now. "Aya. It is good to see you again." Tsuren says, her voice still sounding like rolling thunder.

"And you, Tsuren. I'm sorry I hadn't called on you since that time. I didn't want to burden your bonding time with your pups." I explain honestly.

"You are my pup. You would not burden us." Tsuren says evenly. I walk up to her, wrapping my arms around her neck again, rubbing my face in her fur and sighing contently.

"I want to introduce you to my pack." I say. "Is that alright?"

"Of course. I would be wise if we knew those you hunt with." I'm assured. I take a long moment, just soaking in the warmth I'd sooooooo missed these past months (and years).

I also make sure to memorise Tsuren's scent. Then I move to her pups. Tsuki is the first to come to me, jumping up into my arms and licking me all over my face. She's really playful, now that she isn't so careful with me. I study her scent as well, before petting her and putting her down. "It's good to see you as well, Tsuki. I hope you've been listening to your mama."

"Yes." She says, her ears worn a bit lower. I don't really believe her, but I don't press.

"Now, I saw you three last time. Would you mind introducing yourselves?" I ask.

"I'm Tsupou." The first comes up to me. I sit on the ground in front of him, offering him a chance to smell me so he can identify me later. I also make sure to study his scent so I'll know it's him. He's not nervous, or cautious. Mostly he just walks around acting like he doesn't care – a carefree wolf, stranger things have happened.

"Tsuma, Tsuma! I'm the totally amazing Tsuma!" This one is running around like his tail's on fire. He jumps up, putting his paws on my shoulders, then runs off, in a circle and comes back and does it again. He's REALLY energetic. And he smells like vanilla for some reason.

"The name's Tsuza. Just call me Za." He takes a sniff at my hand, licks it and sits in my lap like he owns it. I giggle a little.

"Alright. I'm Aya. I summoned the five of you today, because I want to discuss us training together so we can really get to know each other. Would that be alright?"

"Training!? Training!? We're gonna start training, do you hear that Pou-pou! We're gonna start training! ALRIGHT!" Tsuma is REALLY over the top. Wow. I think even Naruto-nii would have to tip his hat to this one.

"Calm yourself, Tsuma. A wolf must never get too excited, lest they alert their prey." Tsuren chastises her pup. Tsuma looks sorry, whining pitifully. "Do not fear to make a mistake, pup. Fear not learning from it."

Wow, Tsuren sounds super wise!

I clear my throat. "Tsuren. I would like to summon the five of you every day for at least two hours. Would that be alright?"

"It is." She says evenly. I wait, wondering if there's more, but she doesn't continue.

"I train with my team for most of the morning. I would like to summon you during this time to that you may also get accustomed to them."

"Alrgiht. I would like to meet them first." She says evenly. I can't tell if she sees me as higher or lower in status. Maybe equals? I just don't know.

"Please wait here, I'll call the others in." I'd arranged for this moment, making sure to space everyone out so that I don't overwhelm their instincts. Making sure that the most important come first so that if they get annoyed, at least the most important introductions had already been made. I leave the dojo for a minute, coming back with Yasu-nee and Saki-chan. "Guys, these are my adopted sisters. Namiki Yasu and Namiki Sakiko."

Tsuma, of course, runs right up to them and starts licking Saki all over. Tsuki is much more reserved, but she does come up to them – Yasu-nee is even allowed to pet her. I take my time introducing them one by one.

"And this is Tsuren. She was mama's personal summons as well." Sakiko walks right up to Tsuren, no fear in her eyes or in her scent.

"You look really strong. Are you going to help Aya-nee take down the bad guys?" Saki asks innocently.

"In time. Yes. For now, I'm mostly focused on my newest pups. They have a lot of growing to do." Tsuren explains simply.

"Thank you." Saki says, trying to wrap her arms around Tsuren, but Saki's much too small to manage. "Soft…" She murmurs. I smile, knowing I said exactly the same thing when I hugged Tsuren a few months ago.

"You're quite welcome, Saki. Perhaps in time, you'll want to sign with us as well." There's a pause, as Saki lets that roll around in her mind. "You still have a lot of growing to do though, but like Aya, I believe you will be both wise and strong in time." I blush, not really believing either claim. I have too much growing to do to claim either title.

I smile, though. Typical for a wolf. Strength is needed, but not as valued as wisdom. They'd respect a weaker but wiser wolf far quicker than a foolish and strong one. They'd just fear the strong fool.

"I'd like that." Saki says, before running to play with Tsuma. They keep chasing each other around the dojo.

"And you…" Tsuren turns her attention to Yasu-nee. "Aya respects you, even though you are a civilian. I sense you've been training your chakra somewhat, but you'll never be a warrior."

"That's true." Yasu-nee says, not bothered at all.

"You hold her heart. You guard her." Tsuren gazes at my elder sister, almost as if she's a puzzle that needs to be figured out. "Miwako would be most grateful to you. As am I. Guard her well, Yasu. And I swear my pack will guard you just the same."

"I would ask the same of you. My sister means the world to me." Yasu says, walking up to the wolf that's easily twice her size. Tsuren is still just laying there though, unmoving, unblinking. Yasu-nee kneels before the gentle giant, wrapping her arms around her. "Please, take care of my little sisters for me."

"Fret not, Yasu. I guard my pack jealously." The corners of Tsuren's mouth curl up, partly showing some of her teeth. When a human does this, they might be slightly amused. When a wolf does this… they're halfway to ripping someone's guts out. I don't doubt Tsuren would kill for me.

"Thank you." Yasu-nee squeezes gently, before excusing herself – she needs to start on dinner, but she makes sure to ask what the wolves will be having. Heaven forbid someone should be willing to protect Yasu-nee's family and not get fed as thanks.

"Any meat will do. So long as it's raw and unseasoned ." Tsuren says evenly.

"Warm or cold?" Yasu-nee, Kami bless her heart, doesn't even bat an eyelash.

"Warm is nice."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes a bit longer to convince Captain to meet Tsuren and her pups, but I do eventually get Haku, Naru-nii, Saskue and Captain into the dojo.

"Hatake… Kakashi…" Tsuren intones.

"Tsuren."

"Fate has a sense of humour. Does she know?" Captain is asked.

"Pakkun let it slip." Tsuren nods. Mama's death is my guess.

"The only honourable dog I've ever met." Captain winces at that, but I flat out laugh. Seriously. Ouch!

"Tsuren. I'm sure you remember Naruto." I change the subject. I'm sure Captain is in for a lot more of these 'little chats' anyway.

"Of course. Hello, Naruto."

"Hey, Tsuren." Naru-nii knows not to be too loud around wolves – they have VERY sensitive hearing! They can literally hear a leaf falling from the tree! Some as far as fifty metres away! Naru-nii carefully walks up to Tsuren, hugging her. As soon as his back is turned, all four pups jump on him, licking every inch of exposed skin. He tries not to, but he ends up laughing because of how their tongues tickle him.

"Kushina would have loved this scene." Tsuren says, getting Naru-nii's undivided attention. "I will speak more of her with you. But I wish to meet your sister first. It would not do to exclude her from such talks, yes?"

Naruto-nii rubs the back of his head, please but a little embarrassed. "Alright, I'll go get her then."

"Yes, please do." Naru-nii's off. "That leaves only Sasuke. Mikoto would often brag about her two sons."

Sasuke doesn't look too happy about that.

"Do not be a fool. I am aware of Itachi's deeds, but emotion clouds your judgement. You are a hawk summoner. One with exceptional sight. Why do you not see that there is more to this?" Tsuren speaks evenly, detached from the situation. "Uchihas have never played the fool. Do not start the trend. Test what you know, see if it is real or make believe. Then, and only then, will you see what you already fear to be true."

Sasuke stands rooted in that spot, as if frozen by her words.

"Tsuren, this is Haku. She's of the Yuki clan and can use ice release jutsu." I change the subject before poor Sasuke gets bowled over by another revelation.

"It is an honour to meet you, Tsuren." Haku bows reverently. I can't say I blame her. If Tsuren really wanted, I don't doubt she could kill all of us – except for (maybe) Captain.

"It has been some time since I've heard of your clan, Haku. From your scent I can tell there is only one other you are aware of." Tsuren is REALLY scary when she talks like that.

"I'm afraid you're right. I plan on rebuilding the Yuki clan here in Konoha. Aya's been kind enough to aid me in this as well." Haku's REALLY overstating that. All I did was suggest it. She's been doing all the legwork to get all the paperwork we need!

"A sound decision, for both of you. The Yuki clan was once revered. Perhaps it will be again." Tsuren says. I smile, liking the sound of that. "Aya. You can trust this one. Her heart is pure and in the right place."

"… I will keep that in mind." I say smiling, but still a bit shocked. Wolves do not compliment others lightly.

There's a knock on the door, just before it slides open and reveals Naru-nii and Sasa-nee. Naruto even brought Hinata along as well.

"Tsuren." Naru-nii slides the door shut behind him.

"Asami. You have the look of your mother. But you smell of your father. The look in your eyes shows you have his sharp mind, but your relaxed stance shows you also like to lay back and enjoy life. You are your father's child. No doubt about it." Tsuren seems to have known them pretty well.

"And Hinata. Hanae spoke highly of you each time we met. And of Hanabi. Tell me, how fares your little sister." Tsuren seems to know EVERYONE! Jeez!

"She is well." Hinata's caught off guard, but doesn't relapse into her stuttering – thank Kami-sama!

"You'll meet her soon enough." I assure Tsuren. "I had planned on bringing both of them at the same time, but… It would seem the kitsune got excited."

"Truly his mother's child." Tsuren says, amused. "Pups… come now. You need to go meet Aya's pack."

"You smell like cinnamon buns and raisins… and you smell like ramen too… why is Naruto's smell so strong on you?" Tsuma asks innocently, but Hinata's face is as red as Asami's hair.

"Well, well… it would seem Naruto's as much a lady killer as his father." Captain teases, but quiets down when Tsuren's gaze lands on him.

"… N-naruto-kun… who's your father?" Hina-nee asks carefully.

"Namikaze Minato, of course." Tsuren answers evenly. Hinata looks shocked for a long moment, her eyes wide as dinner plates. Tsuren gives the girl a moment to collect herself before, "But you already knew that."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 37_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Another slight timeskip coming up. I've dealt with everything I want to before spring comes. Next chapter is going to be a good bit longer, but that's because I need to set up some things before the first exam. And... I'm likely to throw in a lot more interludes to round out the picture so that everything makes sense._**

 ** _Now, I normally don't do this, but... the reviews I've been getting lately are really touching! So I just want to thank my reviewers for their (continued) support and let's all hope that my skills continue to get better! I'm aiming to start going (semi) pro as of next year, so I REALLY want to be on the top of my game! I'll keep you guys posted on any developments on that front ^_^_**


	44. Interlude 6 – Happy birthday, Aya!

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Interlude 6 – Happy birthday, Aya!_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

February fifteenth. Most write if off as 'the day after Valentine's day', but in one household on the edge of the Shinobi District, this day is so much more! Everyone's buzzing about, chatting excitedly, trying to be as efficient as they can, but it isn't hard to tell there's excitement in the air.

Sakiko has been running up and down the house, excitedly trying to pass on every message she's given, every package she needs to deliver. Yasu has been in the kitchen all morning with Yoshino, Mariko and Remi, the four of them cooking up a feast worthy of a daimyo! Naruto's been spamming clones, trying to set up EVERYTHING just right. Hinata's mostly just trying to make sure Naruto doesn't (accidently) mess everything up. Hanabi, Udon and Moegi are in the dojo practising as much as they can while there's still time. Haku, Minori, Aomaru and Haruki are out in the village, picking up whatever little things Yasu sent them out for. Even Kakashi and Zabuza are busy helping set things up; though mostly Zabuza's trying to keep Maki from overdoing it. The house is abuzz with life.

"They didn't even put in this much effort for Yasu." Zabuza complains, but he still tapes the banner to the wall where Maki 'thinks it'll work'.

"They did more. You just didn't notice." Kakashi comments, not really caring if his 'partner' agrees.

"So where is she anyway?"

"Training with Hana, I believe." Maki says. "Kakashi, you really need to raise your side a bit."

"That girl would have a fit if she skipped training for one day." Zabuza says, smirking.

"Careful, Zabuza. People might think you respect her." Maki teases, grinning ear to ear. But the joy doesn't quite dance in her eyes until Zabuza starts grumbling about that. "Now come on! She's going to show up around lunch time! We need everything to be perfect!"

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Oi, oi! You guys got everything!?" Aomaru calls to his teammates. They'd agreed that it'd be more efficient to split up, so the two Uzumakis went into the Commercial District to buy the things they'd need, while the two Yukis went to the market in the Civilian District. As it is, it's been a hectic morning for everyone.

"Naturally!" Minori calls back, petting her little brother's hair. "Ruki-chan managed to spot everything we needed, even before I did."

"Riri-nee~eeeee!" Haruki complains, blushing. He keeps telling her how much he hates it when she treats him like a child in front of people, but Minori knows better. There's always a small smile on his face when he thinks she isn't looking.

"I think we should head back then. Yasu-san will need these things as soon as possible." Haku reminds them, getting nothing but nods. So they body flicker towards their home.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"I still can't believe she's thirteen today. That girl looks like she's eight or nine, but acts like she's in her twenties!" Yoshino complains, but there's a telltale smile in her eyes.

Mariko and Remi share a knowing look, smiling. They know that Yoshino sees the girl as so much more than 'just a student'; she'd adopt Aya in a heartbeat if given the chance. "Will Shikaku-kun be able to make it on time?" Mariko asks, trying to steer the conversation anywhere else.

"Yes. And Asuma promised he'd be here with his team as well. Honestly though, what... oh, nevermind." Yoshino deflates, almost messing up the icing on the cake she's been working on for the past hour.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Yo-chan?" Remi asks, worried for her friend.

"It's nothing." The Nara answers a little too quickly, her piping bag suddenly moving much quicker than it was before.

"Yes, I agree. Chouji is being an idiot towards her." Remi says, making sure to wait until Yoshino pauses for a second. She didn't want her friend to mess up the icing after all her effort, after all. All three women turn to Remi, obviously shocked. "I love my baby more than life itself, but I'm no one's fool. He's an idiot for not believing Aya is head over heels for him."

There's an uncomfortable silence in the room, but luckily it only lasts a minute.

"Yasu-nee! We got those things you asked for!" Minori storms into the kitchen, drops two scrolls on the table and immediately storms right back out. Four pairs of eyes blink, unsure what just happened.

"I wonder what they're planning." Yasu says, before turning her full attention back to the her little sister's favourite treat: wolf- and moon-shaped chocolate ice cream sandwiches. It takes hours to get them just right, with having to bake the chocolate wafers in the right form (top and bottom mirroring each other) then freezing the ice cream properly, cutting it into the right thickness, then shaping them so that they fit exactly between the wafers... This isn't something that Yasu has the time for every day, but... for her little sister's birthday? She'll make the time.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"That has to go over just a little more!" Hinata demands. All the clones look at her, but only the one she's pointing at obeys, making sure to move it in the right direction until there's a hand-motion to stop and drop. It's taken most of the morning, but together they'd turned the visitors' sitting room into a mini concert hall, complete with a modest stage for the show later. There aren't any chairs or benches, since Aya likes things being more informal. Instead there are sitting pillows lined up on the tatami mats, and curtains handing from the the rafters of the stage. Setting that up well enough that Hinata had deemed it 'good enough' had taken HOURS!

It isn't bothering Naruto though. Not at all, actually. Not only is he getting some 'alone time' with Hinata, but he's really getting to know a brand new side of her; the demanding perfectionist. Every nail had to be placed exactly right, every screw set exactly right, every pillow place exactly right. The music stands had to be placed exactly right on the stage, and the candles to light up the stage later have to be placed EXACTLY right. If it isn't exact, it's a disaster. Even a single candle wick bending two degrees the wrong way was enough to make Hinata annoyed; she spent almost three minutes bending and re-bending it until it pointed in exactly the same direction as the others.

"You really want this to be perfect, don't you." One of the Narutos asks, his eyes smiling.

"Of course! For months Aya's done everything she can to make sure everything around here is perfect. Can't we offer her the same for one day?" Hinata wonders, seeing a loose thread on one of the pillows that demands her immediate attention. She makes sure to cut the thread with a precision Gentle Fist strike, seeing the thread fall onto the floor before scooping it up and pocketing it so she doesn't forget is somewhere.

Naruto walks up to Hinata, his eyes showing more emotion than he would with anyone else. Soft, tender emotions that make Hinata's insides do flips and cartwheels. He wraps his arms around the slightly taller girl's waist, pulling her into his warmth. "Thank you." He whispers into her ear, his breath hot on her bare skin. She shivers from the pleasure such a simple thing gives her, blushing bright pink. She still finds a smile on her lips, even minutes after the sudden hug ends. Then she notices one of the pins that keep the cloth attached to the side of the stage is loose. She focuses on that.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"You're still here?" Asuma asks his kid sister, shock obvious in his voice. He'd expected her to be over at the Namikis' setting up.

" _Yes_ , I'm **still here**. And you're _pointing out_ that I'm in fact **behind schedule** when I'm _already_ **frustrated** IS. SO. **NOT**. _HELPING_." Asami grinds out, annoyed. She'd been working on this project for nearly a month! It's perfect, but it's so delicate that she can't transfer it like she would any other seal. So she has to painstaking recreate a seven layered seal on a much prettier scroll, and she only has another hour to do so. "I suggest you go check on _your_ nephew. I'd sent him to get ready over an hour ago."

Asuma winces at how she says that. That means Konohamaru did something he REALLY shouldn't have done and she blew up on him. He heads upstairs, hoping to find something other than a corpse.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Sasuke finds himself in his the Commercial District, racking his brains on what to get Aya. He's been at it all week, but he still can't seem to figure out what she'd want. He doesn't know what she likes in makeup, so he flatly refuses to even consider going down that road. She never wears perfume as far as he can tell. She doesn't wear anything decorative in her hair. She's something of a girly-girl, but it takes an act of Kami-sama for her to show that side of herself. So the only side he can say she'd ever shown him is the kunoichi; a pretty fierce kunoichi at that. So the only thing that he can think of is training scrolls, or something like that. But... she has every scroll he'd thought of. And most of her recent skills have been either in sound release, which he can't help her with, or in her family's hidden jutsus, which he doesn't even know anything about.

And really, he'd considered it all. Bells, a fancier flute, maybe an unorthodox weapon. Everything has so many flaws that they aren't worth considering. Sure, he already has something for her, a special recipe for hair and skin care products that does everything those expensive products do, but still fit for use within the Anbu ranks. It's an old Uchiha secret recipe that his mother simply loved bragging about, so he'd made copies of them for her.

But... that's a present for 'the kunoichi'. He needs a present for 'the girl' as well. There are only a handful of beings alive that can claim to have so much as SEEN 'the girl', but he suspects she'll be willing to show it to him more often if he can figure out what that side of her even likes; not that it's working.

"Maybe Asami would know something." He takes off in the direction of the Clans District, hoping to get some pointers before time runs out.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

And where is Aya while all of this is going on? In the spa. Hana demanded she show up early for training, but she'd dragged the girl to get a massage, manicure, pedicure, and facial scrub instead. When Aya tried arguing against it, Hana just laughed and told her that it's booked for two. Aya didn't bother fighting it again. If someone as strong, as tough, as rough around the edges as Inuzuka Hana can stand being treated like a pampered princess for the day, then Aya is willing to see why.

Right now, Hana and Aya are laying on tables right next to each other, nothing more than a towel covering their nether regions, and two ladies rubbing the most subtle oils they have into every inch of skin. All the nots in every muscle ever so slowly succumbs to the most exquisite torture the two kunoichi had ever experienced. Every once in a while the two of them would share a glance, goofy smiles on their faces and moaning loudly from the painful pleasure of rejuvenating their sore and often abused muscles.

An hour later –Hana spared no expense on Aya's birthday present– the two brunettes are side by side as two pedicurists peel off all the dead skin and tend to their feet, toes and toenails. The girls keep chatting about this and that, small things mostly. Like this man that Hana's been subtly eyeing for some time. She still isn't sure if he's the type of man she needs, but she's willing to take a chance and find out. "And he's most _certainly_ a man, too." Hana coos, thinking about the time she saw him training without his shirt.

"Looks don't make the man." Aya counters, noticing how aroused Hana's getting by thinking about whatever she's thinking about.

"No, but there's nothing wrong with wanting a man that can turn you on." Hana points out, not caring in the least that Aya can smell her. It's something you grow used to, being raised in the Inuzuka clan. "And besides. I want the complete package. Good looks, caring, kind, good with kids and dogs, and able to fit in with my clan. If that unicorn exists."

Aya and the two pedicurists giggle at that, but they really start laughing when Hana swears she's being serious.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Shika, Chouji, are you guys ready?" Ino asks, entering Shikamaru's house without knocking. She knows Yoshino is over at Aya's, and Shikaku should still be at the Tower, so there's only the two boys to worry about. On entering the sittingroom, she only finds Chouji, still in his standard uniform, but at least it's a clean one.

"Hey, Ino. Shika's upstairs. Says he needs to wrap his gift." Chouji explains, munching on some popcorn chicken Yoshino left on the counter for him.

"That slacker! He bought that gift almost a month ago! And he's... wait, this IS Shika we're talking about." Ino groans, annoyed with her lazy childhood friend. "So, what'd you get her?" Ino knows she has at least ten minutes to kill, so she might as well use it to her advantage.

"Not telling." Chouji says between bites.

"Aww, come on, Chouji! You know you can trust me with something like this!" She tries, giving him the puppy eyes and all. He shrugs, not budging at all.

"Not the point. It's for Aya-chan, not for you."

"You know what I don't get? Why won't you ask her out? I know you want to. I know she wants you to. So why not just do it?"

"..." Chouji doesn't meet the blonde's questioning gaze, simply refusing to talk about this.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Ino isn't pulling her punches. "People search their whole lives for someone that completes them, that loves them just as they are. You found yours at twelve, and all you're doing is messing it up."

"Ino. Drop it." Shikamaru intones, having just walked into the sittingroom. "And Chouji, like it or not, she's right. Aya's crazy about you."

Chouji swallows the last of the food in his mouth, suddenly finding that he isn't very hungry.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Walking home, Aya finds herself more than a little amused. "They have a party planned. They've been acting sneaking and secretive all week." Hana shrugs, not wanting to confirm something she can't say for sure about. No one asked her or told her anything, after all. Their training day just happened to fall on her birthday is all.

"Well, either way, I've had a blast." Hana changes the subject. "We should hang out more, you know."

"Yeah, we should." It isn't often that Aya finds herself so at ease with people, but somehow the type of people she needs to be at ease around seem to be finding her by the dozen these days. And she wouldn't trade any of them for the world.

Arriving at the gate, Aya unlocks it and invites Hana in. Aya can already smell dozens of different people having come through, and she knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that there really is going to be a party waiting on them.

Walking up to the front door, she slides it open, seeing boots of all sorts, kinds and colours neatly sorted and stacked. The worst part is, that every single owner is over so often that it really doesn't prove anything. But the second she kicks off the snow from her boots, the inner door opens and shows a smiling Naruto. A brightly smiling Naruto, who's holding something behind his back.

Aya ignores he brother for the moment, focusing on taking off her boots and slipping into her house slippers. Once she's satisfied that her boots are put away properly, she strolls over and gets her much wanted –and well deserved, in her opinion– hug. "We've got a few surprises for the birthday girl." Naruto whispers, squeezing her gently. "But you're going to have to trust me enough to wear a blindfold. Otherwise I'll never let you see it."

Aya blinks a few times, trying to figure that out. Would she trust Naruto enough to let him blindfold her? Sure, she could probably find her way around the house blindfolded and unaided, but she'd never tried fighting someone with a blindfold on. Hmm, perhaps a training for another day? She thinks so, so she stores that titbit away, for now.

"Alright." She gives in without too much of a fuss. Naruto ties the blindfold carefully, wondering about the difference in her scent. "Hana took me to a spa. Your little sister spent the morning getting pampered and spoiled."

"Good." Naruto nods, approving. "If anyone deserves to get spoiled a little, it's you." Aya snorts, not really believing him. She's already thinking of people that deserve it far more, and the dozens of reasons they deserve it too. Still, she knows no one will listen, so she doesn't bring it up. Instead, she allows herself to be lead down the hall and into the family sitting room. She's playing along, but she isn't letting her other senses be ignored. She smells a feast. Curry rice, riceballs, breaded chicken, fried rabbit, roasts duck, steamed deer steaks, devilled eggs ('surprisingly' a Mist recipe... they seem to have a thing for devils and demons), there's also an assortment of veggies and fruits, what smells like a cake complete with candles that are currently unlit. Aya decides it must have taken them all morning to get this done.

With no warning to prepare her, Aya's blindfold is carefully removed, revealing a room filled with every face she'd want to have around her on her special day. Even Hokage-dono. Everyone takes a turn to hug her and offer their best wishes for the birthday girl.

It takes them almost ten minutes to finally get everyone seated, and Sakiko decides she's the only one that's allowed to fix ' _her Aya_ 's plate of food. If Yasu hadn't helped her stabilize the mini mountain of delicious treats, everyone is sure there'd be a food avalanche. But Aya doesn't even think to complain, seeing as Sakiko really just put a little of every dish on the plate and prayed it'd all fit.

Once everyone is ready to dig in, they all chorus 'Itatakimasu', and Aya digs in with gusto. Her eyes roll partway to the back of her head and she moans, happy for her sisters willingness to spoil her a little – well, more than a little this time. Yasu and Yoshino both know Aya's every favourite dish, which is a long list to remember, but they know it. Each and every item on that list in sitting on Aya's plate, waiting for her to devour it, and she plans on doing just that.

"If you guys keep this up, I'm going to start telling you it's my birthday every day." Aya teases.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

After Aya admits she can't eat anymore –and she's tried taking another bite to test this crazy theory a few times– she rubs her belly, trying to ease make a little more space anyway. Sadly, it just isn't meant to be. Sighing in defeat, she burps a little into her hand, already profusely apologizing for that.

"Jeez, sis, where did you fit all that food!?" Naruto teases. The girl had easily eaten twice what he did. Heck, even Chouji is impressed with how the girl packed it all away.

"Don't tell anyone, but Namiki's have like six stomachs." Aya says, still rubbing her aching belly. "Jeez! I feel like I'm pregnant with twins!" She complains. Everyone laughs, most roll their eyes as well. Aya has a... unique sense of humour.

"Well, anyway. This was just your first surprise, young lady." Yasu announces, teasing a smile from her little sister. "Come on, it's time for your second." Everyone pours out of the family sitting room ahead of the two elder Namikis. Aya narrows her eyes at that, wondering why everyone's in such a rush. After only the two are left, Yasu helps Aya to her feet. They link arms, smiling happily, and make their way to the visitors' sitting room together.

Once the door slides open, Aya's eyes go wide with shock. Gone is the low table and the usual décor. Instead, there's a stage set up in the corner away from the door, with deep purple curtains draped down to prevent the audience from seeing what's going on back there. The stage also has pink and violet cloth covering pretty much every inch of wood, and the floor is covered with a black carpet.

In front of the stage are dozens of sitting pillows, and front row, right in the middle, is what looks like a mini bed type pillow. It's huge, and fluffy and poofs out to let Aya know it's going to be so comfortable to lay on it. And, of course, that's where Yasu guides her. Aya's helped to sit down properly, even though she's very much tempted to just plop onto the thing.

The brunette shifts and shimmies a bit, until the poof beneath her has enough of a groove for her to be comfortable. Her eyes start to flutter, a sign her body's begging her to go sleep.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS!" And loud, booming voice steals the sleep that just tried to find her. Aomaru is suddenly on stage, the curtains opening and candles suddenly alight. "Welcome to the performance of a lifetime! Much of what you will see today is for your eyes only. Students of a hidden style, showing just how far they've come in these past months. And I assure you, they will wow you in more ways than one!" I blush deeply, already suspecting what's going to happen here.

"So, to start us off! I give you our youngest performer, Namiki... Saskiko!" Aomaru bows, moving out of the limelight. All eyes focus on the five, almost six, year old. She looks nervous, but her eyes find Aya's and the confidence and pride she finds there gives her the boost she needs.

And so, she starts to sing. It's soft, almost stilted at first, but once Aya smiles, all Sakiko can see is the effect her singing has on her sister. And that's all she could want. She calms down instantly, her voice starts coming out clear, her tone pure.

Even though she's singing a simple children's song –one Aya taught her to help stimulate her memory, which Miwako of course taught Aya first– the passion, the love for music, the way her voice dances from note to note; Sakiko obviously adopted Aya's passion for music and she's running with it.

After singing the song a second time, she switches to her bright red flute, playing the same notes she'd been singing and not missing a beat. Only now, every whole note vibrates. Her vocal chords might now longer be used, but she's still singing through the flute in her hands.

The performance couldn't have been longer than three minutes, but when Sakiko bows, everyone applauds heartily. The girl bows shyly, running off the stage and right into Aya's waiting arms. "That was perfect." Aya praises. "I'm so proud of you." Sakiko beams, her whole body warming up from the joy she can barely contain.

"Up next!" Aomaru comes out on stage once again, so everyone settles down so the show can continue. "Thank you. Up next, we have a duet! Uzumakis Udon and Haruki!"

Aomaru once again fades into the paintwork. Two boys come out. One with brown hair and glasses, the other with red hair. They bow to the audience, Haruki taking out a flute, and Udon unsealing a koto. Udon had long given up on ever learning a wind instrument – breathing normally was hard enough, so that wasn't an option. However, after talking to Hanabi, he'd decided that maybe strings were the better option for him.

So he starts playing, Haruki awaiting his cue. While Sakiko sang and played her flute skilfully, she was playing notes and singing words. Udon seems to have graduated past this already; he's playing emotions. The music, the notes, they are dripping with a calm sort of sadness. Then Haruki starts playing his flute, and the same holds true for him. Only, his notes are more joyous, playful, almost like he's a curious little cat chasing a butterfly.

The audience is spellbound, having never heard either boy play their instrument before. Aya, however, is beaming.

The strings' and the flute's notes start coming in bursts, almost as if they are chasing each other, until they both lie still. There's a moment of silence, but neither boy seems to be done so no one claps.

Suddenly, almost in a mad flurry, both boys continue playing, their notes quick, sharp, agitated. It's as if the two instruments are having a fight, both trying to drown the other out.

Then, there's one last, low notes from both. That note vibrates, resonates with each other, as if they suddenly understand one another. Then the soft, soothing playing from earlier comes back, and they finish with three hard, slow notes. Both boys bow deep, thanking their audience.

The boys walk off stage, also coming to Aya for a hug. Poor Sakiko gets squeezed, but she simply refuses to sit anywhere but by her sister.

"Though that was impressive, I assure you this is not all you will be wowed with this afternoon!" Aomaru comes again. "We have another duet This time with Uzumakis Moegi and Minori!"

The two carrot-tops come out on stage, bowing to us. Two flutes come out, one Uzumaki red, the other Uzumaki blue. I role my eyes, knowing they'd paint their flutes at one point or another.

They start playing twinkle, twinkle. Just playing the notes at first, in perfect unison. Then, just as Moegi loops back to start playing it again, Minori flips the script and starts playing a fugal counterpoint. No... not quite fugal, she's playing the same notes, but slower, vibrating each and every note and letting her notes fill the room with an almost festive joy. Moegi loops back again, playing the same song once again. Only this time in a completely different key. The simple lullaby is nowhere to be seen now, this is a song fit for a festival!

At the end of Moegi's second run, they both reach the end of the song. I half expect them to be done with it, but this time they really do go for a fugal counterpoint. Their notes start dancing around either other, teasing each other, flirting with each other. They rise and fall in perfect counterbalance – when one rises, the other falls, then they switch it around. It's a simple concept, but it's masterfully done; at least that's what Aya believes.

When they once again reach the end of the song, Moegi starts back at the beginning, but Minori stays silent for almost ten seconds. Moegi is still playing the same way she was just a moment ago, but it somehow seems stale alone.

Then Minori starts playing EXACTLY the same notes in the same way as Moegi, only with a ten second delay. Aya, hugs Sakiko a little tighter, truly enjoying the show. Her only thought, wondering how they found the time to turn a simply lullaby into a fugal piece, and then take that new piece and also turn it into a cannon piece. It's simply breathtaking to behold.

After this run through, both girls play the simple lullaby again, just as they had in the beginning. Then they lower their flutes and bow low to the crowd.

Once both girl come for their hugs, Aomaru once again finds himself on stage. "This next performance is something different. I give you Hyuuga Hanabi."

Hanabi comes out, guitar already strapped and she looks nervous, but ready to go. She starts playing quick almost angry notes, as if all she can feel is anger and frustration. Then she starts to sing with it.

 _She never slows down._  
 _She doesn't know why but she knows that when she's all alone, feels like its all coming down_  
 _She won't turn around_  
 _The shadows are long and she fears if she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down_

 _So stand in the rain_  
 _Stand your ground_  
 _Stand up when it's all crashing down_  
 _You stand through the pain_  
 _You won't drown_  
 _And one day, what's lost can be found_  
 _You stand in the rain_

 _She won't make a sound_  
 _Alone in this fight with herself and the fears whispering if she stands she'll fall down_  
 _She wants to be found_  
 _The only way out is through everything she's running from wants to give up and lie down._

 _So stand in the rain_  
 _Stand your ground_  
 _Stand up when it's all crashing down_  
 _You stand through the pain_  
 _You won't drown_  
 _And one day, what's lost can be found_  
 _You stand in the rain_

 _So stand in the rain  
_ _Stand your ground  
_ _Stand up when it's all crashing down  
_ _Stand through the pain  
_ _You won't drown  
_ _And one day, whats lost can be found_

 _So stand in the rain_  
 _Stand your ground_  
 _Stand up when it's all crashing down_  
 _You stand through the pain_  
 _You won't drown_  
 _And one day, what's lost can be found_  
 _You stand in the rain._

The crowd is once again spellbound. No one knows if this is a song she heard on the radio, or if she wrote it herself. Either way, the piece is powerful, emotional, and really captures just how desperately she wants to believe those words herself.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

The show continues for another three hours, with two breaks being planned in so everyone can stretch their legs and whatnot. All of Aya's students play at least one song, sing another, and they all take part in a short skit to show off their acting skills. Once the show's over, everyone takes turns congratulating all the performers. But said performers only truly care what Aya has to say about it – she's the one that's been teach them these skills, after all.

"Well, two surprises down, one to go." Yasu announces, and suddenly everyone files out of the room ahead of the two elder Namikis. Aya just roles her eyes, links arms with her sister once again, and they make their way back into the family sitting room. This time, there's the cake Aya smelled from earlier, smeared with chocolate icing and decorated with little puffs of pink cream. Aya can't help but smile, loving it and the thirteen candles on it.

Yoshino instructs her student to make a wish, so Aya closes her eyes and thinks... only she can't think of a single thing to wish f... her mind wanders to a certain big-boned wonder. 'I wish Akimichi Chouji would ask me on a date.' She thinks her wish clearly in her mind, blowing out the candles in one go.

Yasu hands her sister a large knife and she cuts the cake so everyone can have at least one slice. Everyone insists that Aya have the first slice, of course, so Yasu takes over and makes sure everyone gets theirs in turn.

Aya takes a bite, finding the it's a chocolate cake, with chocolate pudding smearing between layers of cake, then chocolate icing on top and strawberry flavoured cream to decorate it, and draw the 'thirteen' onto the cake's top. She moans, loving whoever made this cake for her.

Soon the cake was eaten, and everyone looks to Yasu expectantly. "Sweetie, look behind you."

Aya looks confused for a moment, before turning around and finding the other low table –the one that's usually in the visitors' sitting room– against the far wall, stacked with presents.

She hadn't even seen it. "I had it hidden under a genjutsu." Kakashi admits, a smile in his tone. He likes knowing he can still pull one over one his 'cute little students'. Naruto plops the same poofs seat Aya was in for the performance, instructing her to once again have a seat. She doesn't fight it.

Naruto takes it upon himself to bring the gifts for Aya to open, and Yasu takes the gift wrap paper and collects all of it in a large sack – to throw away later. It's quickly apparent that everyone went out of their way to get Aya the best gift they could think of. Kakashi got her a chakra conducting tanto, all pink. Yasu got her stunning pink dangly earrings and matching necklace. Yoshino got her two new kimonos, both Furisodes, one bright pink the other maroon, and both having wolves on them. Mariko got her twenty bottles of nail polish in fun colours – all bright of course. Remi got her some REALLY fancy chocolates in a heart-shaped box, teasing her that she should expect that with almost being a Valentines baby.

Chouza, as it turns out, got her Anbu styled gloves, only without the guards. They're also cotton candy pink. Aya can't help herself and asks how he managed to get anything Anbu styled in the colour pink. He just laughs and tells her that everyone has their secrets. The next gift, turns out to also be from Chouza. Three uniforms, Anbu styled, also cotton candy pink. Aya suspects someone pranked someone in Anbu with this at some point, but they're all in her size... she just doesn't know what to make of it. She can't say she doesn't love it though.

Interestingly, Shikaku had the exact same idea, only in fire engine red. So not Anbu colours. Also one pair of gloves, also three uniforms. Aya finds herself bent in half from the laughing fit that finds her. "If I ever get into Anbu, I swear I'm not wearing anything but this!"

And Hiruzen? He got her two Anbu wolf masks. One cotton candy pink, the other fire engine red. Not even Chouza and Shikaku could quite figure out how the man found out about their gifts, but Aya certain seems to be enjoying it.

Inoichi on the other hand, got her something a little more low key; by shinobi standards at least. A scroll on a kenjutsu style, requiring reverse-edged twin kodachis. The style also happens to require that the user be a earth release user. Aya simply refuses to not get up and hug the man for that kind of gift. He says it's nothing, how he'd gotten it off a Stone shinobi during the Third Shinobi War. Aya just hugs him tighter and thanks him ever more – she'd inherited her mother's hate for Stone, so that some Stone shinobi had to die for her to get this present just makes it that much nicer. Asuma presents her with five scrolls on earth release jutsu and some camouflage jutsus – also happily noting that he'd gotten them off Stone shinobi. No one seems surprised that he also gets a warm hug as thanks.

Then comes Hinata and Hanabi's gift. A HUGE, soft teddy bear in the form of a wolf. It's actually so big that Aya can cuddle in it and fall asleep. Both sisters get a teary-eyed hug for that.

Asami's gift follows. Or rather, gifts. Two large scrolls, one pretty and flimsy looking, the other a more battle-ready scroll. They bother seem to have followed the set pattern though; the battle-ready scroll is fire engine red, the flimsy one is cotton candy pink. "The pink one is more for private and personal use. It's a seal that allows you to manipulate a genjutsu to show you whatever you focus on in your mind. It's kind of like a mind reader type thing, but..." Asami explains vaguely.

"The other is a lot more practical. If you're ever in a situation where you need to transport a person incognito... that scroll has ten seals that can each hold one person in them. They can survive up to two weeks in the seal, but don't put them back inside the seal after that. Over exposure can cause psychological trauma and claustrophobia."

"Charming." Aya drones, but thinks about the possibilities nonetheless. "But this is still AWESOME!"

 _ **8-8**_

 _ **End Interlude 6**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry for those who expected the next chapter, but this is one of the set ups needed for the beginning of the Chuunin Exams. Spring begins in the next chapter. I hope you guys are ready ^_^**_

 _ **FYI! The song Hanabi sings is: Superchick** **– Stand in the rain. Not Japanese by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely something that fits both Aya and Hinata's personalities and Hanabi would know that for a fact. This is her way of tell the two music lovers, I get it, I understand what you're going through.**_

 _ **Another weird but interesting FYI! 'Ruki', is actually the Japanese word for 'Xinafoate' (it's a medical thing). Basically, this is Minori's way of telling her little brother that he's the reason she can still breathe when she otherwise shouldn't be able to.**_


	45. The next logical step

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 38 – The next logical step_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I don't care what you say, I'm not even going to _consider_ your brother as dating material."

"Kiba **isn't** dating material." Hana says, disgusted I even suggested that. The Haimaru brothers wheeze out their laughter, obviously agreeing with their partner – I don't care what the Inuzuka think, they aren't the canines' 'masters'. "I'm talking about _A_ man. I don't understand why you would choose to live under a rock because the one you had your heart set on is too much of a boy to consider for another few years."

I sigh, annoyed I even have to bring this up. "I'm not against the idea, Hana. But… do you know how hard it is to find a man among the boys in this village?"

"Of course I know. I'm still single." She drones. We share a laugh, even though we're annoyed with the idiots around here.

"What about Aomaru? You two seem pretty close."

"Yeah, but no." I'm not outing him just to explain this. "And don't even suggest Naru-nii."

"Incest doesn't seem like your thing." Point, but I'm just making sure. "What about Lee? You two have been sparring at least twice a week for months."

"Yeah? I spar with you just as often. Should I be asking you out on a date?" I tease her. We share a laugh again.

"Meh. Probably better to just focus on your training for now then. I mean, you've got time." Hana says, laying her hand on my arm for emotional support. It's hard to argue with her, I'm only thirteen!

"That's the plan." I say. "If I happen to find a guy that's worth it along the way, so be it." My heart's not in the words though. No matter what pretty little lies I tell myself, I still want Akimichi-san to come and sweep me off my feet.

Now if only he'd get with the program and come do it!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Alright, team. Chuunin exams are starting within the week. I've nominated you guys. And I bet a lot of money that you're going to turn a lot of heads during these exams. Do not let me down." Captain, you are such a…

"When, where." I drone, trying not to get too much into this newest form of insanity. He hands us each a form, eye-smiling.

"Friday, nine AM. Further details are in the form. You'll need to be in top form. That means no more training this week." I snort. He can't honestly believe that just because team training gets cancelled that we'll not train all week? "Yes, Aya, you will be forbidden to train. We have a meeting with Hokage-sama in two hours to explain why."

That… makes no sense. We need to take the exams, but Hokage-dono has something to say about this?

"Why do I get the feeling both you and Hokage-dono are betting on our rotten luck for running into rogue shinobi?" Naru-nii takes the words right out of my mouth. Almost literally. He's picking on me again. I elbow him to let him know I noticed. "Oi! What'd I say about attacking a fellow clan head?"

"To do it more often?" I offer a cheesy grin, just to get under his skin. He narrows his eyes at me, unimpressed.

"Anyway. Just because you cannot train, doesn't mean you cannot do research." Captain changes the subject. "I want the three of you out in the village, observing the international victims that are coming for you to stomp on."

"Captain… please don't. I'm the one that has to try keeping these two in line." Sasuke drones, not like Captain's wording in the least.

"Ha! Like you could!" Naru-nii waves him off. They share a look. One's annoyed, the other's amused. I just laugh at the two of them.

"Anyway. Keep in mind. Two hours, Hokage's office. Now go out into the village and start seeing who's the bigger fish in these exams. Shoo." Captain did not just shoo me out of my own home! Seeing the teasing smile in his eye though, I think he did.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 **#Small fry.#** I sign to Naru-nii. He snorts, agreeing with me. That Waterfall team is likely to trip over their own two feet and right off a cliff.

 **#Big fish.#** Sasuke signs, his eyes focused in another direction. I tap him and motion for him to lead. Naru-nii and I are right behind him.

"You little snot nosed brat! Watch where you're going!" I hear. Some walking corpse grabs Konohamaru by the collar, lifting him into the air.

 **#Wolf. I'll go.#** Naru-nii signs, knowing I'd just kill the idiot. He drops down, confronting the Sand idiot wearing a cat suit and too much makeup. From the scent, I can tell the blonde with four ponytails behind him is his sister. But… it's another one, their little brother, that catches my attention. He's hiding in the tree not too far from the scene. He smells of sand and blood. A lot of blood.

 **#That's the big fish.#** Sasuke signs, nodding to the redhead trying to stay concealed. Judging from his scent, he has mid jounin chakra levels and no regard for life.

 **#Jinchuuriki.#** I sign to Sasuke. It's the only thing that makes sense. The boy's younger than us, almost as strong –chakra wise– as Naru-nii, uncaring for life and bathes in blood regularly. Not that Naru-nii is uncaring for life or bathes in blood regularly, but if Sasuke and I hadn't been there for him? If the village continued to be reject and hate him? He could have easily turned into a raving lunatic. No doubt about it.

 **#Affirmative. One-tail.#** He signs back. I look at his eyes, seeing his Sharingan swirling angrily.

 **#You can identify them?#** I wonder. That's REALLY a useful skill to have.

 **#I can.#** He doesn't go into details. I'm soooooooo bugging this boy later to get actual details! You can't just tell me that and don't tell me details!

The redhead body flickers down behind his siblings. I don't need to be asked for backup in this situation, so I body flicker behind Naru-nii.

"You alright, Kono-chan?" I ask the obviously shaken boy. He looks up at me, tears in his eyes, but he nods and acts tough anyway. I place a hand on his shoulder to let him know I'm here, before turning my full attention to the Sand trio before us.

"You embarrass our village, Kankuro. Pull a stunt like this again, and I'll kill you both." The redhead intones, his tone constantly hovering just above the insanity below the surface.

"Yo, One. Relax. You're brother just got overexcited." I say, getting all three of their undivided attention. "What, are you going to deny that's your brother?"

"You intrigue me." The redhead intones, his pupiless teal eyes focused on me. I think he's also trying to bath me in killing intent, but I've faced too many opponents to be rattled by it. "What is your name?"

"Namiki Aya. This is Uzumaki Naruto. And the lazy one waiting for you to do something stupid is Uchiha Sasuke." I don't need to hear Sasuke's annoyed huff or 'hnn' to know he's annoyed with me. You just know after spending almost every waking moment with a person. "Who are you?"

"Gaara." He says, his eyes never leaving mine. I wait for the other two to be introduced. Nothing happens.

"And they are?"

"Unimportant." Gaara intones.

"Temari. This is Kankuro." The blonde answers, earning an annoyed glance from Gaara.

"Good. Let me make this clear. If any of you three step out of line again, I'll be the one coming after your heads." I tell them plainly.

"Why you little-"

"Kankuro. You just attacked the grandson of our Hokage." I glare at the idiot that should, logically, be dead. "More importantly. He's also part of our pack."

"Pack? What are you a dog?"

 **Shhhing!**

"Say that again." I dare him, my new tanto unsheathed and ready to start claiming bounties. Oh yes, these three already have some nice bounties on them. Gaara especially. Nearly three-million Ryou.

"Oi. Idiot. She's a wolf. Wolves and dogs shouldn't be compared to one another." Sasuke explains, having just body flickered behind me and placing a hand on my should to tell me to calm down. "Or should I compare you to a girl for playing with dolls and makeup?"

Kankuro groans, not happy with that at all.

"Exactly. Now run along." Sasuke waves him off as if he doesn't matter. I resheathe my tanto, understanding that Sasuke is saying that this isn't worth getting trouble over.

"Oi, Gaara." Naru-nii calls to the redhead. "I don't know your story. But I share a similar tale."

Gaara's eyes bore into Naru-nii's. "You are nine."

Naru-nii nods seriously. "So understand that if you harm so much as one of my precious people while in this village… I will kill you and everything you hold dear. Do you understand?"

Gaara snorts. "Then you'd only have to kill me." He intones, disappearing in a spray of sand. With Gaara gone, I turn to Kono-chan, hugging him tightly to let him know that everything's alright. I don't blame him for crying.

"Naru-nii, we should get him out of here." I say, picking up the shaken boy and letting him cry it out in peace.

"… I don't get you." Temari (I think) says, obviously shocked. "If he's anything like Gaara, why would you…?"

"Naruto is **nothing** like your brother." Sasuke says, his shoulders tense to show he's ready to beat the snot out of the girl for talking smack about Naru-nii. I'm not against it. "They share a similar burden. Nothing more."

"Nii-san, come on. We need to report in." I say, placing a hand on his arm to remind him that I'm here for him.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We enter Hokage-dono's office, finding Asami there reporting about something to do with some sealing array. I don't even pretend I can understand the complexity of the seals she can make.

"Kono-chan!" She's at my side in a heartbeat, stroking her nephew's hair and looking to me for an explanation. After all, it isn't often he lets someone carry him.

"He's physically fine." That doesn't comfort anyone, but it's true. "We ran into Sand's jinchuuriki. Their mentally unstable jinchuuriki."

Asami takes Konohamaru from me, holding him protectively.

"I see." Hokage-dono says, not liking where this is going. I take my time to report every detail, including Sasuke's mysterious ability to identify the tailed beast contained within. I also very carefully explain that the boy has to regard for life, not even his siblings. "That they sent a jinchuuriki, let alone an obvious sociopath … what Jiraiya's spy network has uncovered must be true."

No one interrupts. The man is obviously coming up with a plan.

"Sasuke, Naruto, Aya. Our enemies draw near. It's time to take off the kiddie gloves." Sasuke's tossed a scroll. "That scroll contains details on every team that applied for these exams. I want the three of you to check each and every team and determine who might be a bigger threat. I want estimates of chakra levels, suspected fraudulent entries, everything. You three have permission to do whatever it takes. Even if that means assassinations. You will report directly to Kakashi. He will keep me up to date on anything that needs my attention. Is that understood?"

" **Yes, sir!** " We answer as one.

"For the time being this will be considered an A-rank mission. Be careful. With your luck during missions it could end up being your first S-rank." I snort, amused and agreeing with him. "I expect a full report on any and all plausible threats before the start of the first exam. And I expect you three to keep your eyes wide open during the exams as well. Kakashi, you are to give them a means to contact you directly at all times. Asami, you will be their support from the shadows."

Both of them nod seriously.

"Naruto. I am giving you a… unique mission on top of this." Hokage-dono is talking a little too carefully for my liking.

"Sir?"

"You have a way of getting to people. I want you to try to get to these threats, neutralize them by converting them from enemy to ally. If you cannot, it will fall to Aya and Sasuke to use any other means." Naru-nii doesn't sound happy with that. At all.

"Sir, that's… just wrong."

"I know that. But look at the bigger picture here. They send a jinchuuriki into our village, one that is mentally unstable and does not value life. They are planning something. Something big. I feel it's safe to say we're facing a possible invasion." Hokage-dono lays it all out. "They aren't playing by the rules, Naruto. Neither will we. If you want to save lives, convert them. If you cannot, then save lives by ending the threat. Do you understand?"

Naruto-nii doesn't like it, but he nods understanding it at least. Better to end the life of one foreign shinobi, than risk the lives of ten of your comrades. But Naru-nii's never liked killing. That usually falls to me.

"Good. I request that Konohamaru stay with you for the time being. With everything I will have to prepare for, I don't want to spare the extra manpower to keep him out of trouble."

"I understand." I say, nodding. I wonder about asking to have Team Maki help us, but I quickly decide against it. They are strong, but this is too much for them.

"From here on out, you will be codenamed Team Xi. Asami will be your team leader, and you will still report directly to Kakashi of Team Rho." Why does Captain look so pleased to hear that? "Kakashi you will inform the members of Team Rho and Team Xi what this means. And you will maintain a cover as ' _Team Seven_ 's jounin sensei." I blink. Why do I get the feeling this will be more trouble than it's worth?

"Aya. What is Maki's current medical status?" Hokage-dono is checking all his resources, huh?

"Not in any state to be of help. She gets tired after walking around for two hours."

"I understand. Please keep her out of sight, just like Konohamaru. And I would advise the same for Hyuuga Hanabi as well. We do not want to leave room for any incidents." I nod, agreeing with him fully. "Have Zabuza and Haku report to me immediately. And Kakashi, you are to warn Kurenai and Asuma about this threat. If they do not feel their team can handle it, they are to immediately pull them from the exam. Dismissed."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Team Xi. Team captain, Asami, codenamed 'Frog'. Second in command, Sasuke. An Anbu team. Ca… Kakashi explained that we aren't full Anbu yet, we still have a lot of training to do before we're allowed to take the entrance exam, but… for the time being our skills will be needed to deal with a threat to our territory.

So, once we're marked with special seals that allow us to communicate with each other, and Kakashi, we're ordered into the village to start the mission. We check each and ever team we encounter. The Cloud teams. The Star teams. The Grass teams – I point out that one of them is an Uzumaki, which Nii-san confirms. The Valleys teams. The… Sound teams? I didn't know there was a Sound Village? The Sand Teams. The Waterfall teams…

 **#Jinchuuriki.#** The three of us sign at the same time. The green-haired, orange-eyed kunoichi from Waterfall is obviously a jinchuuriki. And judging from the company she keeps, she's with three jounins. Two of them are pretending to be genin.

 **#Seven-tails.#** Sasuke signs. Naru-nii and I nod. The 'jounin-sensei' takes off, and the three 'genins' head to Ichirakus. Hmm. **#We intercept. We talk. Nonviolence.#**

I study the jinchuuriki. Dark tan, so she spends a lot of time outside in the sunlight. White, sleeveless midriff top, mesh armour under it. Orange hairclip. White 'hanging sleeves', with her Waterfall headband on right (I think) bicep. Mesh armour shorts and what looks like a white, wrap-around skirt with high slits… which just makes me wonder why she'd wear it in the first place. There's also a cylinder she carries wrapped in a red cloth on her back. I have no idea what it's for or what it does. And let's not forget the white ankle length shinobi sandals – as opposed to the standard blue and knee length.

The three of them sit together, with the green-haired one in the middle. They are here to guard her. There's only on free seat to the left of them and two to the right of them. Naru-nii and I go for the right two seats, but I'm the one that sits next to Waterfall 'genin'.

"Oi! It's good to see you three again! What'll you have?" Teuchi greets us, smiling warmly. We order something, and Naru-nii orders like six of that something – we can't have him appear different to Teuchi after all.

While he's busy with that. I get busy with this. "So. Seven, huh?" I sense the nervousness of the three to my right. "Any reason why you're here?"

"Oi, kid. Buzz off. We're just here to eat." The 'genin next to me tries.

"You enter a foreign village presenting and registering as a genin, with a jinchuuriki that isn't registered as such. Do you really expect me to believe you came here to eat?" I drone. Smiling at Teuchi when he brings us our tea. "You can either explain the situation to me and my teammates, or you can make an international incident of it and explain it to T&I."

"Kegon. Relax. They have every right to ask." The jinchuuriki says, speaking in what most would consider 'boy-speak'. I can smell that she's a girl though. So I can't help but wonder at the oddity. "What's your name?"

"Namiki Aya. These are my teammates, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. And you are?"

"Fuu. Just Fuu. These are Kegon and Yourou." Fuu introduces her team. "I asked Shibuki-sama to enter the exams. I wasn't aware he didn't tell Konoha about me beforehand. I assure you, I'll speak to your Hokage and correct this."

"You'd never get a meeting with him. Foreign jinchuuriki meeting with the Hokage…?" Sasuke drones. "We'll explain the situation. But that does mean that you will have to be watched while here. Will that be a problem?"

"That depends if those watching me have an issue with my kind." Fuu says, sounding defeated, withdrawn… sad.

Naru-nii snorts. "Something wrong with 'your kind'?" He asks, his temper flaring up.

"Naru-nii, she probably isn't used to people accepting her." I soothe, my hand on his arm to calm him down. "She doesn't mean it like that." He huffs, but doesn't comment.

"Hnn? 'Ey, blondie. What's your story?" Fuu asks, eyeing him closer than I like.

"I'm nine." Is all Naru says. Her eyes widen with shock, then she looks to me and how I'm glaring at her, daring her to say something stupid.

"Hnn. If your team is will to watch me. I won't complain." Fuu says.

"That's not our call to make." Sasuke informs her. "We'll discuss it. When we know, you'll know."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We're immediately shown into Hokage-dono's office, and Hokage-dono dismisses his 'company' saying that he'll expect a detailed report… on whatever they were talking about. Once that person leaves, Sasuke signs that we have grave news. Hokage-dono nods seriously, casting –what I assume is– a privacy jutsu.

"Waterfall also sent a jinchuuriki. The seven-tails. She claims she is here on her request. But her two teammates are both jounin, and she obviously doesn't trust them. They are professional enough to not treat her unkind, but they keep a very careful social distance to from." Sasuke gives it all in one go.

"I see. Naruto, what are the odds that you might convince this girl to join Konoha?" My eyes widen in shock. Steal a jinchuuriki from an allied village? Aya, you don't 'steal' people… "Aya, they lied about three applicants, and could well be a part of the invasion Jiraiya confirms is immanent. That is a felony at best. At worst it's a breech of international Chuunin Exams law and could very well cost them their alliance with every village should this get out. If they don't like it, they shouldn't play the game." Point. I nod.

"Pretty good. Fuu took one look at how Aya is with me and is willing to let us monitor her while she's here. I would advise that she be placed in our custody, without her team." Naru-nii explains. "Aya, would you trust me enough to let her stay with us?"

I eye Naru-nii… I wonder about that. I don't trust Fuu, not in the least. I don't know her, have barely interacted with her, and can't say I could predict anything she does. But he isn't asking that. He's asking me if I trust _him_ enough for this. "If she sneezes the wrong way…" I warn him. He smiles, massaging my lower back.

"Thank you." He says, meaning it. "Hokage-sama, with your permission, we will track down Fuu and have her detained in our home until further notice. Please let us know what you want us to do."

"Have Kakashi escort Fuu's team here, tell them that they are to report with an explanation." Hokage-dono says, his eyes harder than I've ever seen them. I shiver, feeling sorry for the idiots that lied to him.

"Will do, old man. See ya!"

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Kakashi knocks on the door to Fuu's motel room. The 'jounin-sensei' opens up, asking what's going on. I don't blame him for being cautious, considering two full teams are in front of him. Team Rho –Kakashi, some weird looking guy named Tenzo, a purple haired woman name Yuugao… and Anko, who I'm ignoring– are in front, the 'first line of defence'. Team Xi, is mostly just here for Fuu anyway.

"Fuu." I speak up, catching her attention from deeper in the motel room. "You will come with us. My team and I will take care of you." Fuu walks right past the jounin, and towards us. All four members of Team Rho make space to show they are not here to get in her way.

"Where are we going?" Fuu asks, looking to Naruto-nii and I.

"You'll see when we get there." I answer, motioning for her to follow. She doesn't even blink. We start walking down the hall towards the stairs to leave.

"You three will come with us. Hokage-sama wants a word with you."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We walk around town for a bit, mostly just picking up a few things Yasu-nee asked us to get. The friendly faces that greet us get introduced to Fuu. Those that are less friendly get glared into an early grave.

We almost make it to our street before curiosity gets the better of Fuu. "You know, I don't understand. Why are you so protective of Naruto?"

"Because he's part of the pack." I say like it's obvious. "You aren't, but Naru-nii asked."

"Asked what? And why does this look like a residential area? Where are we going?" Fuu isn't worried, exactly, but she _is_ curious.

"You'll be staying with us for the time being. With our pack, our families." I answer, but my gaze quickly becomes a glare. "Please do not give me a reason to become defensive."

She stares at me, shocked to her core. "I don't understand. You don't trust me."

I snort, agreeing completely. "No, I don't. But like I said, Naru-nii asked. I trust **him**."

Fuu nods, wondering about that. We make it to the gate, so I cut my right thumb and smear some blood on the seal, opening the gate and letting the others in. I grab Fuu by her arm, gently enough to let her know she isn't being attacked.

"My sisters are beyond this gate. My brothers are beyond this gate. Everything I hold dear will be within your reach." I explain seriously. "I will kill you the second I feel you are a threat to them. Do you understand?"

She smiles. Not just with an upward curl of her lips, but with her eyes. "I understand." She says simply. I nod, letting go of her arm and inviting her into our home. I close the gate behind me, walking up to the front door. Naruto is the one to slide it open, already announcing that we're home.

Haku comes to greet us, a serious look in her eyes. "Welcome home. Aya, I was hoping to speak with you about Team Maki." I nod, taking off my shinobi sandals and placing them neatly.

"I'll do the introductions. You know Yasu-nee wouldn't be happy if we don't introduce Fuu the second she enters the house." Naru-nii says, rubbing the back of his head. He's probably worried how I'll react to that.

"Sasuke?"

"I'll go with them." Sasuke assures me. I nod. We enter the hall, and I'm immediately glomped by Saki-chan. She starts going on and on about something I can't quite make out.

"Sis, calm down. I can't understand a word you're saying." I tell her seriously.

"Oh… uh, sorry, Aya-nee. I was saying how Kono-kun and Hanabi just told me they'll be staying home for a while, and how they've been helping me with that kunai kata you showed them, ya know! Who's this?" Saki looks to Fuu, her eyes blinking a few times as she studies the tomboy.

"Namiki Sakiko, Fuu. Fuu, my little sister, Saki… She's going to be staying with us for a while, sis." I explain. "Say hello."

"Oh, sorry. Good afternoon, Fuu-san. It's nice to meet you, ya know! I'm sorry to be rude, but I really need to get back to my training, ya know?" She bows politely to our guest, before running down the hall again and disappearing into the kitchen. What is she doing in the kitchen exactly?

"Don't worry, sis. I'll find out what the brat's up to." Naru-nii assures me with an amused smile. I nod, motioning for Haku to come with me.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Haku and all four members of Team Maki join me in my office. Maki, being the stubborn woman she is, had been training all morning, and is wiped out because of it. She's sitting in the chair in front of me, while everyone else stands around her.

"Haku. You wished to speak to me?" I begin, eyeing Maki carefully. She looks pale, so I guess she's been using her chakra as well as whatever physical exercise she'd tried.

"Yes. Hokage-sama has asked me to lead a small team during a… mission in the near future. I don't have the details, but I've been asked to select three people I would trust with my life. With your permission, I would choose these three."

"I see." Aomaru, Minori and Haruki look proud, excited, to be trusted like that. "You wish to take over their training in order to prepare for said mission."

"Yes." Haku says with a nod. I think about that. Is there any reason why they shouldn't be able to take part in this mission? No, not really. They're in excellent health and they've been training hard since placed in my care. I sigh, not liking it.

"I have no reason to stand in your way." I say honestly, not liking the wince from Minori and Haruki. "I would prefer it if you were to ask Naruto-nii for his permission though. He's just as protective of these three as I am." I smell Naruto-nii and Fuu coming this way.

"Aya, I assure you we are only going to take a sideline role in this." Haku says, trying to keep the description of the mission she knows is coming as vague as she can.

"I don't care. I won't be there to protect them, nor will my team. That makes me nervous." I explain as honestly as I dare. "I know you care for them, but…"

"I understand. I assure you, I-"

"It isn't about what you say, Haku." I cut her off, not interested in her promises and assurances. "I don't have a lot of precious people, so I'm sure you can understand that I'm careful with them."

"Of course I do." Haku says, her eyes showing how deeply my words affect her. "They mean the world to me as well. I will let nothing happen to them. Not so long as I still breathe."

"You are included in that statement. You need to come back in once piece as well." I remind her. "Come in, Naru-nii." I say, before they even have to knock. The door slides open, revealing the two I knew would be there.

"Hey, sis. You really need to relax, you know." I sigh, but don't comment. "Anyway, Yasu-nee said Fuu's sleeping in with her. She wants to teach Fuu about a million little things I don't even want to pretend I understand anything about."

I rub my forehead, already feeling a headache building.

"I can always leave…" Fuu offers, looking guilty and obviously feeling horrible about this.

"I heard that!" Yasu-nee announces from wherever she is.

I sigh. A long, drawn out, feeling-like-an-old-woman sigh. I'm not going to like the coming months. Every bone in my body is confirming this. And every nerve in my skull is only reinforcing it.

"If you leave, Fuu, Yasu-nee will never forgive me. I'm sorry." I excuse myself, going through the visitors' sitting room and out into the backyard. I plop onto the porch, exhausted and frustrated.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I'm lucky that everyone respects that I need some time alone. Minori's the one that comes out to call me for dinner. She finds me in the exact same spot I was when I came out here. Staring at the exact same patch of grass. Worrying about the exact same thing.

"Yasu-nee says she's sorry about this." Minori says, sitting down beside me.

"Liar." I say, snorting. "She believes she's doing the right thing. She'd never do this otherwise, and she certainly wouldn't apologize for it."

We sit in silence for a bit. I don't know what has her quiet, but… I'm just trying to not freak out right now. "I fought too hard for too long to keep people out." The words just fall off my tongue. I don't want to say this, I don't want to talk about this, I just want this stupid problem to go away. I want people to understand that I don't cope well with suddenly having someone I don't trust in our den, in our home… with everyone and everything I hold dear to me.

And what does Yasu-nee do? The person that knows my deeply seeded distrust of anything that breathes? She arranges for Fuu to sleep in her room. Where…

I sigh. My forehead throbbing from the headache that's been slowly building since I got here.

"Is there something Fuu did?" Minori asks. "Something to make you distrust her?"

"No." I say, blushing and looking away.

"Then why did you trust us so easily?" She asks.

I snort. "What makes you think I trusted you easily?" That brings her up short. "I was able to study you in neutral territory for days. I knew who you were before you even had half a clue about me."

I stare into the pond, wondering if we should work on expanding that now or if it can be put off for another few months.

"So this is Yasu-nee's way of telling you it's time to get over that?" Minori wonders. That would be my guess, yes. I nod. "But isn't that paranoia towards anything unfamiliar healthy for a shinobi?"

I snort again. "Explain that to a civilian." Minori rolls her eyes. "Yasu-nee is gifted. With how she deals with people, how she manages to trust anyone after what I can only guess she's been through. But… she's never been put into situations we deal with regularly."

"… I understand, Aya. I really do. But… sitting here and moping about it. How is that helping?"

"I don't mope." I counter.

"You're moping." I glare at her dully, unimpressed with her 'determination'. "You are."

"…" The dreaded silent treatment. Fear it!

"You know… if you'll only feel better after studying a person that gets close to your pack… wouldn't it make more sense to be inside studying Fuu so you can say for certain that you can trust her around your precious people?"

Stupid people and their stupid logic. Stop slapping my well founded fears with your stupid logic!

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 38_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I'm actually surprised this ended up being so short. Sure, I wanted to add in another few scenes with Gaara, but they wouldn't add anything to this chapter. Especially seeing as Aya's having a hard enough time coping with Fuu being in her home, and Haku asking for Aomaru, Minori and Haruki to be on her team for... reasons? Sure, Aya assumes it's for the invasion, but she doesn't know. And either way, this would mean that they aren't 'under her protection'. That's really doing horrible things with her fears._**

 ** _Just an FYI. Aya isn't all powerful. She just believes in a childish notion that she can protect people by keeping them locked away._**


	46. Perspective: Love vs Hate

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 39 – Perspective: Love vs Hate_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Sweetie, I feel like heading out into the village for some shopping. Care to join me?" Yasu-nee asks, leaning slightly into my office.

"So, you want to start socializing Fuu and you figure dragging me along to teach me to play nice is two birds with one stone?" I theorize. I still roll up the scroll I've been studying, seeing no harm to giving in to my big sister.

"Now that you mention it, that sounds like a wonderful idea. I'll go tell her she's tagging along." Yasu-nee smiles brightly, acting like that wasn't the plan the whole time. "Ooh! I should bring Naruto and Sasuke as well. And Asami, just to be sure. After all, we wouldn't want Fuu to feel isolated, would we?"

I find myself giggling at Yasu-nee's obvious plan. And that she controls the food in this house, so she knows she controls everyone that eats. And shinobis eat a lot!

I hate that she's doing this. But at the same time…

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We find ourselves in a quaint little music store. Kami-sama, Yasu-nee just loves teasing me like this. I want so badly to go through the sheet music, try to find new pieces for either myself or my students. I want to ogle the flutes and that awesome looking electric guitar for Hanabi – I don't know why, but I just think it would suit her. She's quite the rebel when she wants to be.

But at the same time, I want to study Fuu and stay between her and Yasu-nee. I look to my sister; the conflict is probably obvious in my eyes, seeing as she's smiling at me. We both know she's doing this on purpose, to show me that she isn't worried, that she feels perfectly safe around Fuu. I know, I understand… but my fears don't care.

"Come on, Aya, I think I see some flute sheet music." Asami links arms with me, dragging me along. I sigh mutely, hating and loving this for sooooo many reasons. Still, I know Yasu-nee will just do something worse just to prove her point. This seems like the lesser evil.

"You play the shinobue?" I look up from the sheet music I'm sorting through, finding Fuu there with a subdued look on her face.

"Nn." I noise, looking back down. "A hiyashi styled shinobue. Most of my students do as well. Only Udon plays the koto – the thirteen strings one. And Hanabi plays the guitar."

"Ah." Fuu seems unsure what to do with that information.

"Yeah." I don't know how I know, but I just know that Yasu-nee sent her over here to talk to me. I just know it. "I've been teaching them sound release. So all of them need to learn to sing, play an instrument and other unique tricks to make the sounds they need."

"Sound release… I thought that was only used in the Land of Rice Patties?" She smiles a little, even though she's confused. I can only guess she's happy I'm trying to help the conversation along.

"I wouldn't know. I found a book on it and I'm pretty much Konoha's most proficient user. I've been teaching pretty much everyone in our pack. But I think Hina-nee and Naru-nii are the second and third best. Those two can be scary when they want to be." I explain. "Lucky! Stairway To Heaven! Oh my Kami! Hanabi's going to freak when she sees this!"

"Huh… I can't say I've ever heard of that." Fuu looks confused.

"It's classic Rock. It's pretty popular in some circles, but anyone that plays a guitar should know how to play this song." She looks even more confused. "As in Rock and Roll? Well, more Soft Rock if you ask me, but most definitely in that genre."

"I see." No she doesn't. Hmm, they also have 'Snow' for Udon. It's a pretty playful piece, I find. I think he'd like it.

"You really like music, don't you." Fuu seems amused.

"I love music." I correct, my right index finger raised and 'tapping the air' when I say 'love' to add meaning to it. "Ooh! Princess Sayuka's theme! The part for the koto! I could soooooo do a duet with Udon now!"

I collect the sheets I want, going over them a few times and thinking about the pros and cons. Yes, I like my selection. We're soooo not leaving these here to 'hope' that they're still here another time! Most of the time you have to get lucky and happen onto it.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After the music store, Yasu-nee decides she wants to go to another store. A shinobi outfitter, of all places. "I was thinking about getting Saki-chan a uniform to train in. Kami knows how hard a time I have keeping her clothes clean with how she trains." Makes sense, so we all follow her in.

"But… wouldn't it make more sense if she's here to try it on?" I mention, just as we start looking into things that are about her size. "I mean, she's the one that has to wear it."

"Good point. Naru-chan, would you mind collecting her and bringing her here then?" Yasu-nee is really something else sometimes. "Actually… no, Aya-chan, you going makes more sense. No one would open the gate."

"Point. Alright, I'll be right back." I sta-

"Fuu, would you mind going with her? I'm sure Aya can manage just fine on her own, but company always makes the journey pleasant."

"Yasu-nee… you're just… so you." I manage, shaking my head and smiling.

"Of course, sweetie. Who else would I be?" She smiles brightly, shooing us with a motion of her hands. I roll my eyes, but can't stop smiling at the same time.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

That's pretty much how the whole day went. Yasu-nee would come up with new reasons why Fuu and I have to do something together, and she would stay with Naru-nii, Sasa-nee and Sasuke. Each time, Fuu tries to strum up a conversation, but just doesn't know what to say… which means I have to mostly keep the conversation going myself.

I sigh, rolling my eyes. Fuu wants to make friends, I can tell just looking at her. The hopeful longing in her eyes each time we're alone. The way she fumbles each time tells me she doesn't have a lot of friends.

I sigh again, sheathing my tanto after sharpening it and oiling it properly. "It's time." Asami says. I nod, knowing that she's right. It is time. And we need to deal with this sooner rather than later.

Still, confronting a sociopath isn't something I look forward to. Let alone in the dead of night. But, this is simply easier. Hogake-dono said that this person doesn't sleep, so confronting him while his team sleeps is easier.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Finding this particular Sand team is so easy it's almost sad. But… maybe the fact that Asami doesn't know any sensory jutsu is worse? Naru-nii already told her that he'll be training her to make sure she can keep up with her team. What has she been training in then?

Whatever. Gaara. Crazy, unstable, psychotic sociopath that would happily kill us. Focus.

I smell Temari and Kankuro, along with their jounin-sensei –Baki, I believe– in their hotel room. Typical that they wouldn't stoop down to taking a motel room, but what did I expect? Three children of the current Kazekage, they're likely used to the best and nothing but.

Gaara, it seems, doesn't care that his team is fast asleep and probably counting on him to stand watch. He's on the roof, alone. So we make our way up to the roof, careful to keep our distance, but still come close enough to let him know we're here.

"Come to kill me already." The redhead drones. He's sitting on the line where the two slants of the roof meet, staring up at the stars as if nothing else matters.

"Come to talk." Asami corrects. "I'm Sarutobi Asami. I'm told you already know Sasuke, Naruto and Aya?"

"Two nines. How odd." Gaara intones. "It would seem Mother was right, this village is teeming with snacks."

I growl at him, feeling my whole face morph slightly to resemble a wolf's true don't-you-dare-threaten-my-pack growl. My every muscle tenses, ready to pounce and turn this idiot into minced meat.

"Aya." Naru-nii wraps an arm around my middle, both to hold me back and calm me down.

"Odd." Gaara says, his tone more thoughtful than crazy. "She knows what you are, but I've never seen her be anything but defensive of you."

"Aya's like a little sister to me." Is all Naru-nii says.

"And the redhead?" Gaara seems so lost tonight for some reason. What is that boy's story?

"Can't a guy have more than one sister?" Naru-nii sounds amused. "Heck, I've got what… seven sisters and five brothers. Jeez, we've really got a strong pack going, eh, sis?" I snort, amused. Yeah, we kind of do.

"I'm assuming a certain ray of sunshine isn't one of your sisters?" Asami guesses, no doubt referring to Hinata. I smile, blushing for Naru-nii. He just rubs the back of his head, slightly embarrassed.

"It'd be kinda weird if I thought of _her_ as my sister, wouldn't it?" Yeah, it would. The three of us shrug. No point in arguing when we all know he's right.

"You have bonds. You must be weaker than Mother believes." Gaara says dismissively.

"Oh." Asami says, walking up to Gaara slowly. "What makes you say that?"

He doesn't answer. He doesn't lash out either. He's just… sitting there.

"You know, it's weird." Asami says, looking up at the stars. "I never knew loneliness. I was always surrounded by people that care for me, always looked after. Anything I wanted, I was given."

Naru-nii tenses slightly. He doesn't like to talk about it, but I know Asami's upbringing is still a sore point between them.

"But I've never had bonds as tight, as unbreakable, as Naruto has with his precious people." Asami says, longingly. "I used to be so jealous of Naruto-kun. Of his relationship with Aya." She mumbles something that I could swear sounds like 'I still am.'

"Your point?" Gaara demands impatiently.

"What is it with guys and needing everything to have a point? Isn't talking reason enough?" Asami teases, but sounds a bit annoyed as well. She sighs, and shrugs it off. "How typical that you won't listen to anything other than a strong opponent. Jeez, I swear guys would turn the entire planet into a warzone."

Gaara doesn't answer once again.

"Fine, be that way. We'll just have to beat some sense into you. Naruto, Sasuke, Aya. When you meet up with this one during the exams, be sure to beat the snot out of him for me. Alright?"

"Why are you including me in this?" I ask, annoyed. I tend to avoid psychopaths and sociopaths. After all, I don't need another psycho stealing my thunder, and sociopaths are just weird.

"Aya, we're included. Doesn't that drag you into it?" Sasuke asks, smirking. I roll my eyes, but don't comment. "Hmm, maybe we should make all the chocolate in the village disappear." An unmedicated psycho! Are you crazy!?

I growl at him, daring him to try.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

And so, Thursday arrives. One more day before the exams start. And what am I doing? Training to prepare for the unknown? No, of course not. I'd been forbidden to train. Instead, I'm dragging Sakiko all over the village, trying to find her some ramen. Naru-nii seems to have plundered the whole village, so there isn't any anywhere.

"You know what? Forget it. I'm taking you to IchiRaku's." I tell her after the tenth convenience store clerk tells me some blonde guy bought their whole stock two days ago. I swear, if IchiRaku's is out of Ramen, I'm killing that boy.

"Good afternoon, Aya, Saki. I haven't seen you two around at all lately. How have you been?" Ayame-san welcomes us warmly.

"I was here with my team a few days ago, but Teuchi said you needed the afternoon off?" I study her as I take my seat. She blushes lightly and looks away. A date, huh? Well that's good. I wonder who the lucky guy is? Unless… she's into girls? I don't know, and it's really none of my business.

"What would you two like to have today?" She changes the subject, like I figured she would.

"Beef!" Saki announces happily. I pet her hair, trying to get her to calm down a little.

"I think I'll have the miso. And some tea please."

"Father! One beef and one miso ramen please!" Ayame calls out, her voice almost singing.

"One beef, one miso! Got it!" He calls back merrily. These two always seem to be like this, like this show is part of the meal for their customers. I don't get it, but I've never worked in a restaurant – or any kind of eatery, really.

"What kind of tea would you two like? We have oolong, jasmine, eucalyptus, rose petal and desert cactus bloom." She recites from memory.

"Ooh, Aya-nee, can I try the rose petal? That sounds too good not to try just once, ya know!" Saki begs, giving me the puppy eyes and all.

"Alright, two rose petal teas it is." I give in. I see no reason not to, I mean the flavour we pick isn't exactly a big deal.

"Ah, two lovely ladies ordering a most youthful tea." I smelled Lee coming, of course, but I didn't really expect him and his team to pass this direction. "Good afternoon, Aya-kun, Saki-chan. How are you on this glorious day?"

I smile patiently. Lee is just one of those people that you either love or hate. There is no middle ground. I should know, I've been trying to tolerate him for months. "We're doing alright, Lee. And you?"

"I am very much excited about tomorrow. Surely you are entering the exams as well?" He asks, still standing there. I pat the empty seat next to me, and he joins without a word.

"Of course." I give Lee and Ayame the time they need to go through the usual chitchat, Lee eventually decides he wants a beef ramen, and of course Saki has to announce that Lee made the right choice – simply because he ordered the same thing as her.

"I was wondering, Aya-kun. We've been sparring regularly for months now." Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. Ayame-san pretends she has something she needs to check in the back, 'giving us some privacy'.

"… Yes?"

"Would you honour me by joining me for dinner tonight?"

"Ehhhhhh! Lee-san! You're asking Aya-nee on a d-d-date!?" Thank you, Sakiko. Could you maybe say that a little louder? I don't think people in Cloud Village heard you.

"…" I turn, seeing Ino and her team walking up to us. I can tell by their troubled looks that they heard Saki-chan. Akimichi-san looks like he'd seen a ghost, so pale. You don't want other boys asking me out, but you won't do it yourself? Hnn! "That would be lovely, Lee. Pick me up at six?"

"I will do so, Aya-chan!" Lee's so excited he can barely sit still.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"This is going to blow up in your face. I promise you that." Asami and Minori are taking turns telling me how bad an idea this is.

"Why? Because I'm going out with someone that treats me right, respects me and actually shows interest in me?" I counter.

"No, because you're just leading Lee on to get back at Chouji."

"Oh? Am I?" I wonder, pausing long enough to apply my lipstick properly. "It's a good thing you told me, or I'd never have figured it out."

"You're wearing a fancy kimono and makeup, how do you think he'll interpret that?" Asami asks.

"That I'm trying to look pretty for our date." I point out simply. "Seriously, you two. This isn't a big deal."

"Oh. So your first date ever isn't a big deal?" Minori counters. "Or agreeing to said first date in hearing distance of the boy EVERYONE knows you're in love with? I guess that's just a coincidence, huh?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I lie easily. Of course Sakiko blabbed every detail. Thank Kami-sama she knows that the techniques I teach her are a 'clan secret', even though we're not really a clan yet. It's annoying how many loopholes we have to jump through before we can apply for clan status.

"Uh huh." Minori doesn't buy it. She crosses her arms, and glaring at me in the mirror. "Asami's right, this is soooo going to blow up in your face."

"And what's the alternative? Waiting until Akimichi-san decides I'm worth his time?" I ask, taking off my glasses, pursing my lips to protect my lipstick, and applying the powder over my makeup. I wait almost a full minute, no one answers me. "I thought so."

"So what, you're just going to give up on Chouji?" Minori isn't giving up, even if logic isn't winning her case.

"Should I wait then?"

"Y-yes." Minori doesn't sound convinced.

"And then I come back from a mission, find him in some other woman's arms, find that I'd waited fifteen years for nothing?" I (sort of) ask her (very) point blank. That brings both of them up short. "We kissed, Minori. He knows what I feel for him, knows that I want this to be real. And **_HE'S_** the one that said it won't work. What more do you expect me to do?"

I don my kimono, a bright red one that I'd sort of fallen in love with, tying my obi properly and looking at myself in the mirror to see if I look good enough.

"Aya, sweetie. Lee's in the family sitting room waiting on you." Yasu-nee calls from downstairs.

"You're not even nervous, are you." Asami doesn't ask. She's eyeing me, dissecting every nuance in my stance and eyes and trying to figure out just what I'm thinking.

"It's a date, not a marriage proposal." I point out. It doesn't matter if I'm nervous or not. I was asked out two hours ago, and I've been getting ready almost since getting home. It's not as if I have the time to get nervous.

"This is so going to blow up in your face." Asami repeats. I shrug. I have to live with the result either way. Good, bad, what does it matter? And frankly, if Akimichi-san doesn't like it, then maybe he should do something other than gawk at me and act embarrassed when I notice.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

On entering the family sitting room, I see poor Lee fidgeting between Momochi-san and Kakashi. Seeing as I'd sensed a faint trickle of killing intent that stopped the second I touched to top stair, I can guess what they're doing.

"My, my, sweetie. You look lovely." Yasu-nee announces, gushing again. I blush a little but I try not to bite my lip and ruin my lipstick.

"Hey, sis, you mind if I talk to you for a second before you go?" Naruto looks nervous, and worried and… a lot of different things at once.

"Hmm?" I glance at him, then at Lee's wordlessly begging to save him.

"It's fine, Aya-chan. We can keep Lee here company while you're busy." Kakashi sounds a little too happy right now. What is it with guys and threatening each other like this?

Lee tries to get my attention, once again wordlessly begging for me to save him. I blink. "Well, if you're sure?"

"Positive. Take your time, Namiki." Momochi-san waves it off. I can't be sure, but I think I hear Lee whimper pitifully.

Naru-nii leads me into his office, sliding the door shut behind him and activating a seal. Okay, whoa! Why don't I have one!? Oh right… I didn't make one, and I didn't ask him to. Whatever!

"I think this is a bad idea."

"Hnn!" I huff.

"Lee's a great guy, but this isn't what you want."

"Oh? What do I want then?"

"Chouji."

"Who doesn't want me."

"He does."

"Oh? And he shows this by telling me it won't work?"

"I told you he has self confidence issues." Naru-nii tries.

"Yes. And pushing away a girl that is all but begging him to come closer is the right way to handle it." I glare at him. "I've already been over this with Asami and Minori. I'm not in the mood to go over it again with you."

"Tough. 'Cause we're talking about it." He doesn't budge.

I cross my arms, tapping my foot impatiently on the wooden floor. "Talk."

"Do you even like Lee?"

"I like him enough."

"What's that even mean?"

"I feel comfortable around him. He treats me right. And he makes all the right moves. It's not perfect, Nii-san, but what other choice do I have? Do you really want me to sit stare at the stars out of my window until _he_ gets over himself and decides offer me what I've been asking him for?"

"So you're going to sell yourself and Lee short?"

"I'm giving Lee a fair chance." I counter.

"Lie."

"Oh?"

"You're not even nervous."

"So?"

"This is your first date ever. And you're not nervous. You don't find that weird?"

"No."

"Lie."

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"The truth would be nice."

"Well the truth is that I don't plan on waiting forever on a boy that refuses to grow up. If he wants to be Peter Pan, let him. In the mean time, I'll be here, in the real world, dealing with real issues. I'll be making plans for the future and trying my luck with someone that is at least man enough to know I'm worth something."

"You're worth everything, sis. That's why I don't want you to do this."

"Nii-san, you're already taken. And for good reason." I remind him. "You fell in love with a girl that loves you back. You saw your chance to make her life better. And you took it. Should I not want that?"

"Of course you should, 'ttebayo!"

"Then why are you trying to stop me?"

"Because you don't love Lee back."

"He doesn't love me either."

"Yet."

"So I'm incapable of loving him?"

"No, just unwilling."

"Then let me ask you the same thing I asked them. What should I do? Sit around and wait?"

"..."

"Just sit here, biding my time. Growing old alone, hoping that he'll grow up eventually."

"Sis, stop. You're only going to end up hurting yourself, Lee and Chouji by doing this."

"Say that after Hinata tells you it won't work."

"Do you have any idea how many times I felt convinced it wouldn't work between Hina-chan and me?" He's just being stubborn now. "A street rat and a princess. That only works out in fairytales and kid's shows. Name **one** real life couple that did that."

"…"

"I thought so."

"But you didn't give up. You worked hard, and you tried even harder. And when you saw a chance, you **took** it. Even if it was just asking me to make the move for you. You MADE A MOVE." I remind him. "What has Akimichi-san done? Push me away. Don't you dare compare that _little boy_ to the man you're growing into."

"And don't you dare act like he means nothing to you!" He shouts angrily. I flinch. No one ever shouts at me. Ever. "Stop lying to yourself, Aya! You're in love with Chouji! You'd die for Chouji! You'd marry that _boy_ in a heartbeat!"

"All the more reason to _hate_ him for turning me away." I turn away from Naruto, hugging myself to stop myself from crying. I refuse to cry and muck up my makeup. "Unseal the door. We're done talking."

"… Aya, y-"

"I said. We're. **Done.** Talking."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes me almost fifteen minutes to calm down enough to be able to face Lee. But I manage. He's all too willing to leave immediately, and I don't mind at all. We start walking down the road, not quite touching but annoyingly close to it.

"Lee." I begin. He turns to me, questions in his owlish eyes. "I don't want to give you false hope, so I'll tell you the situation and what it'll mean for you."

"I'm not sure I understand. But please, continue." It's only now that I even realise that he's still wearing his uniform. I'm used to it, but this is supposed to be a date.

"I'm in love with someone that doesn't love me back." I begin with the worst of it. He eyes me, unsure what to make of me now. "I'm not telling you this to hurt you, but to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. I don't like-like you, not like that. But you are kind and always treat me right. I'm willing to give you a fair chance and we'll see where this goes."

He's quiet for a long moment. I can only guess he's thinking about that. "Hmm. That sounds fair." He says eventually. "What would happen if this person were to suddenly decides he likes too?" A fair question. And one that deserves an honest answer.

"That depends on you."

"Oh?" That gets him curious.

"I'm a wolf, Lee. Loyalty above all else." I explain seriously. "If we connect like _that_ … So long as you continue to treat me right, I will not be disloyal for silly things."

"If we connect like ' _that_ '?" He wonders.

"I don't like-like you. Things like that take time." I pause letting that sink in a bit. "But if I would start feeling strongly for you…"

"I understand." He says, nodding gravely. "Thank you for telling me this."

"You're a gentleman, Lee. Gentlemen deserve nothing less."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Lee takes me to this quaint little café in the Commercial District. One of those out-of-the-way places that you either know about or don't. The waitress comes up to us and Lee announces we have a reservation. I find myself smiling a little, wondering if he'd made the reservation before or after asking me out.

The waitress checks the list, nods to us and smiles, asking us to please follow her. We're led into a cosy little corner, the table situated so that neither of us have our back to the crowd. I smile again, wondering at this table being the only one that is set up like this.

Lee walks up, pulling out my chair for me and motioning for me to sit down. Once I do, he carefully eases my seat forward and takes his seat across from me. We're asked if we'd like something to drink while we peruse the menu, and Lee looks to me.

"Some tea would be fine." I say, smiling.

"Yes, tea for me as well." He announces. I still haven't gotten used to his stilted style of talking.

We peruse our menus, but I can't seem to find anything I think I'd like. It seems to be mostly riceballs and snacks – not the kind of place I'd ever come to on purpose. "Hmm? Excuse me, miss! You seem to have given us the wrong menus." Lee calls the waitress back. She profusely apologizes, and replaces the menus with the dinner menus.

Ah, much better. "Please do not worry about it. Such things happen." Lee assures her, teasing a little smile out of me once again. He's a total goofball, but he has a good heart.

I go over the menu again, finding almost too many things I'd like to try this time. "I wonder if the cod is any good."

"The fish here is excellent, I assure you. Personally I prefer the beef. So I'll be going with that." He says, teasing yet another smile from me. "So, Aya-chan. We've known each other for months, but I must confess I know almost nothing about you."

I think about that. "I guess that's true the other way around as well."

"So true. Would you mind telling me a bit more about yourself?" I roll my eyes playfully. "I assure you, I will also take a turn to reveal more of myself. However, as the saying goes, ladies first."

I nod smiling a little again. I find him to be oddly charming. "Let's see. I have two sisters, Yasu and Sakiko. I'm really close with my team, but especially with Naruto-nii. I love training, chocolate, music and the theatre. I love singing and playing my flute. I'm starting to fall in love with sealing arts as well, but I'm not very good yet. Mostly I focus on medical seals, which is fine for now. Umm… Muay Thai is my preferred fighting style, but I know a few others as well. I also love to doodle. Since finding out I'm really left handed and training myself a bit, my drawing has greatly improved, but I don't show my work to anyone." I smile a little, wondering if that is enough for him.

"Ah, truly a lover of life." He smiles, light glinting off his teeth again. "I am much the same, though my passions are for simpler things like training and taijutsu. As you know I am a youthful student and practitioner of the Strong Fist Style. Other than the Strong Fist, I have my tonfa. Almost nothing else." He says that so confidently.

"Oh?" Sure, he'd only used taijutsu against me, but I thought he was only doing that because I was doing the same.

"Yes. I am unable to mould chakra properly. So ninjutsu and genjutsu are forever out of reach for me."

"So you turned weakness into strength by specializing in taijutsu." I say, finally understanding how he so effortlessly beats me every time. I nod, impressed. "I'm impressed. Most others would have given up before they even started."

"This is true. However I do not believe in giving up. If a goal is worth reaching, one should never give up before reaching it." He explains seriously. Just like Naru-nii. I smile.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After dinner, Lee and I walk around for a bit. No real destination, just mostly talking. We're still at it, two hours later.

"So you only use your tonfa in life or death situations?" I ask. I was wondering why he never used them against me. I'm nowhere near his level of skill in taijutsu, though, so it makes sense.

"Yes. I hope you do not feel I look down on your skills. I simply do not feel you would ever wilfully harm me, so you do not register as a life and death fight." He explains seriously. I like how he words that. He isn't looking down on me, he isn't looking down on my skills. And we both know he's far more skill than I am.

"Hmm. Well now that I know you're a taijutsu specialist, I might just have to use my other skills to even the playing field." I tease him a little.

"Yes, please do. I wondered why you never did. Now I see it was simply a wish to test your taijustu skills against a stronger opponent." He hits the nail on the head. I don't even mind him saying he's stronger – he really is, and he isn't saying it to boast either.

"Yeah. Since I'm the medic on my team, they tend to never let me get into the fight if they can help it." I say, my tone a bit sour. "Don't get me wrong, I see the logic in it. It just irritates me sometimes, you know?"

"Indeed I do. You are most skilled. And to hear that isn't even your main focus makes me wonder just how much you held back in our spars. Please do not hold back in the future. I wish to face your true strength, to test myself against the best." He… hmm, requests? Not quite a demand, but certainly not a question. Whatever.

"It used to be." I say, thinking back. "Back in the academy all I focused on was taijutsu, almost to the point where my other skills were laughable. Once I was placed on a team though, Yoshino-sensei set that straight. She knew papa was a medic, and found out I was studying his old textbooks. So she appointed me the team medic and told me point blank that she was going to round out my training until she could swear blindly that I would survive any encounter."

"That is a most wise and youthful decision. However, I am confused. Are you not under Hatake Kakashi? Gai-sensei is always talking about his utterly hip eternal rival."

I find myself giggling, imagining the older clone to say just that while doing a little jig. "It's complicated. But yes, Kakashi is officially my jounin-sensei."

"I have the time. Please explain." And so I do. The weirdness of Kakashi, how at first I hated his guts – which still isn't too far from the truth, but I respect him far more than I did back then. I explain Yoshino-sensei's offer to train, knowing Kakashi as forever being late to anything other than missions. I explain my earlier troubles with Sasuke, and how hard he had to work to earn my trust. I explain my relationship with Naruto-nii, and why I trust him so completely. I end up talking for nearly a half hour straight, but Lee doesn't seem to mind at all.

"I see. Yes, you are right, that is most complicated. But I am happy to hear that it has worked out so well in the end." He thinks for a moment, I can see it in his eyes. "I find it odd, however. I've seen your team each and every time you have come to our training grounds to spar, and yet I do not recall interacting much with them. They only ever seem to wish to speak with each other and with you."

"Naruto-nii and I grew up as orphans. So we have a hard time trusting people. Though he seems to get to people much quicker than I do, if he decides he likes them. And Sasuke? Hmm. He's too much like Hyuuga-san on your team."

"Yes, I thought as much. They seem to share many characteristics. Perhaps that is why they do not get along."

"Why would you want them too? Isn't one of them bad enough?" I tease, but he takes me seriously.

"I wonder. After all, Neji is a prodigy. Konoha would benefit from having many prodigies. And yet, I wonder if their being a prodigy is enough in the end." Obviously he's taking me far too seriously. I'll have to work on that.

"I was never considered a prodigy. Being called on seems like more of an ego stroke." I say, making a face. Again, he takes me completely seriously. I roll my eyes, wondering why he's always so serious.

"Perhaps you are right. But I believe we too are geniuses. Simply a different kind. We are geniuses of hard work, trying to earn our place in this world rather than having it handed to us at our birth."

"Hmm… maybe you're right." I saying, trying not to feel too annoyed.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We turn onto my street, still idly chatting about this or that. However, I smell him. Them, really. Team Ten seems to be more than a little curious about how my date will end. We make it in front of the gate, and I smell the three moving in closer.

"Are you alright, Aya-chan? You seem a bit upset." Lee notices my mood, but not out shadows. "Ah. Friends of yours?" Hmm, he does notice them, just not as quickly. Then again, I've kind of been training in sensory jutsu.

"Team Ten. Ino, the blond is one of my best friends. The other two are kind of her lackeys." I say, wondering if they'll react to that. They don't, so they can't hear me yet. "I'm sorry, I really should deal with them before they ruin the mood." I take out three kunai, tossing them exactly at their noses.

"H-hey! What are you trying to kill us!?" Ino asks, furious. Obviously they each caught the kunai. I focus on my eyes, lighting up the scene before me. Ino looks furious, Nara-san looks annoyed and Akimichi-san look almost betrayed. Hnn!

"What do you think happens to spies if they get caught, exactly?" I drone, unimpressed with the three of them. "I didn't take any of you as voyeurs. Care to explain?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" Ino demands angrily.

"Oh, right. Lee. Akimichi-san there is the boy I told you about." I say, my tone neutral. I refuse to get emotional about a situation that won't change.

"I see." Is all Lee says, but I notice he's eyeing Chouji REALLY closely. Stalker-level close.

"You told him about me?" Akimichi-san asks, shocked.

"I do not play games with those I care for. Lee is aware of the situation, and he was made aware at the very beginning of our date so there wouldn't be any misunderstandings." I lay it all out. "Why? Were you planning on using that information to drive a wedge between us?" I aim that at Nara-san and Ino – I wouldn't put it past either of them.

"What exactly did you tell him then?" Nara-san asks, his eyes sharper than I've ever seen them. He sees Lee as a threat for some reason. I don't get it. At all. Akimichi-san had his chance and didn't just mess up, he literally sent me away. Why do any of them care who I date now?

"That is none of your concern. And Lee, you will not answer him either. I am trying my best to leave the past in the past. So unless Akimichi-san has something to say, I suggest the three of you leave. Immediately."

"We're not leaving! This needs to get sorted out!" Ino announces angrily.

"I'm sorry, Lee. It was such a fun evening too." I say, pulling on his shoulder so he leans down for me and kissing Lee on the cheek. I reach into my left sleeve, unsheathing my tanto. "But I need to deal with this, and I prefer not to have witnesses."

"Aya-chan, surely you do-"

"Go home, Lee. We have exams to deal with in the morning." I remind him sternly. He nods, not happy with the fire in my tone. He passes Team Ten, patting Akimichi-san on the shoulder and offering a sympathetic look.

Once he's out of hearing distance, "So, which of you wishes to die first then?"

"We're not here to fight." Nara-san says, motioning for me to calm down.

"You stalk me during my date, follow me home, and you mean to say this isn't an assassination attempt? I thought you were smarter than this, Nara-san."

"And I thought you loved Chouji." Akimichi-san looks surprised and hurt, obviously not knowing that little titbit. That just cuts me even deeper.

"Appeal to emotion. Are we resorting to logical fallacies, Nara-san? That isn't like you at all." I counter, refusing to comment on my feelings.

"Aya, stop. Why are you doing this?" Ino is on the brink of tears, obviously unused to this side of me.

"Doing what? Moving on? Trying to live my life? What am I doing?" The three of them look shocked. "Oh, I get it. It's fine if I remain single and wallow. Crying myself to sleep for weeks is perfectly acceptable. But if anyone shows even the slightest interest in me, it's a problem?"

They flinch, obviously not having thought of it like that. I want to drag this out, to twist the kunai in them as deep as I can, just to show them how deep Akimichi-san cut me over and over again. But I smell Naru-nii coming this way.

"I thought so. So, Akimichi-san. Anything to say?" As I figured, he doesn't answer. I snort, annoyed with them.

"Sis, you okay?" Naruto-nii shows up, opening the gate and coming out to greet me.

"…" I glare at Akimichi-san, entering the gate without another word, making sure to drag Naru-nii with me. I close the gate and drag him around to the side of the house and I just… cry.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 39_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I really should have put up to the scene with Gaara in the previous chapter, it doesn't quite fit into this one; although, it kind of does just the same. I might fix that in the future._**

 ** _There's a saying about people in Aya's situation. Well, several really. "There are none so blind as they who will not see." Is the one that sticks out the most. Chouji is making his move, even if he's obviously being nudged every step of the way by Ino and/or Shikamaru. But, realistically, months have passed and only now that Lee's in the picture does a move get made. That alone is hurtful._**

 ** _However, what's Chouji's take on this? Why is he only now making a move? Why did he wait so long? And why does he seem shocked that Aya loves him? I mean, EVERYONE saw it. Well... you'll find out next time ;)_**


	47. Chouji: Determination

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 40 – Chouji: Determination_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You're being stupid! And a complete jerk!" Ino just won't get off my case these days. "In case you haven't noticed, Aya is a beauty. A gorgeous, kind and caring kunoichi. If you keep fumbling you're going to miss your chance with her! No matter how much she loves you, no self respecting girl that knows she's a catch will wait around forever!"

"What makes you think she's waiting on me to begin with?" I ask the blonde, wondering what her deal is. I know Aya better than that. One strike, you're out. I panicked, I messed up. I'm out. I feel messed up beyond belief, but the facts don't change because I want them to.

"You know what? You're right. I hope she find someone that isn't a COMPLETE. INSENSITIVE. IDIOT!" Yeah, yeah.

It's not like I don't like her. But, realistically, what are the odds of someone like me keeping her attention for long? Aya's smart, caring, strong… really strong… determined, protective and she's the most beautiful person I've ever met.

Not just for her looks either. That pales compared to the true beauty I've seen in her. The way she cares for her people, truly cares for them. I mean, just look at Naruto! Before she came into his life, he didn't have much of anything. Sure, Kiba, Shika and I would hang out with him, but we weren't really what I would consider friends.

Since those two connected, he's had someone that would take a kunai for him in a heartbeat. He's had someone that would stand beside him even if the world comes tumbling down around him.

Someone like that, like Aya, deserves someone a million times better than someone like me.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Walking around, no real destination in mind. Asuma-sensei has been a real slave driver since nominating us for the Chuunin Exams. Even when we're not training, he's been making us study, or something similar to make sure we're ready for anything. Like now, we're supposed to be studying the competition. How are we even supposed to know who's entering?

"Ehhhhhh! Lee-san! You're asking Aya-nee on a d-d-date!?" That almost sounds like Sakiko. I look over at the stand, seeing none other than Aya, Sakiko and some green spandex wearing guy I've never met. That means… that this guy's Lee. And he's asking Aya out. On a date.

I feel numb.

Aya turns to us, her eyes lock onto me. Her face, her eyes, completely blank. She doesn't seem to feel anything right now. She turns to this Lee guy, "That would be lovely, Lee. Pick me up at six?"

"I will do so, Aya-chan!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Ino's pacing in Shika's bedroom. She and Shika decided that they need a 'war time council meeting', somehow figuring that Aya's just declared war for some reason. "I did! I warned you! Time and time again!"

"Ino. We don't need to hear what you did or didn't do." Shika's annoyed, his eyes are unusually sharp. "We need to figure out what Aya's plan is."

"It's obvious! She's agreeing to this to get back at Chouji! Which, by the way, I don't blame her for! Honestly, she asks you to make it official and you push her away!? I would have stabbed you!" Ino just has to go there.

"That's not the only possibility." Shika's thinking. Eyes closed, hands in that weird sign he makes, totally focused on whatever only he can figure out when he's like that. "We don't have enough information." He eventually declares.

"You mean you don't! This is clear as day to me!" Ino's pissed. Well and truly pissed. Not with Aya either, but me. "Honestly! Break the girl's heart and just leave her out to dry for months when everyone knows how she feels about you!"

"I said I'm sorry! I panicked!"

"You broke her heart! And not just once! You broke it over and over again for MONTHS! Not trying to fix YOUR mistake! Not trying to comfort her when you SAW HER CRYING!" Ino just isn't letting up. I know what I did. I don't need you harping on it. "How long has it been, hmm? Since she stopped crying? Since she stopped going out of her way to be accessible? Since her family stopped trying to seat you two together at every opportunity?"

"Six weeks." Shika's door slides open, showing auntie standing there. Her face held carefully neutral, but her eyes show anger. "They stopped trying six weeks ago. Because everyone could see nothing positive would come from it. All that did was hurt Aya even more, constantly rubbing her nose in the truth. The fact, Chouji-kun, is that you need to grow up. Aya's looking for a man. Not a boy that can't figure out what he wants. Not a boy that panics when a girl wants some security from him."

…

"I will warn the three of you only once. If I hear you've done anything to ruin what happiness Aya's found, you will answer to me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, auntie."

"And Chouji." I look up, questions in my eyes. "If you do not like her the way she likes you. Let her go. Don't fight to win her back, if all you're going to do is hurt her over and over again."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Auntie thinks there's a chance." I say, staring at the stars. "She thinks I can somehow fix this."

"Moron. Haven't I been saying that for weeks?" Ino asks, annoyed with me.

"You also still believe you have a shot with Sasuke." I counter. Shika chuckles, but Ino looks annoyed. "Shika, what do you think?"

"Like I told you before, we don't have enough information. There's a chance Ino's right and she's doing this just to spite you. There's also a chance she's giving up on what she believes won't work. Which would be your fault, just so you know."

" _Thanks_. I _needed_ that." I drone sarcastically. "So how can we find out?"

"By talking to her." That brings me up short. It isn't that I don't want to talk to her, but she was scary before… now she's scary and upset. I sigh. "It's either that, or you listen to what mom said. Let her go. Live with knowing you messed up and let her live her life."

"Alright. Let's go talk to her then." I get up, dusting myself off. I don't know what good it'll do. But, if nothing else it'll give both of us some closure. If she's moved it, then it can't be helped.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I didn't think… they'd still be on their date. They were just going to dinner, he was picking her up at six. It's almost nine, and they're only now walking back to her place? "This is a bad idea." I mumble, but my feet start walking towards them anyway.

"The worst, but if you really wanna do this." Shika's right beside me. They reach in front of the gate, but Aya's tense. Upset, really.

She knows.

Without warning, three kunai come flying at us. I duck under mine, grabbing the other two by the ring. She really just tried to kill us.

"H-hey! What are you trying to kill us!?" Ino sounds more afraid than angry. If Aya really is trying to kill us, then odds are they won't even find the body. We might as well leave now. Aya would never try to kill someone she loves. Ever.

"What do you think happens to spies if they get caught, exactly?" Her voice… I've never heard her sound so cold, so professional. This isn't the Aya I know, this is the kunoichi. She's… "I didn't take any of you as voyeurs. Care to explain?" It's like her heart is dead, her emotions are dead. Aya, what have I done to you…

"I could ask the same thing!" Ino, you're not helping. Please don't antagonize her right now.

"Oh, right. Lee. Akimichi-san there is the boy I told you about." Lee eyes me closer than I feel comfortable with. He's sizing me up, deciding if he can take me.

"I see." He already thinks he can take me, but more than that… he looks upset with me. Like he knows what I did.

That doesn't make sense. Aya doesn't talk to people she doesn't trust. And even people she trusts don't know about things that really hurt her. Not even Naruto would know, unless he figured it out himself. "You told him about me?"

"I do not play games with those I care for." That hurts for so many different reasons. I never played games with you! "Lee is aware of the situation, and he was made aware at the very beginning of our date so there wouldn't be any misunderstandings."

"Why? Were you planning on using that information to drive a wedge between us?"

… She's really lashing out right now. We didn't come here to do anything other than talk. "What exactly did you tell him then?" Shika asks, but I don't know why. The situation is perfectly clear to me. Aya's moved on. I knew I could never be enough, not for someone that amazing.

"That is none of your concern." The more she talks, the harder she drives her point home. "And Lee, you will not answer him either. I am trying my best to leave the past in the past. So unless Akimichi-san has something to say, I suggest the three of you leave. Immediately."

I don't even get the chance to nod. "We're not leaving!" Ino. Why are you still pushing this. Aya has the right to choose her own path. "This needs to get sorted out!" It has been sorted.

"I'm sorry, Lee. It was such a fun evening too." She pulls on Lee's shoulder, kissing him on the cheek. I feel something inside me break. Then she takes out her tanto, her eyes harder than I've ever seen them. Even when compared to the moments just before lashing out at Kiba. "But I need to deal with this, and I prefer not to have witnesses."

"Aya-chan, sure you do-"

"Go home, Lee." There's a fire in her tone, in her eyes. Whatever broke inside me is crumbling now, slowly being ground into dust. "We have exams to deal with in the morning." Lee nods, obviously not happy with the situation. He walks towards us, understanding in his eyes, and pats me on the shoulder. Then he walks away, leaving us to our fate.

"So," Aya's tone hovers just above the freezing point. "Which of you wishes to die first then?"

"We're not here to fight." Shika is quick to point out, motioning to Aya to calm down. He knows, just like I do, if she really gets serious, we're dead.

"You stalk me during my date, follow me home, and you mean to say this isn't an assassination attempt?" She's completely taking this out of context! We just came here to talk! "I thought you were smarter than this, Nara-san."

"And I thought you loved Chouji." Love? Not like? Not really like? Love? She loved me? Kami-sama, maybe she should just kill me. I think it would hurt less than this.

"Appeal to emotion. Are we resorting to logical fallacies, Nara-san? That isn't like you at all." I'm not sure what that means, but I know she isn't going to let Shika lead this conversation at all. We should just leave. This isn't going to get any better.

"Aya, stop. Why are you doing this?" Ino seems to understand that as well, she'd never be this close to breaking out in tears otherwise.

"Doing what? Moving on? Trying to live my life? What am I doing?" Figuring it out for myself, and hearing that cold tone of hers shoving that information down my throat are not the same. "Oh, I get it." Her tone, if anything, is even colder now. Harsher. And her words are sharp as the blade she wields. "It's fine if I remain single and wallow. Crying myself to sleep for weeks is perfectly acceptable. But if anyone shows ever the slightest interest in me, it's a problem?"

I flinch. Crying herself to sleep? For weeks?

"I thought so. So, Akimichi-san. Anything to say?" What is there to say. What could I say. Words will never undo my mistakes. Words will never heal the bruises I put on her heart.

"Sis, you okay?" Naruto shows up. He opens the gate and takes one look at us, at me. His eyes an icy blue, noticeable even in the low lighting. She doesn't answer, she just grabs him by the hand and drags him inside.

The only thing I can think of right now… is wanting to puke up something vital.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I haven't slept a wink all night. How could I. Every time I close my eyes, I see Aya. Those cold, hard eyes. The ice in her voice. How she was obviously willing to kill us last night.

I can't… I can't let her hurt like this. And she **is** hurting. But I don't know what to do.

On the one hand, I could try to earn her trust again, earn a place in her heart again. It'll be hard, no doubt about that, but if I manage she'd let me fix my mistakes.

On the other hand, she seems to think this Lee person has a chance of doing just that. Shouldn't I respect her wishes? Shouldn't I let her move on?

Why do both choices scare me? Well, that's not entirely true. Getting her upset with me scares me. Letting her move on just hurts. Kami-sama, am I really that selfish? Would I really want to work my way back into her life, just to not want to hurt myself?

But what if I'm the only one that can piece her back together? What if she needs me to… She obviously gets along with this Lee guy, but…

I need to talk to her. To really talk to her.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We meet up at Shika's, as usual, for around eight. Auntie's not here, but uncle is. He takes one look at me. "Something tells me you're planning something stupid."

"Maybe." I shrug. I won't deny it, trying to get close to a wounded wolf is suicide. "If anyone has a better plan, I'm all ears."

"Chouji. You're like a nephew to me, you know that." He looks at me, his eyes hard. "But Aya is like a daughter to me. If you hurt her _again_ , the last thing you'll have to worry about is how she reacts."

"I've hurt her enough by doing nothing, uncle. If you have a better plan, please, tell me." He just gazes at me. He doesn't say anything for a minute, almost two.

"When a woman is hurting, the more she loves the person that hurts her, the more she'll hate him for doing so. Odds of her lashing out aren't in your favour. And she'll have her teammates there, willing to lash out at least as violently as she would. You'll be facing three shinobi that are each stronger than you are, and with more than enough reason to at best break you in half and at worst kill you."

"I know that." And I really don't need more reasons to back out. Unless you have a better plan, this is the only plan I'm willing to live with.

"And you're still willing to risk it."

"I need to know, uncle. If I'm the only one that can fix this, then I need to know. If this Lee person is better for her…" I don't finish that sentence. I don't want to. The thought of her being happy with someone else hurts, but if he's the one that can help her…

"Love. A fool's wisdom and a wise man's folly. I guess it's a good thing you're more a fool these days. Mind what I said. I don't need to hear my little girl's gone and killed my best friend's son."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to Room Three-Oh-One without too much hassle. Sure there was some weird genjutsu downstairs, but it didn't exactly take a genius to figure out that it was on the wrong floor. Kiba and his team are already here, looking ready for anything. There are also HUNDREDS of others, all sizing us up, most of them leaking killing intent. Oh how I wish they were my biggest issue today.

Aya could probably take out most of them without breaking a sweat.

I don't feel very talkative, so I mostly just munch on some chips to pass the time. It's almost eight-thirty when the doors swing open to reveal Team Seven. Sasuke in the middle, Naruto and Aya flanking him. I walk up to them before I have the chance to chicken out. Both boys glare at me, but I'm not worried about them.

"Aya." I call to her, hating the uncaring look in her eyes. "I want to talk to you. Not now obviously, but soon?"

"Talk about what, Akimichi-san." Kami-sama, what I wouldn't give to hear her call me Chouji-kun again.

"How big an idiot I am, mostly." Naruto and Sasuke snort, obviously agreeing with me. "Would that be alright?"

"Talk. We have time."

"… Uh…" That I didn't see coming. Does this mean she's willing to talk to me? Or is this an indirect way of saying 'buzz off'?

"We're in the middle of an exam. Do you really want to mix personal issues with that?" Shika comes to the rescue.

"…" Her eyes don't leave mine, and she isn't blinking at all. "We'll see." Well, it's not a no.

"Oi! Aya-chan! Have you finally come around? I'll tell you what. I'll take you out if you ask me nicely." I don't know what happens or how. But I know I'm the one that decks Kiba for talking down to her like that. I blink, seeing the boy holding his cheek, growling at me.

"Kiba…" I grind out, a fire in my tone and eyes that surprises even me. "I will not tolerate anyone being disrespectful towards her. Speak to her like that again, and I'll be the one you need to worry about."

"Che. You think you can take me, blubber boy?"

"Oh look. A fat joke." I drone, unimpressed. "I'll tell you what, why don't you step closer to Aya and say something stupid again. Or did that last concussion affect your memory?"

He winces.

"Or better yet, stand between Naruto and Sasuke and try it." He baulks this time. "Yeah, I thought so."

"Oi, oi. You guys really need to settle down. You're attracting everyone's attention, and that's not something you should want when everyone's tense." Some guy announces, walking towards us. The only two reactions I care about are Aya's and Shika's, and both of them are tense.

"What's it to you?" Kiba barks at the bespectacled silver-haired boy – I'd guess he's about seventeen, but he might be older.

"You guys are obviously new. Your first exams?" He tries. We're not stupid enough to answer him though. He might be from Konoha, but this reeks of bad news. "I'll tell you what, I'll share some information with you. Maybe it'll help you to see just what you're up against here."

"This your first exam?" Ino asks, obviously being careful and trying to get more information than she gives.

"Kabuto. And no, it's my seventh actually. So I guess you could say I'm something of an expert."

"Or just weak." Kiba really just doesn't get it at all. No one gives out free information to the competition.

"That might be it as well. So what do you say? Anyone you'd like information on?" Kabuto asks, taking out a stack of cards. "These are ninfo cards. I've collected something on everyone attending these exams through my years. I might even have something on you guys." On us? When you've never seen us before and clearly know we've never taken these exams? How would you even know we'd be taking these exams?

"Sure. Aya, Naruto and Sasuke." Kiba demands. He's being an idiot again, isn't he.

"Aww, you already know their names. That's no fun." Kabuto dramatically flicks his cards open into a fan, and with a lightning quick slash, he takes out three cards. "First up, Uchiha Sasuke. Hmm, not all that impressive really. Eighty-two D-ranked, two C-ranked missions. Last of the Uchiha, unknown if he'd awoken his Sharingan. Primarily a fire release user. Decent taijutsu and shurikenjutsu." That… makes no sense. Even I know they've been on more missions than that. That means something is wrong with his information, and to make it worse, he shouldn't even know the missions they've been on anyway. That means he's been sneaking into the mission registers of every village that sent applicants. That isn't something a genin should be capable of.

"Next, Uzumaki Naruto. Hmm, even worse. Same missions, logically. But his skills are dismal in every category. No known element, and the worst taijutsu I've ever seen." Naruto's skilled enough to take on Aya and Sasuke. You're the worst at information gathering, dude. Seriously, don't quit your day job.

"And last, Namiki Aya. Same amount of missions – they are teammates after all. Decent taijutsu, no other known skills. All in all, a mediocre team." I smirk. Team Seven is many things. Mediocre isn't one of them.

"Oi! Put this in your stupid ninfo cards! Sound shinobi are the best there is!" Another three walk over to us. Team Seven look amused, like they're used to this. There's a brief scuffle between the mummy looking Sound guy and Kabuto, and even without landing a blow, Kabuto's glasses crack and he doubles over throwing up. I think his ear is also bleeding.

"Sound release user. You focused your sound waves created by that thing on your right forearm, crank up the volume and attack his inner ear with it. This creates a sense of vertigo, loss of balance and possible motion sickness." Aya explains what just happened. Hmm. That means they're from the Land of Rice Patties. I didn't know they had a hidden village. "It's kinda pathetic that you'd need something like that though."

"What'd you say!?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Some scary looking guy slams a door open on the other side of the room and suddenly there are like twenty shinobi all in grey near the black board. "Attack another candidate without permission and you'll be out on your ear before you can even blink."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We each pick a number 'randomly' assigning us our seats. That no team I know is seated together tells me enough. The rules get explained – each time you get caught cheating you lose two points from the ten you start out with, and if someone loses all their points then their whole team is disqualified. Tests are handed out.

And the longest forty-five minutes of my life begins.

I look at all nine questions in turn –the tenth will be given after the forty-five minutes– and quickly decide I can't answer any of them. That means there's more going on, that means Ino and Shika are my lifeline here and they won't let us fail. So I just relax and wait.

Kami-sama has a sense of humour, it seems. And one I quickly decide I don't like. Aya's sitting next to me. I see her answering question after question, but I have no idea how she could. I can't see clear enough from the corner of my eye, so I know trying to cheat off of her is just going to get me in trouble. Not risking that. Then, her hands go under her desk… and suddenly my pencil takes on a life of its own and starts writing down all the answers I need.

I blink, unsure what to make of that. This isn't one of Ino's or Shika's jutsus, I know everything they can do well enough to be certain. That means, Aya's helping me?

As soon as all the answers are filled in, my paper turns over on its own. I blink again. I have no idea what to make of this.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

When time's up, the proctor –I don't really care to remember his name– announces that it's time for the tenth and final question. All I really care about is at least a fifth of the teams had already failed.

"Before I give the final question, let me first explain the new rules. First off, you can choose if you take the question or not. If you choose not to take the question, you automatically lose your remaining points and you and your team fail."

"What! Then I'm taking the question for sure!" Somebody up front announces the obvious.

"Ah, but there's a catch. If you choose to take the question and you get it wrong, then you will remain a genin for life. You will be banned from ever taking these exams again." This guy likes messing with people's heads. There's, of course, an outburst, and this one or that one wants to know this or that. All I care about is that I'm getting peckish. I wonder if it'd be a problem to snack on something.

Hmm, maybe some pork rinds? Or should I wait for the celebration lunch? Hmm, a little snack before that never hurt my appetite before.

People are starting to pour out of the room. I blink. Wait, seriously? Whatever. I do have some chips sealed away for emergencies, but this isn't exactly an emergency. And I really don't feel like drawing that scary and scarred proctor's attention.

"Anyone else? Last chance…" If there was any risk, Shikamaru would be the first to walk out. I'm not worried. "Then you all… pass."

"EHHHH!"

I mostly ignore the explanation. All I can think about is what mom might be cooking right now. And Yasu-san – she cooks almost as good as mom! Sure, it's only about ten o'clock, but I'm sure they're at least thinking about what they will be cooking in a bit.

Then something smashes through the window. Some brownish-white ball. The ball unfurls and turns out to be a kunoichi with a banner introducing her as 'the sexy and single Mitarashi Anko'. Judging from the growl next to me, this purple haired woman is someone Aya knows but doesn't like. Well, I actually feel a bit better. She never growls at me – so I'm not exactly in 'walking corpse' territory.

"Hmm. Not bad, Ibiki. Not perfect though. I'm still going to cut this group down by at least half!" The woman announces. "Everyone, to training ground forty-four! If you're not there in thirty minutes, you're automatically disqualified!"

Yeah, yeah. What a minute, that means I won't have time for a snack! Or that celebration lunch! Fine. Emergency chips it is.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 40_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: We're really starting to see the differences between Butterflies and Canon now. Kabuto having faulty information, him easily being spotted as at best a shifty character. Seeing as Team Seven only train in the privacy of the Namiki back yard, there's no way for Kabuto to know what they're capable of, and if he reveals his knowledge (if he even knows) of their Anbu training, that's an automatic death sentence, nevermind blowing his cover._**

 ** _Chouji seems to be coming around a bit now, but will it be enough? And who helped him? Was it Aya? How did she even know the answers? Did she cheat? So much unknown ^_^_**

 ** _Maybe it'll get explained. Maybe it won't. Being evil has perks; like free cookies. Evil people don't pay for cookies ;)_**


	48. We've got a problem

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 41 – We've got a problem_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I just listened to the worst possible fate EVER! Five days! In that place! They don't have chocolate in there! I don't have chocolate enough to last for five days!

"If I didn't hate her before." I grumble, but shift nervously a few times.

"Aya, what's wrong?" Sasuke asks.

"I…" I shift again, rubbing my forearm nervously. "I…"

"Crap. You're kidding." Naru-nii looks just as nervous as I do. "I thought you were prepared."

"Yeah, I have my things sealed in the scroll on my bed in case we were faced with something like this." I say, embarrassed. It just never occurred to me that we'd be literally sent into a survival test IMMEDIATELY after the first exam!

"You don't have enough chocolate on you?" Sasuke asks, nervously. I shake my head, no, feeling nervous and worried. "I feel bad for anyone that encounters us."

"I feel bad for sis." Naru-nii gets it!

"She won't like it, but she'll survive. Try saying the same for the other teams." Sasuke. Stop using logic. We're looking at five days of chocolate withdrawal! Do you have any idea how cruel a fate that is!? You only have to die once! Try dying once a minute for five days!

"Once you've signed your wavers, make sure you hand them in over at that registration tent. One team at a time. You'll be assigned a gate number and a guide. Follow that guide to your gate and wait on my signal to begin!"

I sigh. I already hate this stupid test. "Oi! Just so all you morons know! I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm the strongest shinobi here! I dare you to come attack me!"

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asks, obviously annoyed.

"Arranging entertainment?" Naru-nii nods to me. "If we're going to be stuck in there and she's going to be stuck without chocolate. The least we could do is make sure she isn't bored."

"Hnn. That's the smartest dumb thing you've ever done."

"… Thanks?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Listen up, you two. I'm only going to say this once. Stop being idiots. And stop putting my goddaughter in danger." I know Mitarashi isn't here trying to make a fool of herself. And with my VERY limited chocolate stash, there just isn't leeway to want to deal with her stupidity.

"Can it." I grind out.

"Aya, I don't care if you hate me for abandoning you or whatever you see it as. I promised your mother to look out for you."

"And you've obviously done a bang up job of it." I drone, unimpressed.

"… Meaning?"

"Naru-nii…" I warn him that I'm going to be a first class queen B if someone else doesn't handle this.

"Let's see. Where to start the list. Hmm. You were never there. She never saw you. She didn't know you were her godmother until you let it slip the one time she did see you. She hasn't seen you since that one time other than during that one meeting. And now you're giving us a hard time for being there when she needs us. Did I miss anything?"

"Yeah? Then how do I know the exact number of people she'd conned? The money she'd 'borrowed' from hospital employees? How come no one ever tracked her down for revenge?" That… doesn't mean anything. "I work from the shadows, you morons. Just because she didn't see me doesn't mean I wasn't there.

"Hnn!" I huff, unimpressed.

"You ungrateful little-"

" _ **Ungrateful**_? Do you think I'd have learned to con people at all if you were there from the start? If you were going to help me out financially, I would never have bothered. I could have spent that time training instead. I could have had a family from the time mama died. I could have had SOMETHING. And you call _me_ **ungrateful**? I'll tell you what. Tell me the exact amount and I'll pay you back. With interest. That way you don't have to worry about how ungrateful this little whelp is."

"…"

"I'm waiting, Mitarashi-san."

"…"

"Was there something else you needed."

"… No."

"Goodbye."

"Aya, you-"

"What part of 'goodbye' means 'to strum up small talk'?"

"Stop be-"

"Don't you have an exam to proctor?"

"You're such a-"

"Are you deaf? Or are you just stupid?"

"Why? Why are you like this?"

"Should I summon Tsuren to hear what she has to say about this then? I'm sure **she'd** _listen_ your excuses for abandoning me for what… seven years?" She offers one last glance then disappears, obviously understanding that I'm in no mood for worthless excuses. Supposed godmother. Psh! If I'd truly been dependent on her, I'd be dead.

"Sis. Harsh."

"Say that if you ever meet one of your godparents."

"Umm…?" He makes a vague motion with his hand, probably referring to Asami – his biological twin sister that knew about him and was never there. I tilt my head and raise an eyebrow; _like you even trust her_? He thinks about that for a second, before dropping it. I thought so.

"Anyway." Sasuke shakes his head, probably wondering how we can be like this and not come to blows. "We need a heaven scroll. But I think we should collect all the scrolls we can in the mean time. Twenty-two teams are entering this portion of the exams. That means at most eleven are making it to the next. I say this is the best time to narrow the competition."

"Whatever."

"Hey, sis. I'll tell you what. If you help I'll buy you all the chocolate you want." Naru-nii bribes me.

"… Fine."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Sasuke's wearing his chokutou. Naru-nii's wearing his twin scimitars. I'm wearing my custom twin kodachis and my pink chakra conducting tanto and that scroll Asami gave me for my birthday, the one with the ten seals to seal people away – it might be useful. We're all pretty much geared up like we usually would be, when not on Anbu missions, which by the way is total crap! How can we not be in Anbu and still be taking Anbu missions? Though that's probably why that Kabuto-what's-his-face didn't have accurate info on us. If he'd researched 'Wolf' he'd find TOTALLY different information! Still, whatever.

I do have all my usual weapons on me, just not my camping gear, or chocolate, or water, or rations bars… This is going to royally suck.

"I say we make it to the tower in one day. Take out all the teams we encounter in that time." I say, waiting for that stupid sign to come that the exam can begin.

"So we track them?" Naru-nii asks. "Sounds good to me. Sasuke?"

"It depends on how many teams we come across. But I don't mind."

"ALRIGHT, MAGGOTS! GO!" Mitarashi-san announces through the PA system. The gate FINALLY opens and we start casually walking ahead.

"Naruto. I suggest you be our scout this time. About fifty clones, stealth mode?"

"Just fifty?"

"It's only twenty-two teams."

"Fine, fine." One massive poof later, and a large amount of clones appear then immediately disappear. I smell them fanning out and heading out into the distance.

"I've got dibs if any team has cute weapons." I say, crossing my arms and pouting. I hate this test. I really do.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes us no longer than a half hour to encounter the first team. Rain shinobi. Two wearing these kasa hats you'd expect from someone working in a rice field or something, and two bamboo poles sticking up, one from either shoulder. The 'leader' isn't wearing a hat, and has three bamboo poles sticking up from either shoulder. I dislike them on principle alone.

"Uzumaki Naruto. The _supposed_ strongest. You were annoyingly easy to find." The 'leader' announces, sneering as if that's supposed to scare us.

"… Alright. Who wants the first group?" Naru-nii asks.

"Cute umbrella." I say, noticing that there are actually eight umbrellas they have, and not just bamboo poles.

"Aya…" Sasuke sounds annoyed.

"Deny that the umbrella's cute." I challenge him.

"You haven't even gotten a good look." He counters.

"Eyes?" I ask.

"Fine. But then you're taking them on by yourself." He really needs to remember that I'm the one in dire straits here! Very limited chocolate, what's the world coming to!?

"Yeah, yeah. Just back up then. And keep your eyes peeled. This won't be the only team around." I wave him off.

"Hey, sis. Make it snappy, eh! We want to be at the tower by tonight, right? I mean, you said yourself you didn't bring your camping things." Nii-san just had to go there.

"Yes, _mom_. I'll make it _snappy_." I tease, smirking as I walk up to the three idiots that only see a poor, helpless little girl. That just makes me grin.

"Naruto, would you please stop antagonizing her."

"Heh. You sound more like the mother in this relationship."

"Hnn. See if I step in when she goes ballistic."

"Heh. Says you. You'd be the first to want to test yourself against her when she's like that."

"… True."

"Thank you."

"Your welcome."

"That was rhetorical."

"I know."

"Would you two please shut up!?" I shout at them, still walking towards the three completely confused Rain shinobi.

"Heh… Sasuke got in twouble."

"Hnn."

"Oi. Shigure… I think these three are nuts. Shouldn't we just kill them and go?"

"I know that." 'Shigure' seems to be a bit put out, probably unsure what to even make of us. That's the whole point of these little skits. I grin just a little wider.

"Oi. Midare… that little girl gives me the creeps."

"Nn."

 **Snap.**

Two Sound Balls are instantly formed and fly right into the two sidekicks' ears. Three hundred decibels directly applied to their inner ears. Ouch. They're screaming, holding their bleeding ear and vomiting violently. That must seriously suck for you. I've gotta thank that Sound idiot for the idea. It's not graceful, but it's efficient.

"What'd you do!?" 'Shigure' sounds upset, but mostly worried. He probably didn't even see the Sound Ball at all. After all, they're REALLY small, and he only has one good eye.

"Personal jutsu. Step Two. I call them Sound Balls." I explain. I don't know why, but I don't care. I'm still casually walking towards him.

"Oh yeah! Well, how about I use a personal jutsu of mine then!" He grabs two of the bamboo poles, one in each hand, and tosses them high into the air. I don't have to look, Sasuke's watching with his Sharingan so he'll be able to show me how this trick works. At the top of their 'flight' the umbrellas open. "Senbon Shower!"

Cool. It's raining senbon. Really small ones though. I could probably just use sowing needles or something.

When the senbon are starting to get close, I raise my right hand –right…(?) yes, right– and…

 **Snap!**

Instead of compressing the sound waves into a ball, I let them expand semi-naturally but still in a controlled manner. The needles flying at me hit and bounce off the near-barrier of my Step One jutsu… I still don't have a name for it though. Maybe, Sound Barrier? Hmm, I'd still have to perfect it for that to be the case. It still has a lot of little kinks, but it's good enough for now. It wouldn't hold up at all against kunai, but senbon? Sure. More than enough power in there.

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"Good. Shigure. You have two options. You give me your umbrellas and theirs as well, along with your scroll. Or you die here."

"Like hell I will!" He's grabbing for his –correction, **my** – other umbrellas.

 **Snap!**

Before he can snap out of my genjutsu, I body flicker to him and knee him in the gut, hard. He's winded, but alive.

"Look, I don't normally offer twice. Just ask my teammates. But I don't _really_ hate you. So I'll offer this again. Give me what I want and you can walk away." Really, just cooperate, idiot.

He growls. A pitiful growl, mind you. He's still not breathing properly, and probably has never even heard a proper growl.

"That's the definition of stupidity. Goodbye."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Eight umbrellas and an earth scroll richer, we head off again. I don't feel like collecting all the senbon that idiot wasted, but Sasuke learned his secrets so I'm not complaining.

The next team we run into is a Grass team. The one with the Uzumaki. "Alright, who's got dibs?" I ask. I got me some new toys, and these guys don't look like they carry anything interesting at all.

Two guys, both just wearing one leg pouch. Both have short black hair, almost bald. Dispassionate looks on their faces and calculating looks in their brown eyes. They almost look like siblings, not because they look alike, but because they just act so much alike.

Karin –as her file lists her as– is completely different than them. Her red hair and violet eyes are the least notable feature in this as well. She's passionate, emotional, larger than life. She probably sticks out like a sore thumb in her village, if these other two are anything to go by.

"Check it out Onosuke. Uzumaki Naruto. Think he's related to the brat?"

"Like I care? I don't know why leader-sama sent her with us. She's useless."

"Don't be like that. Healers are never useless."

"To every rule, an exception."

"Perhaps."

I hate them already. Every time they speak, the girl closes in on herself. "Oi, Karin. I'll tell you what. I'll let you pick which one of these idiots I kill first?" Naru-nii steps up. He's obviously taken a stronger dislike than I have.

"…" She just stares at Naruto. She isn't sure what to make of him.

"Unless you'd rather me keep them alive? I mean, they don't seem very nice to you."

"Che. Are you listening to this, Onosuke? He must be related to her. Just as brash and useless."

"Hnn? I don't know. I've never seen him fight."

"Make up your mind, Karin. Once I unsheathe my scimitars, all bets are off." Naruto-nii doesn't even bat an eyelash.

"I don't care either way." Karin sounds so defeated. Like she hates her life. I don't understand.

"Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you."

 **Shhinnnnnng!**

In one clean motion, both scimitars are unsheathed. I haven't seen him use them outside of training yet – he's never needed them, and he doesn't want them to be associated with 'Fox'.

They are, of course, identical. Small Uzumaki red grip, meant for one-handed use. Black hilt. The blade itself is Uzumaki Red and is as long as Naru-nii's arm, about the width of his wrist near the hilt but thick as his thumb, but at the tip it's about the width of his hand when he stretches his fingers, and much thinner. He keeps telling me the varying width/thickness gives it a unique balance, but I don't buy it. Those things look uncomfortable to wield. Still, he's alright with them. I mostly just like the colours and the kitsunes near the tip, but he's the one that has to use to blasted things.

The scimitar in his left hand is held against his arm in a reverse grip, the blade pointing away from him, and held in front of him slightly tilted downwards and his whole body tilted forwards and downwards as well. The right scimitar is held vertically and behind him. Seriously, almost all of his body weight is on his right leg, as if he's going to make a wild dash for them.

His clan's kenjutsu style. He likes it, that's all that matters.

"That stance." Karin seems to recognize it. I shrug. This is Naru-nii's fight.

"Hnn? See. Now you've gone and upset the boy. You fight him." 'Onosuke' says.

"Whatever." The second one dual wields kunais, but doesn't immediately attack.

The battle is over before it even begins. One second Naruto is standing there and poised to strike. The next both boys are on the ground, in pieces. I don't even see him move, to be honest. That boy is scary good.

Karin falls back, landing ungracefully on her bum. She almost can't believe what she's seeing. Not that I blame her. I'm not sure how that boy does half the things he does. Still, you get used to it eventually, I'm told.

Naruto-nii does a little spin, letting the blood fly off his blades, and resheathes them. "Are you alright?" He asks Karin.

"Are you going to kill me too?" She asks, obviously afraid. I smell her fear as well as her arousal? Hmm. Attracted to power? Whatever.

"No. I'm not going to hurt you. Can I ask you some questions though?" He asks in a friendly sort of tone.

"…" She looks at the mess that used to be her teammates, then looks away. "Sure… but not here?"

"Works for me." He walks up to her, offering her a hand up. She looks at him, uncertain and more than a little afraid. I've seen this scene play out a thousand times. He's just going to smile warmly, that megawatt smile of his. Then when she doubts her current (negative) view of him, he'll offer his cheesy nice-guy-grin. She'll take his hand, and we'll walk away as besties. "I don't bite. I promise."

She takes his hand and he helps her up.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We walk for a bit, as relaxed as we have been all afternoon. Tch, yeah. The whole hour and a half we've been here. "So, got any family back home?" Naruto asks, trying to figure this girl out.

"Yeah. It's just my mom though." She says, smiling a little. "She's the village healer. She taught me a lot of her art. But she never mentioned having any family. She doesn't like talking about things like that much."

"I'll bet. Our clan comes from the Whirlpool Village. But it was destroyed towards the end of the Third Shinobi World War. So… about fifteen years ago, give or take a few years." I didn't know that. Well, he should – it's his clan's history. "My mom came to Konoha before it happened."

"I see. Is it just you then?" She asks, curious about that.

"No. I recently adopted two orphans that I'm raising as Uzumakis. And I'd found two other Uzumakis by chance. Brother and sister. We may be small in number, but we're family, you know?"

"Incoming." I give the heads up.

"Yeah, but it's Sasuke's turn." Naru-nii points out. Well, that's kind of true.

"Hnn." Sasuke smirks, he seems to like the idea too. Whatever. He's already unsheathing his sword. Jeez, that thing's REALLY long. Is he trying to compensate for something? I mean, I work with twin kodachis, about the length of my forearm. And a double-edged tanto, also about the length of my forearm. Short, quick, effective.

"So, what if I asked you and your mom to move to Konoha?" Naru-nii continues. Knowing I'll watch Sasuke's back – not that he'll need it, but you never know.

"Hmm? Why should we?" Karin asks, but she's mostly just curious.

"Well, why not. You'd be with family. We can take care of both of you. And you wouldn't have to worry about people trying to use you for your heritage, or whatever. And besides, Minori's too much to handle on my own. And only an Uzumaki knows how to handle an Uzumaki, you know?"

The three I smelled stay just out of visual range. They think we don't know they're there. "Sasuke?"

"I've got them." He assures me. Hey, I was just checking! Seriously though, his eyes must be good! I can't see them at all!

Sasuke starts walking in their direction, chokutou in his left hand. He's not too serious yet then, he normally uses both hands.

"Hmm. I'll think about it." Karin says, unsure what to even make of our team dynamics.

"That's all I ask. But listen, we're kind of in an odd situation here. We don't know if it's safe to let you wander on your own, and I'd rather not lose even more of my clansmen, you know?"

"Hmm. I can understand that." She agrees.

"We have a seal that would basically keep you unconscious and sealed away. Would you trust me enough to allow it?" She doesn't look too sure about that. "I swear, it's just until we get out of this death trap. I'll keep the scroll on me the whole time. And when I unseal you, it'll be somewhere I find safe enough for my family."

"… I dunno… how do I even know I can trust you?" She asks cautiously.

"I'll tell you what." I butt in. "You can hold onto my flute. I'd kill him if anything happens to it." I take out my shinobue, offering it to her. Seriously offering it to her.

"Sis…? Karin, please don't do anything crazy with that flute. Even if she doesn't kill me, Yasu-nee most definitely would."

"Exactly. So she'll know this is the real deal. I've only ever allowed my little sister to even touch this flute before." I explain seriously. Karin studies me for a moment, still unsure but less worried than a moment ago. "Seriously though. Don't break it. I love this flute."

She takes my pale shinobue, cradling it against her chest carefully. "Alright." Then she holds my baby crudely moving to snap it in two over her knee.

I snatch my precious away from her long before she gets the chance. "ARE YOU CRAZY!" I rub my precious, precious flute against my cheek. "I'm sorry, baby. Did that crazy Uzumaki scare you? I know, Uzumakis are crazy like that. Yes they are. But don't worry, mommy's got you."

There's a low whistle, drawing my attention back to the walking redheaded corpse. "You aren't kidding. You really do love that flute."

"Aya… calm down. She just wanted to make sure." Naruto-nii motions for me to calm down, stepping in between me and Karin.

"U. Zu. Ma. Ki~iiiiii!"

 **SLAP! SLAP! ... SLAP! SLAP! ... WHAP!**

Both of them are sporting not just red foreheads, but red faces. A perfect imprint of my right hand on both cheeks. Although Karin's currently counting sheep from the _extra loving_ 'love-tap'. I was even kind enough to remove Karin's glasses before slapping some sense into her.

"How's that for 'making sure'?" I sneer at the red-faced redhead. I put away my flute, not willing to give her a second chance, take the scroll and simply seal her away. Screw her! Trust or no, I'm not discussing this matter any further.

"Aya! A hand!?" Uchiha Sasuke, asking me for help? I look over to him, finding a bunch of illusions – they all have no scent at all. Ah, they went underground and he can't get to them without risking a kunai in his gut, or something. I kneel down, touching my left index and middle fingers to the ground, trying to locate them.

"Service!" I slam my right hand down with the needed moulded chakra. A moment later three Rain idiots are airborne, and Sasuke wastes no time vaulting up a tree trunk, dashing for them and cutting them into ribbons. "Hmm. I feel better. I should use that jutsu on more people. It's fun."

"Hnn. Where's the redhead?" Sasuke asks, while checking for the scroll. "Finally. A heaven scroll." He rolls his eyes, putting it in his pouch. I got an earth from that first team. We didn't even ask Karin about hers.

"Sealed her away. Tramp actually tried to break my flute after I offered it to her as a sign of trust."

"Hnn. Explains Naruto's face."

"Hnn! He didn't even try to stop her. And he defended her too!" Sasuke just shakes his head slowly. He knows how protective I am of my flute!

"Come on. We can start making our way to the tower. Aya, you want the next team?"

"Hnn! I already called dibs if they have cute weapons."

"What's that supposed to mean? We should split this up fairly between us." Naru-nii tries.

"You lost voting rights. So there!" I tell him, childishly sticking out my tongue at him.

"What!? That's not fair! I came up with the whole voting idea in the first place!"

"Nuh uh! Democracies have been around for centuries!"

"Yeah? Name one!"

"I can't. The monarchs destroyed that information during the Warring Clans period."

"Then how do you know there used to be one?"

"It's a secret."

"That's just lame."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next team we encounter? A Konoha team. That Kabuto guy's team. "Well, well. Look who we have here. The rookies are still alive, it seems" The silver haired boy just makes my skin crawl. I swear, from the first moment I smelled snakes on him, I knew something wasn't right. I called him in to Kakashi immediately, and it turns out his record is spotty at best – meaning plausible spy.

"Hnn." Sasuke doesn't like him either. And the fact that Sasuke even got in the first syllable, means that Naruto-nii doesn't either.

"My, my. Don't worry. We're not going to attack an ally. Listen, do you guys already have your scrolls?"

"Scrolls? We're just here for the gorgeous scenery." Naruto-nii is starting the skit? Crap, don't tell me we're actually taking these guys on?

"Oh?" Kabuto seems pleasantly surprised. For some reason.

"Yeah, I mean have you ever seen bears this big anywhere else? I think we ran into a wolf pack a while back too. Aya talked them down." That means he sees these guys as a threat, so take this serious. Oh, and I'm playing back up again. I roll my eyes. Why do I always end up playing second strings to these two?

"My, that's a useful skill to have." Kabuto seems to still be smiling that creepy smile of his. Seriously, it's unnerving.

"We're kinda resourceful like that, eh, Sasuke?" He's checking if Sasuke likes the plan now. Great. We're taking on three guys when we believe they're spies and don't know how strong they are. What could _possibly_ go wrong?

"Naturally." Sasuke smirks. And no one thinks to ask the medic if she feels like putting these two idiots back together when they're done?

"I see. Well, that's good. We'll be going then. We'll see you at the tower." And poof, they're gone. Good riddance.

"You're both idiots. You know that, right?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's not even ten minutes later when we're ambushed by two teams. Two Sound teams. That same group from earlier that attacked Kabuto at the beginning of the first exam. And another group I wasn't too impressed with during our scouting rounds.

"These people are seriously just nuts." I complain, rolling my eyes at the pathetic ambush attempt. I mean, I smelt them almost a half a kilometre away, and they were upwind! Idiots. They didn't even TRY to mask their scents.

"Hnn." Sasuke agrees. "Who's turn is it?"

"Mine. I guess. For the best too. I get to see what these idiots can do." I say taking out my flute. My precious, precious baby. "Oi! I'll tell you idiots what. If you lie down and play dead, I'll only stab you once." They'll never agree to that, but this way I can say I offered.

"The balls on this girl!" One of them comments. I make a face, not sure what to make of the vulgarity.

"Sorry, I'm not that kind of girl. But whatever you're into, I guess." I shrug, not even moving my flute to my lips. Let's see. That mummy looking on has the sharpest gaze. He's likely the planner. He's partnered with that arrogant looking one near him and the over-the-top arrogant brunette on his other flank. I know the mummy uses that thing on his arm, but I don't know if he has any other skills. I haven't seen his team's skills other than his own.

The other three, no clue at all. Probably sound based as well though. Hmm, maybe I should just take one or two of them down with kunai, just to make them take action? Nah, they aren't worth the investment. Chakra is cheaper.

"Oh! Before I forget! Hey, mummy dude! Thanks for showing me that you can use sound waves to attack the inner ear directly! I hadn't thought of that!"

"Dosu, what's she talking about?" The girl on his team asks.

"She wields a flute. A hiyashi styled shinobue. She might be a sounds user."

"But _his_ information didn't say anything about that!" Kabuto's, no doubt. Well, now we know why they showed up not ten minutes later in ambush style. And why he let them attack him. He was testing them.

"Maybe. But do you have another explanation?"

"Oi! You guys are kind of boring. Tell you what. I'll let you pick the first one of you to fall. Who's it gonna be?" I like how Naru-nii gets under people's skin with this little skit of his, so why not emulate it a little?

"Our fight isn't with you, girl. We just want the Uchiha." 'Dosu' tries.

"Tough. It's my turn, so you'll fight me first."

"Hmm… how about one team attacks you, the other attacks the Uchiha?" 'Dosu' thinks he's going to outsmart me?

"But it's Naruto-nii's turn after me. You guys really just don't know anything about a pecking order, do you." I say, grinning just to get under their skin. "Oi! You coming down, or do I need to come up there after you?"

"That's it! This one dies!" And there we have our first victim. He jumps down, trying to cut me with a weird looking sword. He isn't very good with it though. I sidestep him, kick him behind the knee to drop him and with one quick snap using my free hand, he's lifeless and floored.

"And look it. You guys still don't even know if I'm any good with sound release. You mind sending an **actual** opponent this time?" I say to try to rile them up, but they don't seem bothered at all. They just watched a teammate, or at worst a comrade, die. And none of them even react? I shake my head. Sound knows nothing of loyalty and camaraderie.

"Hmm? Skilled in taijutsu as well. Zaku. I think you'd be her ideal counter."

"Hnn. Of course I am." The next victim comes down. I like them, they're silly enough to try to take me on one-on-one when they should be trying to outnumber me. "Don't worry, little girl. This will only hurt for a while."

 **Snap!**

By the time he even has half a chance to register being in a genjutsu, my knee is already firmly in his gut. He flies back and into a tree trunk. Ouch, painful. "Don't worry, little boy. That will only hurt for a few weeks." I mock him right back. "Oh, let me show you the trick you helped me perfect by the way."

 **Snap!**

Two Sound Balls fly towards the two still standing that I don't know. Rupturing their inner ears. They drop out of the tree, landing on their heads. Ouch. I don't think their necks are supposed to be able to do that.

"Come on, guys. You're not even making this a challenge." I complain.

"Kin."

Needles fly at me. Just two needles. Wow. This is _sooooo_ dangerous.

 **Snap!**

The needles land on the ground. "Seriously. I mean, seriously? I haven't had to play one note yet. You don't even know if I can play a flute."

"Why would _he_ send us after you? The only thing I can guess is to test your strength. But that would mean we're just pawns." 'Dosu' is smarter than he looks, but that glint in his eyes already kind of hinted at it.

"That took a while to figure out. I mean… If what you guys are showing me is all you've got to work with? I'm not even close to being the strongest on my team. What would you do if you faced Sasuke?" I point out. "But, too late now. You're here. Oi, Naru-nii! I already took out a full team. You want these two?"

 **Snap!**

I focus my sound waves and create a barrier behind them, stopping the girl from running away. "Now, now. We mustn't leave without saying something. It's considered rude."

Hmm. I never did test Step Three on anything living. Let's see if it'll work.

 **Snap!**

A single hand-shaped figure, about the same size as my own hand, pops into existence. It flies over to the girl, grabbing her by the neck and pulling her to me. Her face is already turning quite red.

Hmm. It didn't explode on contact. Good. That means I've learned to stabilize it well enough. I can start working on Step Four soon then. I drop the girl a metre in front of me, hearing her wheeze pitifully as she tries to breathe again.

 **Snap!**

I grab 'Dosu' in the same way, dropping him next to her.

 **Snap!**

I grab that other guy that isn't dead but very much unconscious. "We're going to play a little game. It's called: don't lie to me. The rules are simple. Don't lie to me. Now, I'm going to ask you a lot of fun and interesting questions. And I'll know when you lie. I always know. Let's start now, m'kay? Sound Village is new so I know nothing about it. Who's the leader of the village?"

"Aya." Sasuke walks up to me, nudging me with his elbow. "You're good, but we have a schedule." He activates his Sharingan and makes eye contact with them.

The two still conscious shinobi, their eyes gloss over. "The name of your village's leader."

" **Orochimaru.** " They answer as one.

"Location of your village and how to find it."

" **Sound village is a series of underground lairs. We come from the Southern Lair, located in an underground maze near the border of the Land of Sound.** "

"The Land of Sound does not exist. It's previously known name."

" **The Land of Rice Patties.** "

"Your mission."

" **To kill Uchiha Sasuke.** "

"And if you fail."

" **Death.** "

"The name of the person that gave you the information on us."

" **Yakushi Kabuto.** "

"His position in your village."

" **Orochimaru's right hand.** "

"Sleep." And the two of them fall like puppets that had their strings cut. "Naruto. Seal them. They would prove useful to T&I and Intelligence. I've already alerted Kakashi. Team Rho will handle it."

"… Jeez, sis, you were scary good."

"Hello!? Did you see your fight? I was looking and I didn't."

"Circumstantial. The idiots let me prep my jutsu. You were being attacked."

"Yeah, but they didn't gang up on me. That might have made a difference."

"Maybe, but I doubt it."

"Guys?" Sasuke interrupts us, again! "The scrolls." Oh, right. I blush a little, completely forgetting that. Not that we really NEED the scrolls, but… you never know.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the tower without meeting any other teams. Thank Kami-sama! I just hope they have a little store or something in there where I can buy my chocolate!

And it only took us about six and a half hours too! That has to be some kind of record! Sasuke figures we need to open the scrolls, so we only take on heaven and one earth scroll and open them. Kakashi is the one to greet us, not surprisingly. He shows us inside, and we bring him up to speed on what we've learned – Sasuke does the talking. The three Sound shinobi we captured are unsealed, and Kakashi disappears with them. They're no longer our problem, so I decide to go looking for a snack bar or something.

"Hey guys, you here too?" Inuzuka-san. Of all the people I was hoping to see here, he _MOST_ **CERTAINLY** isn't one of them!

"Oi, Hina-chan! You guys here already?" Naru-nii seems happy at least. That's something. Not enough to counter the building headache, but something. And there's only a vending machine. With three flavours of instant ramen, canned teas, and NO CHOCOLATE! HEADS ARE GONNA ROLL!

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 41_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: That's just sad. Aya goes and forgets her chocolate stash, simply because she didn't think she'd not have the time to go and grab it. Sucks to be her right now._**


	49. Chouji: Questions and Answers

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 42 – Chouji: Questions and Answers_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Three days. I've been stuck in this Kami-forsaken forest for three days, before we finally run into a team that has scroll we need. But, on the bright side, at least I know my training is paying off. I'm kind of the brawns on our team, after all.

At any rate, after Shika figured out we had to open the scrolls, and after Iruka-sensei shows up and gives us this long-winded talk about ways to train –yeah, like he'll even convince Shika to train harder– we're shown into the tower.

And the first thing I notice? Aya, but not like I've ever seen her before. Her eyes are wide, like she's surprised, but there's a hint of… madness too. Like whatever has her like this finally pushed her over the edge. And seeing as Kiba's the one caught in the crosshairs, I can guess what happened.

"Oi, Chouji… I'd stand back if I were you." Naruto warns me. I look to him, wondering what he even means. "Sis is out of chocolate, there's none for sale here, and Kiba's been bugging her since we got here for a date. Even though we've been warning him time and time again… that boy just never learns." Naruto sounds exasperated with Kiba. Not that I'm any better, really. I mean, didn't everyone warn him?

Then again… everyone's been telling me… never mind.

"I get that she's a bit harsher without chocolate, but…" I look to Aya again. She isn't just harsh, she isn't just upset. She looks psychotic right now. Literally psychotic.

"Chocolate withdrawal."

"…" That's a thing? Hmm. Maybe this is my chance to get to talk to her then. It's a good thing I decided to keep some chocolate on me, just in case I had to bargain for my life. So I reach into my jacket and take out my scroll, unsealing three bars of chocolate – white, milk and pure. When bargaining for one's own life, one should be prepared to offer a variety of choices other than death.

Hmm, she likes pure more. So let's start with that. I put the other two into my jacket, in a separate pocket than my scroll in case it melts, or something. I rip the paper a little, making sure I'm making all the right noises for her to notice. Then I start to unwrap the chocolate. Her ears perk up, and I smirk. Yup. I'm the same when I hear someone opening a bag of chips.

Aya's head turns to me, just her head. I'm half worried she'll break her own neck because her head's turning so far that her chin's almost past her shoulder. She sees the chocolate in my hand, but she doesn't move. I wave it around a little, wondering if she can smell the chocolate the same way I smell a freshly opened bag of chips.

"Hey, Aya. I hear you're running low. Care for a bite?" She's on the chocolate before I can blink, showing nothing but a bite mark so big I think she might choke on the chocolate now obviously in her mouth. "Tell you what. You take this, I'll take you." She doesn't even seem to care. She snatches the chocolate bar from my grip and takes another bit, happily munching away – and the psychotic look is completely gone too.

I nod, happy with the result. I scoop her up, bridal style. She still doesn't seem to care. She just takes another bite and munches away like the world could be burning around her and she wouldn't care.

"Kiba, we'll have to… _talk_ about this another time." I say, giving the boy a wilting glare, not that he needs it. I think he might have peed his pants a little. At any rate, I turn to Naruto. "You know somewhere we can take her to get away from people?"

"Oh, chocolate-danna… you're so good to me. Why did you leave me, darling?" Aya REALLY loves her chocolate. I find myself smiling a little, wondering at the mystery now safely snuggling in my arms.

"Follow me." Naruto seems amused as well.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Why'd you have chocolate on you?" Ino asks as we're walking to wherever Naruto's taking us.

"I was planning on talking to her, remember?" I point out. She motions for me to continue, obviously not seeing the connection. "Well, I wasn't sure if she'd want to kill me, so I brought peace offerings just in case."

"Hnn. So he can think." Sasuke intones. He looks at the bombshell I'm carrying –in more ways that one, it seems– and he looks… intrigued.

"Hey, Sasuke! Look what found me! Chocolate-danna is back in town!"

"Good to know. Did you notice who brought it?" Sasuke asks, smirking.

"Uh uh. I just remember losing it after Kiba said something… Jeez, I can't even remember the last time I was that far gone." Aya sounds amused. Hmm, I wonder what Kiba said then.

"Why don't you take a look." Sasuke suggests. Aya rolls her eyes, but looks up at me. There's confusion at first, almost as if she can't make sense of what she sees. Then, there's pain, a sense of loss, and finally a blank slate as her brain reboots. "I thought so. Do you want to talk to him alone?"

"No." She says, her tone once again icy. I gulp painfully, having feared as much.

"I'll put you down first." I say, moving slowly so she doesn't suddenly get overwhelmed or something. Once I'm confident her feet are firmly on the ground, I slowly let her go and stand back up to my full height. She doesn't back away from me though. She's just staring at me with that blank stare, and taking a bite of her chocolate now and again. "Remember when I asked you if we could talk?"

"Nn." She takes another bite.

"Can we talk now?" I ask carefully. We have a few days, after all.

"Nn." She takes another bite. I'm almost sure she didn't swallow from her last bite, so that must mean her taking a bite itself is a message.

"I know I messed up. I panicked, said stupid things, and I hurt you because of it." She takes another bite. Yeah… about what I figured. "I didn't try to make it right after that, because I know with you it's one strike and you're out. I struck out, hard." She takes a big bite. She's thinking about what I said that day.

I give her a second to relax a bit. I know she won't talk, but I really don't want to overwhelm her right now. She swallows, taking a normal sized bite.

"I don't know if my words will mean anything. But I'm sorry. I've been beating myself up ever since that day. I've been losing myself in my training, trying to drown out the guilt. And then the other day when I heard Lee asking you out…" She takes another bite, immediately followed by another. "It hurt." She takes a third bite, larger this time.

I wait again, trying to sort through my thoughts – not that it's helping. She swallows, taking another normal sized bite.

"I'll be honest with you. I don't know what I feel for you. I know I like you, a lot… but I don't know anything beyond that. It's not like I have anything to draw on." I really hope I'm not rambling right now. Kami-sama, if I start rambling someone's going to end up killing me. "I just know I get nervous around you. And I get so jealous when guys show you that kind of attention. And I keep getting this weird feeling in my tummy, like I ate too much." I'm rambling. Kami-sama, I'm glad I bought a REALLY big bar of chocolate.

She takes a small bite this time.

"When I saw you kiss Lee… something inside me broke. Then when you started lashing out at us… it…" I fight back the tears. I'm not crying in front of people. "I know I hurt you, Aya. I know I deserve this and more, so I'm not asking for another chance."

She swallows, but doesn't take another bite.

"All I need to know. Is if I'm the only one that can make this right for you. If I'm the only one that can heal the bruises I put on your heart." She blinks, but her gaze is still completely blank. "Because if Lee can, I'll walk away. I don't want to, but I don't have the right to ask you to turn him away like I did you."

She moves the chocolate to her lips, but all I can see is the look in her eyes. Tears are welling up, pain is once again plainly visible. She takes one bite. Then a second. A third soon follows.

"Idiot." She doesn't even cover her mouth as she says that. The first tear falls. I wipe it away, smoothing her cheek as I do. She doesn't stop me. "Moron." More tears fall, and even though I wipe them away as well, fresh ones fall almost instantly so it doesn't seem to matter. I carefully tug her into a hug, making sure to be gentle enough that if she fights me, even a little, she wouldn't budge. She doesn't fight me.

"Stupid." Her name calling continues, stopping only for her to take another bite. "Jerk."

"I know." I agree with her. She takes another bite.

"Heartless. Insensitive." She takes another bite. Only this time, she also kicks me in the shin. Hard. I don't make a noise, knowing I deserve it. "Idiot." She kicks me again, harder. "Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot." Her arms snake around me, holding me tight. It's almost as if she's afraid this isn't real, like I'll disappear if she uses the genjutsu-release.

"I know. I'm the worst kind of idiot there is." I agree with her. "But…" Oh, Kami-sama… Chouji, she's already emotionally fragile right now. Please don't push her over the edge. "I could be your idiot… if you want me to be."

She holds me even tighter, almost to the point of it being painful. Kami-sama, I'm not making any sense. At all. Somehow, nothing ever seems to make sense when Aya's involved. Everything just ends up being one big, gigantic mess of things that make no sense at all.

I mean, she could be plotting a million different ways to cut me open. And even if I were skilled enough to stop her, I'm too close to hope I'd even notice in time.

The chocolate drops to the floor, and she doesn't even seem to care. I push her back carefully. Her eyes meet mine. Only these aren't the same eyes from a minute ago. These are the eyes from back then… when we kissed. Soft, gentle, vulnerable. Only now, there's almost a lining of hope as well. Her eyes are so expressive when she's like this.

"Do you want that? For me to be your idiot?" I ask her, my voice barely more than a whisper, as if I'm telling her a secret. I smooth her cheek again, grateful she isn't crying anymore.

Her arms snake upwards, around the back of my neck. She pulls me towards her, gently. She tips-toes, trying to come up to meet me. Her eyes are half-lidded again.

We kiss. A soft, gentle kiss. She backs up a little, her eyes studying me for a moment. We kiss again, only this time her kiss is wanting, needy. It's as if I'm her chocolate and she's been suffering from withdrawal for months. Years.

I hold her, wrapped tightly in my arms. I taste her lips over and over again. Her scent fills me up, almost to the point of overflowing. The broken pieces inside me don't ache. The funny feeling in my tummy is gone. Somehow her warmth fixed it.

She ends the kiss(es/ing), pushing me back a bit again. I open my eyes, finding that same look. That longing. That vulnerability.

She shakes her head, no. "I don't want another idiot. I have plenty of brothers." Her gaze never wavers from mine. "If you want anything at all from me… you'll have to grow up, Peter Pan." She smiles, soft, warm, welcoming and completely disarming. "When you find your way out of Neverland. Look me up?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I'm just sitting here. Confused. Completely and totally confused. Peter Pan? Neverland? I turn to Ino, hoping she understands. "Peter Pan?"

"Novel. It's about a boy that never grew up. He can fly with happy thoughts and pixie dust, lives in Neverland with a bunch of lost boys that don't grow up either. Fairy named Tinkerbell. Pirates."

"Okay… So how does that relate to me? I'm growing a little every day. And I'm turning thirteen soon, just like she is."

"'Growing old' and 'growing up' aren't the same. She's trying to tell you that she loves you, but you need to stop being such a child." I blink. I don't understand. "Look at Aya's life, Chouji. She's the breadwinner of her family. People depend on her, and they need to be able to continue depending on her. She's treating Naruto's family as her own as well. Taking care of them, providing for them. And… she may be thirteen, but she acts like she's in her twenties, if not her thirties. She's kind of had to. I mean, who'd catch her if she falls?"

I nod, thinking about that. What's that even like? Having people depend on you financially? Knowing that if you die on a mission, you don't just hurt people emotionally, but socially, financially… to know that if you don't take enough missions, your family won't eat? To have to plan so far ahead that even if the missions dry up, that you'll still have enough to survive the 'drought'.

I can't even begin to answer that. I've never even had a pet to take care of. Sure, I take care of those around me, but… not on that scale. They never had to depend on me. If I suddenly disappear for a few weeks, people will notice but their worlds won't stop because of it.

I mean… even if I look at my income from the missions we take. I mostly just blow it off on food. It's not like my parents need the extra money, and they still give me more if I ask. Regularly, actually.

…

Wow. I really am just a child.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 42_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Sometimes, in order to solve the problem, you need to first realise what the problem is. Realization is always the first step. From there... well, we'll just have to wait and see. Just an FYI, btw. Aya ate most of that bar of chocolate dealing with Chouji. And Kiba's still 'on the loose'. Now she has to deal with Lee as well when his team shows up, and... well, let's just say chocolate only lasts so long when she's stressed._**


	50. Aya-approved manipulations?

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 43 – Aya-approved manipulations?_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

This. Annoys. Me… Inuzuka. Annoys. Me…

"Oi, there you are! I've been tracking you down for hours!"

 **Twitch.**

"And that wasn't hint enough?" I grind out.

"Aya… it's alright. Really. You go on ahead. I'll talk to him." Chouji-kun offers, but it's not like it's going to make a difference.

"No, Chouji. Inuzuka-san needs to learn to back off, or next time I go berserk I'm going to have his head on a plague in my office."

"'Chouji'… since when is he 'Chouji' again?" Inuzuka-san sounds confused. Then he takes in a long, deep breath. Through the nose.

Oh, you're finally catching on, are you? How our scents are so mingled. But you know what. I don't even care about that. If the only thing you respect is another man's 'property', do me a favour. Come here. Show me what I'm missing.

I invite him, arms held wide but a glint in my eyes that promises death, and leaking killing intent while I'm at it.

"Sorry, Chouji… I didn't realise."

I growl. A **proper** growl. One that Inuzuka-san would recognize from his time with dogs as a wild animal that is pissed and isn't backing down. Every inch of me tenses. And my hands itch to grab my weapons, to unleash hell on this pissing-on-his-own-tail little puppy.

A warmth wraps itself around my middle, and suddenly Chouji smells much closer to me. "Aya… focus. You made it this far. Don't blow your chance at promotion for someone that isn't worth it." He whispers in my ear.

Inuzuka-san stares, shock plain in his eyes.

"Please. Let me deal with him."

"And _your_ promotion?" I ask, letting my features return to normal. That shocks Inuzuka-san the most, I think.

"I don't have mouths to feed." He reminds me. "If I mess up, no harm done. I just try again next time."

Suddenly, I feel hyperaware of how protectively his arm is wrapped around me. "You're coming with me then." I demand. He chuckles.

"You're sure?"

"Come on. I smell food. Let's go find out what that's about."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Oi! Aya-chan! What a coincidence finding you here!" Naru-nii, you are just too much sometimes. You know that? And of course, he just followed his stomach here and dragged poor Hina-nee along for the ride.

The source of the smell turns out to be two eateries for those that made it this far. Why they wait until the third day to have them set up, I'll never know. But at least there's food now. Sniff, sniff. No, no chocolate, but food. Instant ramen will never be a thing for me. I don't know how that boy can stand it.

"Hmm. I could eat. How about you?" Chouji-kun asks. I shrug. A warm meal couldn't hurt.

"Dog breath still bugging you?" Naru-nii asks. I snort, annoyed. "Thought so. If I didn't need this promotion…"

"Hnn." I huff, fully agreeing with him.

"Let's just hope we get out of this place soon. Being around him just annoys me right now."

"I wouldn't worry about him too much. It seems he smelled my scent on her, so he's backing off." Chouji-kun explains seriously. Having found what I want, I order a stir-fry shrimp – I find myself ordering that a lot these days, it's yummy.

"… I see." Hina-nee is the one the most upset about that. Not that I'm surprised really. You can't hang out with me and Yasu-nee and not pick up on some of our quirks – our hatred for women being seen as 'things', for one.

"I hope I get to fight him in the next round." Naru-nii says, his eyes hard as steel. "I'll be sure to… educate the pup."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Lee… I smell Lee. Crap. I really don't want to deal with this now, but he deserves to know. Giving him false hope isn't right… Crap. Now I feel guilty.

Yes, I'd warned him. Yes, I'd told him exactly what the situation is. But I never thought the 'what if' would ever happen. If I'd known, I'd never have accepted his invitation in the first place.

"You okay?" Naru-nii asks. Jeez, that boy must smell my moods or somethi… or he just smells Lee too.

"I don't know yet. I'll tell you after I talk to him."

"Hmm?" Chouji-kun looks at me, worried. "Lee?" He guesses. I nod. "Do you want me to come with you?" I shake my head. This is something I need to handle on my own. I do make sure to pop some chocolate in my mouth though. Kami knows I'll need it.

So I head out, following my nose, trusting that I'm doing the right thing. It takes me almost fifteen minutes to track him down – sitting at the eatery. "Lee." I say, sitting next to him.

"Aya-chan! It is good to know you are already here. Neji thought he sensed a few of your fights, but we just never found you again after that first afternoon."

"Nn. We made it here in six hours, more or less." I say, biting my lip nervously. "One of the advantages of Naru-nii declaring us the strongest – no one ever believes him."

"Chouji-san is here as well then." How did you know that? "Please do not worry, Aya-chan. I saw it in his eyes that night. I knew. I cannot promise I will take it easy on him should I face him though. I would offer him the same respect I offer any opponent."

"I'm sorry."

"Heartfelt passion is nothing to be sorry for, nor ashamed of." He says, smiling at me. That light glinting off his teeth glare, and a nice guy pose too. "Besides. I am certain that if he messes up again, your family will kill him. They are rather intense." I giggle. I can't help it!

"I'm sorry about them. Really." I say, trying to keep a straight face. But… picturing Chouji-kun sitting between Kakashi and Momochi-san. Naru-nii caught up in the mix this time as well. Ao-chan isn't likely to be much better either. And I think even Haruki would join them. It's not as if the whole pack doesn't know what happened between us by now. Well, what happened before this exam at least.

"Why would you be? It is a sign of love and respect for you, as part of the family. I expected no different, though being seated between two jounin isn't exactly something I'd prepared for." He tells me honestly. I smile. Yeah, and that's just the two that are more regularly around me. He wasn't introduced to Shikaku-san… Chouza-san… Inoichi-san… Hmm, I seem to be getting quite close to a lot of people these days. And I'm not even blaming Ino for it!

"If it makes you feel any better… you haven't even been introduced to the worst of them." He shivers.

"If nothing else, I think this was good training. Meeting another girl's family will never be as scary as meeting yours." I giggle again.

"Aww, Lee, you say the sweetest things."

"…" He just shakes his head, unsure what to say. Still. I'm glad there are no hard feelings.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Noon on the fifth day finally arrives. We're all lined up according to teams. Hokage-dono is explaining something. I don't know. I don't care. What I know…

 **Twitch.**

Is that this better be over, like now. I need chocolate. I need it now.

There's coughing, and a new scent spreads through the room. "If I may continue, Hokage-sama." More coughing. "There are too many of you here. So we will be holding a preliminary round to thin the numbers somewhat. Do not worry though. As of now all matches are one-on-one. So should one of your teammates falter, you may still continue."

Of course. Why not. I didn't kill enough chuunin hopefuls, let's pit them against me when I'm **_this_** close to losing my mind for the second time in five days… Makes perfect sense.

"Each match will be randomly selected. When your match is announced, you have one minute to enter the ring. If you do not, you are automatically disqualified." Cough, cough, wheeze. Yes. That makes even more sense. Wonderful.

We all make our way up to the balcony. I find myself smirking when I see the amount of packmates glaring at Inuzuka when he gets a little too close to me. Kakashi seems to be one of them as well. That just makes me grin.

I wonder who's gonna be pit against him.

The first match is announced. Uchiha Sasuke versus Yamanaka Ino. Ouch. "You've got to be **kidding m** e!" Ino doesn't like the match up either. The two of them make their way down. Sasuke-

 **Twitch, twitch.**

Sasuke as cool as a cucumber, Ino sweating bullets. It would take an act of Kami-sama for her to win.

"Hey, hey, Sasuke-kun. Tell me. What would it take to get a date with you?" Ino just has to go there.

"Hnn?" He thinks about that – not that anyone but Naru-nii and I would even notice. "Oh, that's easy. If you can beat Aya in a spar, I'll happily go on a date with you."

"HEY! KEEP ME OUT OF YOUR LOVE LIFE!" I totally ignore the two snickering idiots beside me – a blonde on my right, a larger than life brunet on my left.

"… Anything less… suicidal?" She doesn't like that at all. I roll my eyes, grumbling about stupid Uchihas and their stupid stupidity.

"No. That's good." He smirks, pleased with himself. And I just know I'm going to be getting requests for spars by the barrel now.

"Oi! Sasuke! You do realize that sis isn't going to be too happy with you later, right?" Naru-nii points out, sounding REALLY amused.

 **Twitch. Twitch.**

When can we leave? "I'm treating you guys to lunch. And yes, Aya… that means all the chocolate you can stomach."

"Aya likes! Ino! Hurry up and lose already!"

She looks at me, shrugging and sighing in sort-of defeat. "Well, there goes my cheering squad."

"You lost Aya's support the second you were pit against me." Sasuke. That's just wrong. Not factually incorrect, but oh so wrong.

"Yeah, yeah. But at least I get to sleep in her bed." Why. Why am I getting dragged into this? And why isn't the match starting? And… are those guys stifling a nosebleed?

"…" Poor Sasuke is just as lost as I am. "Somehow I think Haku has a better chance than you do."

"OI! I CAN **HEAR** YOU!" I grumble about stupid idiots and continuously dragging me into their stupidity. "PROCTOR! START THE FRICKING MATCH ALREADY!"

Cough, cough. "I was rather enjoying that. Combatants ready!? Begin!"

All that smack talking, and Ino gets blindsided the second the match begins? Sasuke body flickers behind her, sword against her throat. Boom. End of match. So why did I get so involved in a match that isn't even mine!?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Kankuro gets pitted against some Cloud guy. Kankuro beats him, purely because the cloud guy didn't know he was a puppeteer.

Temari gets pitted against Lee's teammate, Tenten. Poor Tenten never stood a chance.

Then I hear Hina-nee is pitted against her cousin… Hyuuga Neji… the prick that probably undermined her self worth for as long as she's been alive.

I find myself sneering and twitching at the boy, warning him not to hurt my sister in any way.

Their match starts. But not the way Hyuuga-san is expecting. At least, if his shocked, what-just-happened look means anything.

Well… that and finding out just how effective our snap-genjutsu is when combined with Hinata's Water Release: Water Bullet. That's sooooo leaving a nasty bruise on his cheek!

"So it would seem that the Hyuuga princess has resorted to cheap parlour tricks." Stick, meet Hyuuga-san's backside – you two were made for each other.

Hina-nee, of course, just laughs at the idiot. Laughs. In his face. Our pack laughs right along with her too – it's fricking hilarious! "Neji-nii-san. I am a kunoichi of Konoha. I will use whatever means is needed to ensure my mission is carried out successfully." Take **that**! And without a stutter too! Roar, Hina-nee, **ROAR**! "If that means 'cheap parlour tricks', then perhaps I should show you just what my time with the Namikis has taught me."

"Hnn. It will make little difference."

"We shall see. But you'll, of course, tell father and the elders for me, won't you? How I've bloomed away from your clutches?" Ouch, girl. Ouch.

"…" That hits him. And I like the wordplay here. Is she talking about This Hyuuga's clutches, or ALL the Hyuuga's?

"Oh. Right. We should be fighting. Aya-chan won't be pleased if she has to wait because of you."

I'm glad I'm out of her effective radius up here. Because the next thing I know, there's a staccato of snaps-genjutsus, punches, Hyuuga-styled pokes, kicks, and just for the show… a groin kick – that'd be the chocolaty dessert. Total elapsed time? Three seconds. I blink.

"THAT'S MY HINA-CHAN!" Naruto-nii is a cheerleading squad all on his own, but the rest of the pack still howls for her to show our support – it's a thing Naru-nii came up with.

Hyuuga Hinata howls right along with us.

"Holy crap… Aya's seriously teaching Hinata her signature moves!" Inuzuka-san seems shocked. I don't know why.

"Um, duh?" Naru-nii pokes fun at the clueless idiot. "But the true beauty is how Hina-chan makes it her own."

"You taught her that, didn't you." I don't ask. Adaptation is a defined Uzumaki trait, after all. Which is why I **_really_** respect all Uzumaki kunoichis; it's also a defined kunoichi trait. Other than Karin. That girl's just plain ol' crazy. If she's my kind of crazy remains to be seen.

"Duh?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next match is Naruto-nii versus Chouji. I love Chouji… I really do. But you might as well pit a fangirl against Sasuke. The results are nothing if not predictable. At least Chouji walks away with little more than a bruised ego.

Aburame-san gets pitted against another Cloud guy. Cloud didn't send a strong team this year.

Eventually I get bored and ask Hina-nee what she calls that attack of hers. "Lion's Heavenly Retribution." She tells me, smiling warmly. That last kick to the groin is definitely retribution. If it's heavenly is a whole other box of chocolates.

Nara-san gets pitted against that last Cloud girl – he of course loudly complains about facing a girl to begin with. The outcome, once again, is nothing if not predictable. The more names get called, the wider I grin. Because Inuzuka-san and my names haven't been called yet.

And as luck would have it! I don't get to go against Inuzuka. No, of course not. He gets pitted against Gaara. I groan. This means I'm going to end up having to save his sorry behind! Hana wouldn't like it if her little brother got killed – no matter how much she complains about the idiot.

Inuzuka-san starts off antagonizing a sociopath. Yes, yes. Off to a running start. And what does he do when said sociopath talks about feeding his and his partner's blood to 'mother'? Make a joke about it being the redhead's 'time of the month'. Uh huh. Your mouth will certainly never get you in trouble, Inuzuka.

"I give him ten seconds before he needs to get bailed out." Naru-nii drones.

"I hope not. I'd like to see what Gaara can do." I point out. Naru-nii and Sasuke just glare at me dully. "What? I didn't say he'd be able to. I'm saying I hope and what I'd like."

"Wordplay defence?" Sasuke's eyebrow rises about a half a millimetre; _really_?

"What? I'm being complete honest!" He fixes me with a dull glare. "I am!"

And of course, Naruto-nii just has to be right. Gaara pops the cork on his gourd and sand explodes from it, swallowing Inuzuka-san whole. "You get the idiot, I get Akamaru?" I offer Naru-nii. He nods.

 **Snap!**

I make a Step Three hand (needs a better name) and substitute it with Akamaru. The little pup looks at me, worried. A second later, Naru-nii's shadow clone substitutes with Inuzuka. Akamaru jumps from my –perfectly safe and one-hundred percent sane(ish)– hug and jumps over to lick a mangy mongrel. Loyalty can be a curse too.

And of course, winner by interference, Gaara the sociopath!

"At least we know he uses sand?" I offer. No one's impressed. Don't say I don't do nice things for him!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Last match. Me and Lee. I don't plan on losing. Neither does he. I could technically guilt him into letting me win. But that's just not my style. He's only seen me use taijutsu, and even then never my weapons. Anyway you look at it, I need to win. I need to be promoted. I didn't spend the last five days not castrated that stray to end up not getting promoted!

"Sorry, Lee. I can't stop here." I say, honestly feeling sorry for what I need to do.

"Then we are in full agreement that this should be our first true match." Lee smiles, like he tends to when he sees a challenge he wants to overcome.

"No. This won't be, Lee." I warn him, taking my stance. Right hand on my tanto's grip, left arm bent in front of my at a ninety degree angle. Left leg slightly out ahead, bent at the knee and me leaning forward with most of my weight on it. Right leg behind me and positioned like I'm going to make a mad dash.

"Oh?"

"That's why I'm apologizing."

"Combatants ready!? Begin!"

 **Snap!**

His eyes gloss over and I body flicker to him, kneeing him in the gut, hard. He flies back and into the wall.

 **Snap!**

I body flicker to him once again, placing my tanto against his windpipe, while 'kneeling' on the wall area around his midsection. "Forfeit, Lee, and I'll tell you the secret of how to overcome this weakness you have."

"… So you have been holding back. Truly a shame. Very well. I shall forfeit this match!" He doesn't even sound winded. This boy's probably used to taking a sound thrashing during a real fight.

I resheathe my tanto, leaning in to whisper into his ear. "Ask your sensei about a training regimen to react to outside stimuli while under the influence of a genjutsu. It's nearly impossible to master, but if anyone can, it's you, Lee. Take away my genjutsu advantage, and you'll have me at a disadvantage once again."

"I did not know such a thing was possible." He murmurs, shocked.

"Anything is possible. You just need the drive to make it real." I remind him. "I need a strong sparring partner to test myself against. I need someone that can overcome any advantage I cook up. Don't let me down, Lee." With that I flip back, wondering why I haven't gone completely bananas yet. Hmm, maybe the guys are right? I might just be an adrenaline junkie after all. After all, the longer I watched the fighting, the calmer I seemed to become. So we'd better hurry the hell up out of here before I kill someone! The fighting's done!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Of course. The fighting's done, so now we need to talk. We're explained that we have one month to prepare for the third exam, to be held somewhere on the planet. We're asked to pick a number 'randomly' pitting us against our opponent for the first round. I don't believe anyone that says something is 'completely random', that's a blatant lie. Ninja never allow for a 'random factor' they cannot predict.

Sasuke's pitted against Naruto in the first match. I'm against Hinata. Nara's against Temari – he might be complaining about the matchup, but I don't care enough to notice. Kankuro's against Aburame. Gaara's not in the first round. I shrug, not caring. I just want my chocolate.

Can we leave _now_?

No, of course not. Everyone's dismissed, but we –Team Seven– are asked to stay. Once the Anbu guards confirm we're alone, Hokage casts a jutsu; I'm guessing a privacy one. Whatever.

"This is troubling." Hokage begins. I agree, I still don't have my chocolate. "I'd expected Orochimaru to make very different moves during this exam."

I shrug, not caring. Of course, that just means Kakashi needs to add his two cents to show me what I'm 'missing'. "He allowed for three of his agents to be caught. They know little about the invasion. Not even a date. However they've been given orders to avoid any Sand shinobi, so it's safe to say they're involved."

"Yes, I'd suspected as much when I'd heard of Gaara." Hokage comments, almost offhandedly. "You said those Sound teams were after Sasuke specifically?"

"They said as much." Sasuke says.

"Hmm." Hokage looks troubled. I know the feeling. Life without chocolate is troubling. Can we go _now_? "Kakashi. Sasuke may well be at risk. You are to stick close to him at all times. Naruto, I have someone that wants to meet you. Come to my office tomorrow at ten AM. Aya, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you and your home to go into lockdown for the next month. Something is going on, and I don't know what. Zabuza and Haku will have to move in temporarily. And I'll be placing Anko there as well."

I glare at the idiot that thinks he can tell me what to do in my own home.

"Aya, there is more going on than you know." He says, not backing down.

Still glaring. And now that twitch is coming back full force as well.

"If it helps, I'll be asking Yoshino to stay with you as well." He tries. That is less of a problem, but Mitarashi? Why? Why would I let that woman anywhere **near** my pack? "Aya." His tone is softer, more understanding. And I'm still glaring at him. "If someone like Orochimaru tries to get in, you're going to need every resource available to protect not just your family, but my grandson as well. Do you understand?"

I wince, looking away.

"Good. Now that that's settled. Kakashi. Figure something out to hide Sasuke away. No one is to know, not even me. Team Rho is at your disposal for the time being." Other than Mitarashi, who's obviously MY PROBLEM! I groan, already hating what's coming.

"I understand." Kakashi does… something. I don't know or care. Let's just go! I don't need more reasons to get annoyed, and I certainly don't need **another** reason to go berserk!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Twitch. Huff. Glare. Growl. Snarl. Nothing seems to work make the situation better.

Inuzuka is right there waiting, with Hinata. And Chouji, Ino and Nara. Aburame is probably wondering about the logic of waiting on us. Yuuhi and Sarutobi are there as well. I don't get it. I don't want to get it. And seeing as none of these people have chocolate, I'm not going to be persuaded to care.

"Kiba, seriously. I'm not going to save you if you do something stupid." Naruto warns.

"No one will." Sasuke adds. Hinata and Ino flank me, trying to offer some comfort. Comfort, nice; chocolate, better.

"Oi, I'm just trying to apologize!" Inuzuka, you're being loud. I glare at him, warning him for the last time! One more word and I'm going full-on berserk mode on his ass!

"Maybe, but you're just making things worse. Do yourself a favour, can it." Ino offers, links arms with me. Whether that's a sign of restraint or friendship is up for grabs. Hinata does the same. I'm going with restraint.

"Chou-"

The next thing I know, I'm standing over Inuzuka, he's out cold, his partner is barking angrily at me, and I'm feeling much better. Inuzuka looks like he got into a fight. My fists are somewhat sore; especially my knuckles. He isn't bleeding though, so I don't think I killed him. Not brutally at least.

"Aya." I turn, finding Naruto is the one approaching me. "You alright?" I blink. Should I not be alright? "Want me to carry you? I promise, we're going straight for your chocolate." I blink, slowly this time.

"Piggyback?" I find myself asking.

"If that's what you want." He says. He turns around, offering his back to me. I blink a few times, wondering about that. Well, there's no real reason not to, I guess. So I climb onto his back. We start walking again. I think Sarutobi's the one that grabs Inuzuka. Not sure I care. Nope, don't care.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Chocolate-danna, you really shouldn't leave me alone for so long. Why do you like doing that to me these days?" I ask, happily munching, smiling. Six bars of chocolate are on the table in front of me. Two chocolate muffins. Three chocolate brownies. And this little yummy thing they call an éclair? I don't care. Chocolate. Yummy chocolate as far as my eyes care to see!

"Hnn. You sane again?" I blink, looking up and finding Sasuke sitting across from me. Well, Naru-nii's across from me and Sasuke's next to him. I blink again. Where are we?

"Um? I guess?" I offer, narrowing my eyes for a second. I wonder what he even means. "Shouldn't we still be in that tower though?"

"Brain's still rebooting. Have another." Sasuke motions to the chocolate in front of me. Well, if you insist. I grab an éclair and nibble away, happy to be alive.

That feeling lasts a whole five seconds. Then, "Crap. Mitarashi-san…"

"Hey, welcome back, sis. Missed teasing you." Naru-nii, really? I take in the crowd I find myself in. I'm sitting between Hina-nee and Ino. Chouji-kun's on the other side of Ino. Nara-san's on the other side of him. Inuzuka's not here, thank Kami-sama, and Aburame-san… he had to leave like a half hour ago? Wow, I was REALLY out of it!

Kakashi is here though. I'm not really sure I'll ever understand that man.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 43_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Don't worry, I'm not going to go cheap on the matches during the third exam, but with Aya having an episode there isn't a whole lot that could be done about it :P_**

 ** _We have a whole 'month' between this last scene and the final exams. Let's see what craziness turns up, shall we?_**


	51. Chouji: Back to the start

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 44 – Chouji: Back to the start_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about this. Shika's the only one from our team in the final exam; not that that's in any way surprising. What is surprising is that his family is pretty much moving in with Aya for the next month. I… don't know how to feel about that. Not because I'm jealous, or worried or anything stupid like that. But mostly because… I'm not sure if I'd be welcomed there.

Anyway, I'll just have to go ring on and see what that gets me. But for now, I've got a few things to deal with for myself. I want to talk to mom about some things, and I want to talk about dad about some more training, and I want to start working on a few projects. Asuma-sensei already said that he'll be focusing on Shika for the next month, so Ino and I have 'some time off'. I plan on using that time.

"Hey, mom. Can I talk to you?" I ask, wondering if she isn't too busy with cooking and whatnot.

"Sure, sweetie. What's on your mind?" She seems amused by something for some reason. I narrow my eyes a little, wondering about that. Mom always seems to know things she sort of shouldn't know.

"Well…" I wonder how I should even bring this up. "I'm trying to… round out my training a bit. So I want to start including some… other aspects of not just a shinobi's training, but perhaps some more…"

"Sweetie. You're speaking so carefully that I know you're trying to hide behind your words. Why don't you tell me what the problem is, and the possible solutions you've already come up with on your own."

Yeah, that's more or less what I mean. "…It's a bit… personal."

"Is it." She just smiles a little wider. "Well, I'll try to help if I can."

Why do I get the feeling she's already figured this out and just wants me to say it? "Do you need a hand with cooking?"

"Company is always welcome. Would you mind cutting the lettuce?" She nods to the cutting board she already has out, and the two heads of lettuce sitting on it with a knife right next to it. Uh huh. Yeah, she saw this coming.

I nod, starting to cut up the lettuce the way she taught me to – after washing my hands, of course. "I talked to Aya during the exam." Somehow, having my back to her makes this a little easier. I'm not sure I understand –or want to understand– why that is.

"I see." I can hear the smile in her voice.

"Yeah. She compared me to Peter Pan?" There's a slight choking sound, so I turn and look at her over my shoulder, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary. She's just there seasoning the meat, nothing unusual at all. "She said to look her up when I find my way out of Neverland."

Her shoulders seem to be shaking just a little. Not much, but enough to mean something. "I see." I still hear a smile in her voice, but I can't make sense of her at all.

I continue chopping the lettuce, wondering about her odd behaviour. "Yeah. I didn't really understand it at first, so I asked Ino. I mean, girls tend to be able to translate what another girl says, so…"

She doesn't say anything this time. I wonder about that. What is she thinking?

"Ino explained how Peter Pan is this guy that never grew up. And how even though Aya's physically thirteen, she's mentally like twenty or something. How she had to grow up really quickly because of living on her own and all that."

"… Yes, I suppose that's part of it." Mom says, her tone more serious now. I narrow my eyes a little, trying to understand what she means. She doesn't continue though.

"Anyway, I've been wondering about what I can do to start focusing on the future. So I figure the best place to start is asking you. I mean… you really take care of people, you know. So, maybe you could help me…?"

"Help you to grow up?" She's… feeling something I can't pin down. I don't really know what to make of her at all. "Sorry, Chou-chan. No one can help you grow up. You have to do that on your own. All I can do is be patient."

"No, mom. I know that. I mean, help me figure out the first steps to take. Point me in the right direction." I explain a little better, I hope. "I'm going to be bugging dad for more training again. And I'm going to start studying a few scrolls Asuma-sensei gave me… but somehow I think that is only half the story, you know? Like even if I become the strongest Akimichi in history, I'll only ever be halfway to where I need to be."

I think about that some more, trying to pin down in words what's been bugging me since that talk with Aya.

"I mean… I've been thinking about how I've been handling my life so far… I agree with Aya. I've had it so good that I don't even realise that there are people that struggle. And even though I'm earning my own money, I keep bugging you and dad whenever I'm running low on cash. But the thing is… I'm not sure how to fix that. I mean, yeah I could just start taking more missions after the third exam. Which isn't a bad place to start, but I still feel like there's more to it than just that."

That just keeps running through my head, over and over again. I finish with the first lettuce, so I grab the pieces and place them in a bowl so mom can use them when she's ready. I start cutting up the second one.

"I mean… I don't even know how much money I'd need to make per week to support myself. So I don't know how many missions I'd need to bug Asuma-sensei to take. Then there's what to do with the money I make. It makes more sense to have more than I'd need, but I'd first need to find out how much I need. You know? And… to be honest with you, I've been going over the prices of the food I've been buying… it's ridiculous how much money I put into food that doesn't even fill me all that much. Like chips. I love chips, but I'd need two large bags, at least, to fill me. And that's just once. I did a little calculating, and I seriously end up eating about thirty bags of chips a week! That's a lot of money wasted that I could be spending on other things, you know?"

"Hmm…"

"It gets worse though. I mean, the more I start to think, the more I realise how much is going on I don't know about. I mean, I'm the heir of the clan, but I've never bothered to learn anything about how the clan works. I've never accepted dad's invitations to go to any of the Four Clan meetings unless he bribed me with snacks, and… even if I think about just around the house… I don't… I don't know how anything gets done." That last comes out so soft, I wonder if she can hear me. "If you told me that my clothes go from the hamper straight back to my closet… I wouldn't know how to even respond to it."

"Hmm…"

"I'm… just a child. A stupid little kid that thinks he's so grown up. That just because I wear a headband, I'm an adult and I can make up my own mind how things should get done." I say, my tone sour. "I… I don't want that. Not anymore. I need to figure this out, but there's just so much, you know? Where do I even start?"

"With the basics." Mom says. I can't make out what she's thinking, at all. Not that that's anything new. "Help me this week. I'll give you some chores, and some books to study. Go with me to the market and start helping me with the bookkeeping. It might all seem like chores, but it's the best place to start figuring out what an adult needs to deal with."

I think about that. Well, I haven't exactly spent a lot of time with mom lately. Maybe this is a good place to start; she would never point me in the wrong direction either. "Alright. I'm in your hands, mom."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After helping mom cook lunch, we eat and I help her with the dishes. Then I'm instructed to follow her. She brings me into her office, leads me to her bookshelf, and she goes over the selection of books she has. "Aya's a bit of a bookworm herself. She's probably read most, if not all, of these books. But I think you'd best start out with these two."

I'm handed two books. 'Peter Pan and Wendy', and 'Pride and Prejudice'. I blink.

"Don't just read the words. Study them. Try to learn what the book means, what the hidden message is behind the pretty words." I nod, unsure what to make of that. "I'll give you a hint. Start with Peter Pan and Wendy. And consider each character as a symbol for something else. They aren't just people being written about, they are symptoms of something bigger. Try to figure out what."

I nod, thinking about that.

"Go on. Start reading. I'm going to start cleaning in about two hours. See what you can figure out in that time."

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Hey, Re-chan. Busy day?" Dad asks, walking into the kitchen as mom's cooking dinner. He hugs her from behind, his arms wrapped around her waist, and kisses her on the cheek.

"It wasn't too bad. Chouji's been giving me a hand around the house." Mom says, I can hear her smiling again, but I rather just get back to my book. This whole 'Peter Pan' thing is interesting. I mean, if you look at him, his personality, his quirks, he's a complete and total child. He likes danger and adventure and exploring the unknown. But… he's also completely lost. He doesn't understand the world around him, he doesn't know how things really work, even though he's skilled enough to deal with it anyway.

"Has he? Well, how'd you work that miracle? Have you been stealing a page from my book and bribing him?" Dad jokes, chuckling loudly.

"Oh no. He came to me on his own." Mom sounds amused again. I ignore them both.

Wendy on the other hand, is what you'd expect from a girl her age. Well, an eldest sibling that happens to be a girl. She's mature, nurturing, she takes care of everyone around her, and even though she's obviously falling in love with Peter, he just can't process that and acts more like her son – even going so far as to tell her he loves her like a son should. She needs more than he can offer, because he just won't grow up.

That's what Aya meant.

"Has he now? And you have him reading classic literature, too?" Dad, you're being loud. It's hard to read when you're being so loud.

"Uh huh. He says he wants to bug you about some more training too. Even though he didn't make it to the third round, he figures he should make the most of the time he's given. Says he wants to start understanding how the clan works too." Mom sounds more than amused now. I think there's a sense of pride in her tone.

Hmm. What if… what if the 'lost boys'… what if their 'being lost if the garden' means something totally different? I don't know what it could mean, but I think there's something more to this. I mean, being in Neverland means you never grow up? But then, why does Peter come to 'our world' to 'collect' more boys? And why is there only Wendy – the only girl. Well, other than Tiger Lily, but she's the only girl of that Indian tribe. A whole 'world' and only two girls in it – one of which doesn't even belong in that world.

…

Tiger Lily… she acts like a tomboy too. Getting into trouble, just like the boys. That's how Peter found her in the first place, she was doing something stupid. So a world full of boys, and a tomboy. Why do I get the impression that the author is writing this for boys, to show them something? I mean, playing pirate… if you compare that to playing ninja here? It's a game all kids play, though mostly boys do. Never wanting to grow up, always wanting to play games meant for kids, but in a dangerous way? Hmm… but what does it mean?

"Does he now…"

"He does. We've agreed that he'll be helping me around the house this week. With cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, bookkeeping, all the boring stuff."

What if… what if the hidden message is trying to find the dangers of the games we play? Not as a girl, or our mom, trying to lecture us on how stupid we are. But as a guy who's been there, trying to warn the younger generation about the pitfalls we don't see coming?

"Hmm… Well, I have a few meetings set up next week. Maybe I can take him along and show him how a clan head does things?"

"That sounds great dad." I say, meaning it. I'm still reading and wondering about this book, though.

"… Okay. Who are you and what have you done with my son?"

"His Wendy is trying to coax him out of Neverland." Mom sounds REALLY amused this time.

There's a low whistle. "I'd better tell Shikaku. If he or Yoshino can find a girl to motivate Shikamaru… That boy'd be the most dangerous genin in the village, if not the world."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Eight-hundred and eighty-two… eight-hundred and eighty-three… hmm, isn't this weird? I talk to mom about helping me grow up, and dad puts me on his personal training regimen. I've also been given a few clan scrolls I'm meant to study as well – Akimichi clan history, Four Clans history, and inter clan relations between the Akimichi and dozens of other clans right here in Konoha.

Eight-hundred and ninety-one… eight-hundred and ninety-two… to make it even more complicated, dad's been bugging me about picking up a weapon. He suggests gauntlets or a naginata, but wants me to make up my own mind. Hmm, we'll see. I'm more focused on my mind right now, and this stuff is hard enough to figure out sometimes.

It's been two days since getting back from the second exam. Two days. I… don't even recognize the world I find myself in. Dad's got me wearing weights. Mom's got me doing laundry and reading books. I'm constantly bugging her about that Peter Pan theory I'm working on. I… I wonder if Shika and Ino would even recognize me when they see what I've been up to.

…

I doubt it.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hey, Chouji. Where have you been hiding?" Ino asks the second she sets foot in the house. She takes one look at me, and her jaw drops.

"What's with the look?" I ask her, annoyed.

"… What are you doing?"

"Baking muffins?" I think it would be obvious, seeing as I'm here reading a cookbook which clearly shows a picture of a chocolate muffin.

"… Why?"

"Why not" I answer. "Everyone's busy training, so I figure it's time to start training too."

"By baking muffins?"

"Stop being so blonde." I tell her, even more annoyed now. "I'm baking muffins because I feel like eating a muffin. I was telling you what I've been up to these days, since you haven't seen me and were about to ask anyway."

"I… see…" She isn't sure how to respond. Yeah, I figured.

"Look. You heard Aya. I need to grow up a little. I'm not sure how to do that, so I'm just trying to handle things." I tell her. She smirks, her eyebrow slightly raised as well.

"Oh?"

"Look, don't you start. I've been dealing with dad teasing me every chance he gets."

"I wasn't going to tease you." She lies with a smile. "Well, not much. Mostly I was just thinking how surprised Aya-chan's going to be when she finds out. And… uncle Shikaku told dad that we've been invited to dinner over at Aya's." She smiles brighter.

"Sounds cool. We expected there for six?"

"Uh uh. Mom wants auntie and her to head over early to help cook. So we're leaving for two-thirty. You know where auntie is?"

"Yeah, she's in the bathroom. I'll let her know when she gets out. Did we need to pick up anything from the market? Mom and I just got back, but I doubt she'll mind getting some things for the Namikis." I point out, adding the chunks of pure chocolate to the batter. I make sure to mix it properly. Once I'm satisfied, I pour it into the forms and let them sit with a tea towel over them. Then I turn on the oven and set it to the right temperature.

I briefly wonder just how many books Aya's read. Maybe I'll ask her later if she's feeling chatty. You just never know in advance if Aya's feeling chatty.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 44_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: A good bit shorter again, but I don't want to overstate what Chouji's up to. He seems to almost be living a quiet, solitary life. Lots of reading, and almost downtime with his mom and dad. That's not what Aya's up to at all, but I'm sure that's a surprise to no one. So what say we find out what our beloved psycho is up to? And... how she's coping with Anko being in her home..._**


	52. Interlude 7 – A pre-emptive counter

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Interlude 7 – A pre-emptive counter_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Thank you for coming." The third says, his hands covering the lower part of his face. "As you no doubt know, there's been some... troubling news regarding Orochimaru." The two shinobi standing in front of the Hokage's desk look neutral, at worst.

"I suspect he will make a move in the coming month to take you, Sasuke. I do not know what he wants with you, but seeing as he's being so careful I do not doubt he wants you alive." The Third continues. "He has a history of human experimentation, he may want you for this. However, he may also want you for a few thousand other things. Asami has already come up with a method to extract you immediately should the need arise. you'll be signing a summoning contract of sorts with her. She will also act as your handler during this mission. You are to contact her for every update, and all orders will come through her."

"..."

"Something to say, Sasuke?"

"Aya would be the better person." Sasuke intones, his eyes blank.

"Oh?" That surprises Hiruzen, though it doesn't show.

"I'm used to putting my life in her hands." He explains simply.

"And here I thought you were in love with my daughter."

"Hnn."

Hiruzen studies the boy in front of him for a long moment. He's a tough nut to crack, no doubt about that. "Is there something I need to know, Uchiha Sasuke?"

"... No, sir."

"But you still feel Aya is the better handler?"

"I do."

Hiruzen thinks about that, still unsure what to make of the boy. "Kakashi?"

"Sasuke trusts Naruto and Aya. They've gone through a lot together."

"... I see." Hiruzen goes over what he knows, what he suspects. Asami is far easier to predict and control, especially for Sasuke. Though the bond is easy to overlook, it is there. Aya, on the other hand, is about as predictable as Naruto, maybe less so. So why is this boy with trust issues so willing to trust her. It could be the bonding a team goes through naturally during high stress missions like they've been on, but... somehow that doesn't fit the bigger picture. There's more to this. "Are you or are you not in love with Asami."

"That is not relevant, sir. I trust Aya. If she says she will do something, I can swear blindly it will be done." Sasuke says that with a confidence that Hiruzen hadn't heard from him since Itachi went rogue.

"Very well. I will speak with Aya about this before you leave."

"Not needed, sir. She will accept the mission without question." Sasuke's faith in her seems absolute. This is the kind of loyalty on would expect from a Namiki, or an Inuzuka. They put the pack before their own needs every time, after all. But to see such a thing from an Uchiha? Hiruzen never thought he'd see such a thing again. "I will sign this contract with Asami, under the condition that Aya be able to summon me when the time comes."

Hiruzen looks to his little girl, wondering what's going through her head. He'd hoped to give this to them, to allow for Sasuke to have a strong bond to return to the village when he is able. It would seem he needn't have worried. "That's easily arranged." Asami says, her tone professional. Almost too professional.

"..." Sasuke looks like he wants to say something, but the words won't come. "Where do I sign?"

Asami takes out a large scroll and unrolls a section of it, laying it on Hiruzen's desk. "Leave the first slot empty. I'll have Aya sign there. Write your name in your blood, and be sure you do not conceal your chakra while signing." Sasuke does as he's instructed, writing his name left-handed. Asami leaves the scroll as is, allowing the 'ink' to dry naturally. "I'll give the scroll to Aya personally, so you'll know it's in safe hands."

"Have Naruto sign as well. Aya will want to be able to save us both if something comes up."

"... if that's what you want." Asami says shortly.

"Good. Is there anything else, sir?" Sasuke's eyes linger on the redhead for a moment, his emotions unreadable.

"No. You're both dismissed." Kakashi and Sasuke leave without another word, destination unknown.

"Yet another person that trusts Aya more than they'll ever trust me." Asami says, her tone sour and her eyes filling with unshed tears she refuses to let fall. The Professor isn't sure what to say, truthfully this isn't something he saw coming either.

"The first slot, that is for the person able to summon the others that sign?" Hiruzen asks.

"Yeah. Only the person signed to that first slot can summon the others. Reverse summoning isn't an option with this setup. Why?"

"You will sign after Naruto." Asami narrows her eyes, unsure what to make of that. "Sasuke has a point. Aya will want to save you if the need should arise."

"Daddy...?"

"I'm an old man, Asami." The first tear falls, but she tries to hide it. "Aya sees you as part of her pack. She will not allow you to come to harm."

"What is it about her that people trust..." Asami tries directing the conversation anywhere else. She really doesn't want to think about _that_.

 _ **8-8**_

 _ **End Interlude 7**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Really, REALLY short, but this is what needs to be shown for now. Don't worry, things here will be better explained another time; maybe. The next interlude isn't scheduled for another three or four chapters, but it will be geared towards unravelling Orochimaru's plotting. Oh, and just an FYI, I have no idea what to do with those Sound genins currently in Konoha T &I's custody. What do you guys think? Execute them? Give them a shot at living in Konoha? Let me know what you think.**_


	53. Chaos, so not my thing

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 45 – Chaos, so not my thing_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 **Twitch. Bite. Chew, chew, chew… chew. Swallow. Twitch.**

"So…" I begin.

 **Bite. Chew. Twitch, twitch. Chew, chew, chew. Swallow. Twitch.**

"You people expect me to let Mitarashi-san train me for the coming month." I take another bite, slowing chewing and glaring at the collection of idiots that truthfully believe they will convince me that the sun rises in the west. "And not only that. But you want me to call her auntie, because I knew her when I was little."

"Aya, I don't like your tone." Yasu-nee chastises with her sternest glare. Any other time, I would give in. Now?

"Anyone else?" I offer with a dull, almost deadpan glare.

"Do you have another option?" Yoshino-sensei tries.

"Hana. You. Momochi-san. Nobody? Plenty of better options." I drone glaring at Mitarashi-san, not in the least bit bothered that she looks so defeated.

"Aya. Stop." Yasu-nee glares at me. "This is your godmother you're talking about!"

"The same woman that didn't show me she existed until Yoshino-sensei FORCED her to. So tell me, Mitarashi-san. How long would you have 'helped me from the shadows', if Sensei hadn't stepped in? Hnn?" Yasu-nee blinks, but the guilty look on a certain purple-haired, scantily-clad, abandoning 'woman', tells her that I'm not making this up as I go.

"Is that true, Anko-san?" Yasu-nee asks pointedly. "Did you allow my little sister to grow up on her own? DID YOU!?"

Mitarashi doesn't answer.

"And for that matter… Yoshino-san… why didn't YOU help her? Or Remi-san? Or Mariko-san? You all knew her mother! You all knew Aya was alone! And NO ONE tried to help her!?"

"Someone could have adopted her, but all of Miwako's closest friends were clan heads, and we are forbidden to adopt unless it's a boy meant to marry our daughter. The only other option was an arranged married with Shikamaru or Chouji, but that would have to be approved by her guardian. Other than blood relatives and clansmen… the only one legally allowed to help her other than an orphanage… is her godmother." Yoshino-sensei explains hesitantly. I snort, even more annoyed than before.

"Not financially, not emotionally, not physically, not indirectly?" Yasu-nee asks very carefully.

"No. If the council ever catches wind of such a thing, they'd blow it out of proportion, trying to say that we're trying to brainwash orphans into our service. That we're trying to take over the village, just like the Uchiha were…" Yoshino-sensei explains, pain in her eyes and tone. "No clansman has been allowed to so directly help an orphan since… since _that_ happened…" She trails off. I don't really understand what that has to do with anything, but I don't understand much from before my time. And the Uchiha were pretty much wiped out before I turned seven. Which would technically leave a year unaccounted for…? I think I'll talk to Sensei about that some time, there's a story there that might be important to know the details about.

"… And Anko-san is, of course, aware of this." Yasu-nee looks like she's about to pop.

"It's the reason I was allowed to help from the shadows." So, yes she knew.

"So you knew she was conning people for money, because she didn't have enough."

"… I paid all of them back." So, yes she knew.

"You knew she didn't know how to cook."

"…" Silence counts as a yes that one doesn't want to give.

"You also knew she was purposefully distancing herself from everyone. And seeing as you knew her mother so well, you knew why she was doing it."

"…"

I cross my arms, glaring at Mitarashi-san. "And you want to know why I hate you." She winces.

"Aya. I need to speak with her. Alone." Yasu-nee says, her tone colder than I've ever heard it.

"I'll be in my office."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Hmm, so basically it's possible to take a sound wave and reinforce it to the point that it can become a sword, and a shield if you couple enough to each other. But, it's something you need to start of with a single sound wave for.

Hmm, it would help strengthen my Sound Ball and my Sound Barrier. Yes, this is what I'm going to focus on in the afternoons. Now, for the evenings… I think papa's medical jutsus and seals will be perfect. Yes, that sounds ideal. Focus on overall training in the morning, sound release in the afternoon, and medical in the evening. Yes. That works. We'll go with that, starting tomorrow at six.

Now let's see. I need to perfect three moves with my kenjutsu training. So let me just unroll that scroll and I'll go over the theory behind those tonight after dinner. With Muay Thai I can start on the mid-chuunin level scroll. I'll go over that theory once I'm done with kenjutsu studies. Then there's that idea Kakashi gave me before dashing off into the sunset with Sasuke on his heels. Unlocking me second element – he'd suggested trying to learn D-rank jutsus from every element and seeing how that goes. Maybe after next month.

Maybe I could try working on that Namiki hidden jutsu as well? Tsuren did say that Tsuki is getting restless, so summoning her more often to train would definitely work out for the best… but I can't show her favouritism over her brothers, so it might be best to just summon all five of them and see if we can train them all up a bit.

Hmm, not to mention it might do me some good to get them used to being summoned at the weirdest times. So I think I'll start summoning them at add times throughout the day and keep each training between twenty minutes and an hour, and start building up from there. Hmm, yes I like that. Let's go with that.

Anything else? No, I think that should be enough for now. After medical training I should start making some medical seals to have on me should the need arise.

Knock, knock.

"Hey, sweetie. Can I talk to you?" Yasu-nee asks. I smell Mitarashi behind her.

"Come in, both of you." They do. Yasu-nee sits, Mitarashi does not.

"Sweetie, please understand that I fully agree with you and your point of view." This is going to be all downhill from here, isn't it. "However, I would prefer it if you were to hear the whole story, and not just what you've experienced. I have, and though I still believe Anko-san is, to put it nicely, an idiot for abandoning you… there is a certain amount of logic in her story."

I turn to Mitarashi. "… You have five minutes. Make it count."

"I'm treated like shit because of Orochimaru going traitor. If I'd taken you, you'd get as bad of worse because you can't defend yourself as well as I can. Thanks to you, I've been able to indirectly deal with people treating Naruto badly, but had I been directly involved you'd probably be dead."

"How convenient." I drone.

"When you first started publicly getting associated with Naruto, there was backlash." She changes tactics quickly. She's adaptive.

"So?"

"That was mostly with civilians and up to chuunins who were civilian born. What would have happened if there were true shinobi against you at the time? What about before you graduated, when your skills only enabled you to take on fresh genin? What about before that? How many times would you have been wounded? How many broken bones would you have suffered? And keep in mind, there is no law protecting me. No reason why people can't tell the world why I'm treated this badly. All I have is my reputation and the general laws protecting all shinobi of Konoha. I have no direct connections, not politically."

"…"

"The Nine-tails killed hundreds, but that's it. Orochimaru tortured more than that and for years, experimented on them in the most inhumane ways. There's more than a fair share of jounins with a psychotic hatred for anything associated with Orochimaru. Just connecting you to him via me would put you in danger." She explains seriously.

"So, I'm strong enough to take on jounins solo." I drone sarcastically.

"No. But you have the skillset to allow this in time. And with the added bonus of Kakashi being your jounin-sensei, most people will quicker associate you with him than me."

"Most?"

"Psychos aren't usually logical people." She deadpans.

"True." I shrug.

"What? No argument?" She blinks, confused.

"I'm a psycho. We aren't bad people by definition, just unstable if the situation doesn't favour our stability."

"Aya~aaaa!" Yasu-nee chastises me, trying to hide her amusement – and sucking at it.

"What? It's true. I'm not going to act like I'm something I'm not. Just ask Naru-nii and Sasuke how I get when I don't get chocolate for long periods of time." I point out.

"So… are we good?" Mitarashi asks, hopeful.

"Nope. Not even close." I smile, batting my eyelashes at her a few times.

"Huh?"

"Pretty words change nothing. Or has this part of reality gone unnoticed." I point out. She blinks slowly a few times. "I'm not calling you auntie, I'm not treating you with respect, and I certainly am not going to let you train me. But… I don't hate you as much."

"Hnn. Not ideal, but it's a start. How about we start with itty bitty baby steps and you let me show you a jutsu?" She offers. "I'm still not training you, and it's not costing you anything but some time."

"Hmm…?" I think about that. "Which jutsu?"

"…" She thinks about that for a long time. "I know some good earth release jutsus. We could go through a list until we find one you can handle?"

"Hmm… it could work. I could use a sparring partner as well. They say you're pretty good." I toss out there.

"That might work. But we both know I won't go easy on you." She smirks at me.

"Heavens forbid." I smirk right back. Maybe not hating her will be more fun? I don't have to like her to want to fight her, right?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's going on midnight, but I can't sleep. All I seem to think about at all, is what today bought me: change. Naruto-nii's out and about somewhere with some lecher called Jiraiya. Sasuke's out and about with Kakashi. This feels… wrong.

Naruto-nii… other than Ino and Chouji-kun, he's been my constant.

Now… now I'm stuck in a house filled with people that I would die for; Yasu-nee, Saki-chan, Hina-nee, Hanabi, Ao-chan, Minori, Haruki, Rika, Haku, Momochi-san, Yoshino-sensei, Shikaku-san, Nara-kun, Moegi, Udon, Kono-chan. And people I might notice if they disappeared; just Mitarashi-san.

But… my pack is incomplete. My family is incomplete. My… home is incomplete.

I've gotten so spoiled, Naru-nii giving me a hug every night before I turn in, him always asking me what I need help with, him always going above and beyond to help me achieve it. I've gotten so spoiled. And now, I'm paying for it. I don't know where my Nii-san is, and I don't want to wake anyone up to find out.

I miss him. I miss my idiot, my shadow, my balance, my consoler. I want that blonde hyperactive nutcase back. I want him to say stupid things to me. I want him to have a comeback for everything I say to him – no matter how little sense either of us are making.

And Sasuke. That brooding ice prince. Who's going to warn people if I'm being weird now? Who's going to be able to keep up with me when I feel like being a brat? It doesn't happen often, but I really enjoy messing with people when it does.

I want my team back. I want our missions back. I want us to come up with a plan to take out people that are obviously stronger, faster, sneakier and smarter than us. I want to see the look on the face of that idiot when it works. I…

Kami-sama, I just want to go back. Let me go back to the second exam, those six hours… let me relive them over and over again. It isn't too long ago. It shouldn't be too hard. Let me… please, let me just have my team back.

 **-Trouble sleeping?-** Naruto-nii's voice reaches me, along with his familiar warmth whenever he contacts me via our seals. I wipe away the tears, knowing he wouldn't be able to see them anyway.

 **-Maybe. You?-** I keep trying to wipe away the tears, but they just keep coming.

 **-It's… weird not getting my hug before you go to bed.-** That just makes me cry even more. Kami-sama, why can't I just keep what little family that found me together? Why? **-It seems we're in the same boat. Jiraiya's my godfather.-**

 **-What'd you do to him when you found out.-**

 **-Nothing. He wasn't worth responding to.-** I snort, fully understanding where he's coming from.

 **-He's probably going to have a longwinded explanation about staying away from you kept you safe. And how he helped from the shadows.-**

 **-Anko gave you that same line?-**

 **-Uh huh.-**

 **-We have the worst luck with people.-**

 **-Other people. I seem to only have good luck with you and Sasuke.-**

 **-Wait, seriously? You're being nice about Sasuke?-**

 **-You're slow as ever.-** I smile, finding that the tears are finally stopping.

 **-Why shouldn't she?-** Sasuke?

 **-Oi, broody. Why are you still up?-** Naruto asks. Even through the seal, I can hear the smile in his voice.

 **-Sorry, _mom_. I won't do it again.-** I find myself laughing. I miss those idiots so bad. **-Aya. I need a favour, and only you could ever make it work.-**

 **-What's up?-** I ask, slightly worried. Sasuke isn't acting himself at all.

 **-The Third gave me a mission. I won't be coming home anytime soon.-** Tears sting my eyes once again. **-Aya, focus. There are three things only you can do for me until I get back.-**

 **-Tell me what you need.-**

 **-The Uchiha archives. You need to hide them. You remember how to reach them?-**

 **-Yeah…?-**

 **-Seal them away, keep them safe for me. All of it. The scrolls, the tablets, the weapons, everything.-**

 **-How long will you be gone?-**

 **-The second thing is I need you to manage the Uchiha district for me. Once everything of value is sealed away, start putting the houses up for rent. All but the main house, that is. I need you to place seals to keep people out of that house if you can.-**

 **-Are you even going to tell me what your mission is?-**

 **-Once you have at least half the district rented out, arrange that you get B-rank pay for managing it. The rest of the money is to be used for repairs, D-rank missions to keep everything looking decent, and what's left should be put on the Uchiha bank accounts. I've already put in the standing order that you can access them. Contact me when you need your access codes.-**

 **-You don't know if you're coming back, do you.-**

 **-The last thing is proof I'm coming back. In my bedroom, on my desk is a jewellery box, wrapped in Uzumaki red paper, with the Uchiha clan fan on it. I need you to give that to Asami for me. Tell her I wanted to give it to her myself, but…-**

 **-You sly dog you. You finally making your move now that you're not even going to be around?-** Naruto-nii seems to know what that's about.

 **-Will you do this for me, Aya?-**

I sigh. **-Fine. I'll get started after the third exams is over.-**

 **-… Thank you.-**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Aya, sweetie! Someone's at the gate! Can you go see who that is!?" Yasu-nee shouts from upstiars. Everyone knows I'm the only one allowed to open the gate until Naruto-nii gets back, so that means I've been getting bugged every time Shikaku-san wants to come in – he must be early for lunch, or something.

I make my way outside, but… I'm not liking who I smell waiting for me. Still, I do not rush. "Hokage-dono. Asami. What can I do for you?"

"May we come in, Aya? There is much to discuss." Hokage-dono smiles, but Asami seems… put out about something. Knowing Mr Personality, he said something stupid to her before he left.

I nod. "No Anbu, though." I smell Cat and another I don't recognize. I don't like letting people I don't know in under normal circumstances, and seeing as we're in lock-down, there's a zero percent chance that person will be allowed in.

"That's fine. I trust you." I open the gate, allowing the two in before quickly shutting it again.

"Follow me." I walk ahead, leading them into my office and asking them if they want something to drink, or something. They both turn the offer down, so I motion towards the empty chairs, before sitting behind my desk. "What can I do for you?"

Hokage-dono casts a privacy jutsu once again. I roll my eyes, but don't comment. "Sasuke is going on a mission. To infiltrate Orochimaru's organization. He wishes you to be his handler."

"Alright. Anything else?" I ask, not in the least surprised. That boy always did have trust issues; that's why we understand each other so well.

"Yes, Asami here has a scroll for you, so that you may summon Sasuke should things get out of control. Naruto and Asami are also on the summoning roster. You will be given a top secret, long term A-rank mission to guard all three of them."

"And who will know of this mission?"

"Other than myself? No one not directly involved. You will need a source of income to ensure that you do not arouse suspicion."

I snort. "Already handled, but thank you. Now, let's see this 'summoning scroll'." Asami lays it out on my desk, telling me to sign in the first slot. Once I sign, I continue with this meeting. "But there's more going on that just this."

"There is. You need to know the details of the mission, and you need to be brought up to speed on… certain developments." I motion for Hokage-dono to continue. "Naruto isn't allowed to know Sasuke left willingly. He will therefore be tempted to go after him, which we want. He will be leaving in a few months on a long term training mission under Jiraiya." I snort, wondering how they'll get Narut-nii to agree to that. "You don't think he will?"

"He'll need someone to go with him to keep him on his best behaviour. He doesn't trust or even like Jiraiya." I point out. "I will be needed here in Konoha. So I'd advise that Asami go with him." Asami's eyes are wide as dinner plates, so shocked.

"I'm not sure I understand." Hokage-dono points out. He does look pleased that I suggested Asami go, but he doesn't like not knowing the whole story.

"You suggest that he leave for a long time when he has a family to tend to here. You suggest he leave with someone he doesn't trust on top of this. Unless Asami, Hinata or myself goes with him, he won't go."

"And yet you only suggest Asami should go?" He narrows his eyes at me.

"Yes." I nod seriously. "I'm needed here. And I need to see to Hinata's training, I will not allow a perverted old goat anywhere near her to undermine her progress."

"But him being around me is fine?" Asami isn't sure what to make of that.

"I live with Uzumakis. I know what you can handle and what you cannot. One pervert around you isn't something I'd worry about." I explain, smirking as I think about how deliciously evil she'd be towards him if he does something she doesn't like. "Now. Would you please tell me what the idiot said that has you so upset?"

"… Nothing." She looks away, pain in her eyes.

"I don't believe that." I say evenly. "He said something about me that has you like this. What?" She still won't answer. "So you were supposed to be his handler, but he'd bargained for me instead. Is that it?"

She blushes, still not looking to me.

"Idiot." Her head snaps to me, shocked and angry. "You don't put a love interest in such a position. He's trying to protect you. That Hokage-dono suggested it at all shows how little he understands of our team."

"…" That brings both of them up short.

"Sasuke doesn't like putting people in emotion situations. That's why he trusts Naruto and I. Not because we have his back, but because we trust him to handle what he sets out to do without question. You are the least emotionally driven Uzumaki I know, but you are still an Uzumaki. He knows this as well. So he fears you'd mess up the mission and summon him before he is ready, if you believe it'll save his life. He doesn't want to be coddled like that." And why do I have to explain this? It's so obvious!

Hokage-dono strokes his chin a few times, thinking about that. Asami's just blinking, trying to wrap her brain around it.

I reach into my drawer, taking out a box half the size of my fist. Uzumaki red wrapping, Uchiha fan. "He asked me to give this to you. Said he wanted to give you this himself, but..." I set the box on my desk, within her reach. "If there's nothing else?"

Hokage-dono shakes his head, murmuring, "No." I nod shooing them out of my office. I have a busy schedule after all.

"Aya… would it be already if I stay here? I… I'd like to help you if I can."

"Sasa-nee… guilt is the worst motivation. You know that." She blushes and looks away. I shake my head at her, amused. "Stay if you want. We have the space. I will warn you though… other than Yasu-nee, everyone in this house is training for the invasion. Don't think you'll be able to slack off and read your books while here."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"No, Minori, I don't care what Karin's been up to. So long as she stays out of my way, she's doing well enough." I grind out. That I even let the bimbo into my house isn't enough!? She tried to **break** my flute!

"Come on, Aya-chan! She said she was sorry!" I hear you, but that doesn't mean I'll listen. The fact remains, she tried to break my flute AFTER I warned her that I love my flute and didn't want her to do anything to it. And AFTER Naruto-nii told her point blank that even he'd get killed if something happened to said flute. Did she listen? No. So neither will I. End of story.

"We have another ten minutes to relax. Are you sure you want to rile me up when Mitarashi suggested that I go against your team to see how well I'd do against multiple opponents?" I remind her. "I mean, after all… I know what I can heal. So… would it really be a good idea to motivate me to see how much damage I can do so soon before a match?"

"Aya, you're not going to scare me into backing down. Karin's family. She deserves a chance to make this right." Minori points out, begging with her eyes.

"That's nice." I say, still not backing down. Hmm… now that I think about it. Shouldn't Hokage-dono know that Naruto-nii is aware that Sasuke's going to be away for a long time on a mission? I certainly didn't bring it up. Whatever.

"Aya-nee?" I turn, finding Haruki standing there, looking nervous and really, really, REALLY scared. But there's determination in his eyes as well. "Please?"

"Yeah, Aya-chan! If I didn't give Haku-nee a second chance, we'd never be able to get past what happened!" Ao-chan just has to put in his two cents. I roll my eyes.

Haku sits beside me, looking up at the clouds. She seems to have something on her mind as well. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what. "For the sake of the clans, Aya, you know you'll have to get past this someday." She says wistfully. "After all. It wouldn't do to allow something so unimportant to create a problem with your Naru-nii's clan… right?"

I want to argue against that. That we aren't a clan yet, that we might never be! But… I sigh. Haku has a point. This is Naruto-nii's clansman, regardless of her idiocy and obvious lack of self preservation.

"Whatever." I huff, crossing my arms and looking away from Haku.

"…" And looking right at Karin, it seems. Why didn't I sense her there? Crap, I let my guard down because I'm tired. Whatever. Just whatever.

"Hey." Karin tries, rubbing her right forearm nervously. "I, uh… just wanted to thank you. You know… taking care of me, not killing me and all that?"

I stare, unsure what to even make of her right now. I sigh again. "Look, whatever. Let's just do this thing."

"Umm… that's… kind of what I want to talk to you about…?" Karin manages.

"Out with it." I say, annoyed. The only shy Uzumaki I can stand is Haruki, because he's ACTAULLY like that.

"I was kinda, sorta wondering if you'd maybe consider possibly… teaching me?"

"No." I don't even think about it.

"Aya! You could at least hear her out!" Minori sounds peeved. I roll my eyes.

"I will not train someone that isn't loyal to Konoha. I will not train someone that isn't loyal to my pack. She has shown loyalty to neither. I am not training her." I spell it out.

"N-namiki-san, p-please… just h-hear me out." Karin stutters. I gaze at her, wondering what's has her like this. I give her the time she needs to calm down. "I'm willing to talk to my mother about moving here. Become a Konoha shinobi, rejoin the Uzumaki clan… but… I don't want to be a medical slave like my mother. I don't want people to try to use me like they've used her. I want… I want more than that."

I blink, unsure how to feel about that.

"So I'm asking you… Namiki Aya… to train me. To help me be more than just a medic."

"You do realise I'm a medic as well?" I point out, wondering what she's getting at.

"You might _also_ be a medic… but I've seen how you are around here. I've listened to how the others talk about you, seen how you push yourself. You are… You're never going to allow someone to take advantage of your loved ones. No matter who, no matter the reason." She says, but I can tell admitting this is hurting her. Something about that is rubbing her the wrong way, but what? And why? "That's why… if you were to teach me… if you were to become my master… I wouldn't have to worry about people trying to use me ever again!"

She throws herself to the ground, at my feet. Begging, pleading, grovelling. I… I don't understand. "What are you talking about? I don't do 'master-servant'."

"Master and student, I mean." She says, probably tasting the grass.

"Minori, do you think Naruto-nii would allow someone to use Karin for her gifts?" I ask.

"No. He would never." Minori answers without batting an eyelash.

"Haku, would you ever allow someone to use Karin for her gifts?" I ask.

"No. Just like I wouldn't allow anyone to use Aomaru and myself for ours." Haku answers evenly.

"So you have your own clan, and the Yukis. Why do you need me?" I ask her. I need to understand this – I won't agree to anything otherwise.

"…" She sits up, brushing the grass off her face and out of her mouth. "Because you are what I wish to become. Master Aya, please! Teach me!" Someone wanting to be an (possibly unstable) psychopath? If I wasn't sure she's an Uzumaki before, I certainly am now.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 45_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Okay, Karin is WAY OoC here, I know that. But I can't really consider her any other way given what is known of her around this time. Canonically speaking, while living in Grass, her mother was only allowed to live there if she used her healing gifts to tend to their people, so Karin only ever knows what it's like to be used for your gifts. So if you confront her with someone like Aya that doesn't tolerate crap from anyone? She's bound to be a little starstruck._**

 ** _As for the 'big reveal' on Sasuke liking Asami. I wonder how many people saw that coming. Not many I'll bet._**


	54. This can't be real…

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 46 – This can't be real…_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Training. Training. And just for the sport of it, we're training some more. Momochi-san's been arranging more and more 'team spars', which usually means either me against a team, or a team against me. Take your pick. Although, to be fair, I'm pitted against Momochi-san a lot, and Mitarashi-san, and Haku-chan. And I actually won against Haku! Once! I was so proud!

Honestly, I've only regularly won against Minori, Ao-chan and Haruki when they're teamed up. And that's because –like right now– I know to pick them off one at a time. So no matter how well Minori and Haruki work together, no matter how well Aomaru switches from mid to close range. The fact remains that I'm used to training with Naruto-nii and Sasuke; neither of them is a pushover.

So even as Aomaru body flickers right behind me, trying to score a win, I just do a little somersault and whack his leg with the blunt end of my kodachi. Even as Minori and Haruki rain down kunai on me, I use it as practice with my Sound Barrier – pleased that my barrier is now strong enough to repel kunais. Even as Minori tries to overwhelm me with her water release jutsus, I counter with my earth release. Even as Haruki tries to reinforce her water release with his lightning release, I use my sound release instead. I can now say for certain that my Sound Barrier is strong enough to withstand a collaboration jutsu.

"Alright, alright. I think you three have gotten knocked around enough." Momochi-san announces. Great, that means he wants in on the action. "Namiki. You against me this time. Stealth mode and no visual."

"This again, Momochi-san." I complain. He shrugs, once again motioning for the others to clear the 'battlefield'. They all take a seat on the porch – I'm so grateful we've never damaged the house during these little… _scuffles_.

Once Momochi-san is satisfied, he does his thing again – the Hidden Mist jutsu, as usual. Once it's thick enough that even he can't see a thing, he makes his announcement. "Well, Namiki. Let's see if you can keep up." That's his way of saying: I'm starting, you might as well start too.

And as usual, he's attacking me with his sword. Yes, the sword that's bigger than I am. The sword that's heavier than I am. And the sword that packs more of a punch than I can block. So my only option is avoiding him at all costs, which is his whole point, really – to rely on my instincts to keep me alive against an opponent that might kill me as collateral damage.

The mist doesn't drown out my sense of smell, but Momochi's skilled enough to overwhelm me by filling the air around me with his scent. So I know he's here, I just can't figure out where. And what's worse, even if I focus on my hearing to the point that I can hear the heartbeats of those sitting on the porch… I still can't hear him. Either he stopped his heart, or he knows a trick to cover that.

Still, two can play this game. The second my instincts scream at me to move, I use Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole jutsu. Once securely three metres underground –the under ground barrier won't let me go deeper than five metres, so this will have to do– I make four shadow crows. I'm still peeved that I can only make crows; I've tried other animals, but I just can't make them stable enough to do anything useful with them.

At any rate, once they're formed, they use the same Hiding Like a Mole jutsu and make their way back up to the surface. While they're up there gathering the intel I'll need, I place my left hand on the earth around me, annoyed that even like this, I can't locate Momochi. He just really doesn't leave a trace.

Poof. The first shadow crow is killed. It didn't even sense the moron. Poof. The second quickly follows. Fine. That isn't working at all, let's try with some clones then.

I make the Snake handsign, moulding my chakra carefully. Then I tap both fists on the 'roof' of my little cavern, allowing the chakra to move up to the surface – thank Kami-sama I don't need a sense of direction down here, just a sense of balance. On the surface, I can finally sense something, even if it's only my own mud clones. I really want to learn a more stable jutsu than this, seeing as a solid hit would turn the clones back to mud, but… you've got to start somewhere.

While my clones are up there, trying to lure Momochi-san into revealing where he is, I'm down here plotting the next step. He won't stay still for longer than a second, if even that. So I prepare my Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears, for the moment that I have something worth attacking. I lay on my back, my hands folded in the Bird handsign, and my feet ready to strike the 'roof' to attack my opponent.

I just hope I don't accidently kill someone.

The first mud clone is ended, so without a moment's hesitation, I kick the 'roof' repeatedly. I sense the spikes jump out of the earth and something splashes onto the soft grass. Not a little splash either, I mean enough to believe that I just cut the man in half.

I panic! I make my way up to the surface, trying to see what I'd done. "Crap." A puddle of water. And now… there's the not so subtle Executioner's blade at my throat.

"You're still too soft, Namiki." He chastises.

"Hey! I wouldn't care if it was an enemy I killed. I don't want the weight of a comrade's corpse on my conscience."

"Heh. Like you could kill me." He sounds amused.

"Emotions and fears do not follow the rules of logic, Momochi-san. You of all people should know this." I point out, trying to move the blade away from the tender flesh of my neck. He allows it to move – let's be real, I'm not strong enough to even wield the blade, let alone force him to move it when he doesn't want to.

"Maybe, but the facts don't change with your perception of them." He lectures. I roll my eyes, amused with him. "I like your tactic though. There was nothing I could do other than trick you into coming up. And adding those spikes to try to take me out? You might just have the perfect counter to my technique."

I snort. "Yeah, too bad I still can't track you at all. I mean, I couldn't even hear your heartbeat!"

"Heh. I'm a jounin for a reason, kid. I might teach it to you in time…" He trails off, vaguely suggesting something I don't catch onto. I shrug – it's not like I don't have enough to keep me entertained until he decides whatever he needs to decide on.

"So, can I relax a bit? It's almost lunchtime and you guys have been running me from one match to the next!" I complain, smirking – it's mostly me that's been demanding that my mornings be like this.

Momochi-san snorts, amused. "Yeah, yeah. Go play with your flute or something." He teases.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hey, hey, there's a face I haven't seen in a while." Fuu teases, sitting down next to me at the table.

"Hnn? Fuu, I've been training. Being in the same house as me doesn't mean you'll see me very much." I point out. Yasu-nee fixes me a plate, smiling warmly at me. "Thanks, Yasu-nee. I don't know what we'd do without you." She smiles a little brighter, pouring me some tea as well.

"Aya-nee! You haven't been showing your little sister any attention at all lately, ya know!" Saki-chan complains.

"Hnn? Is that so?" I think about that. "Well, how about I make it up to you this afternoon?"

"REALLY!?" She obviously wasn't expecting me to give in so easily. Honestly, I could use an afternoon off, so focusing on her training isn't such a bad thing.

"Really." I nod and muss her hair a little. "I scalped a really cool sword during the second exam, and I think it'd be perfect for my little sister." I point out. Crap… Sasuke didn't tell me what the secret is behind those umbrellas I scalped! Oh well, I'll bug him about it in time. I'm not in a rush to learn a new weapon.

 **-Aya, Naruto. We have a problem. Orochimaru's here with backup, and he's trying to take Kakashi out. Haul ass to the mesa thirty-five kilometers north-west of Konoha.-** Sasuke goes and ruins my afternoon off.

"Crap it all! Momochi-san. I need you to help Saki-chan. An emergency's come up. I need to head out, like now." I fish into my pouch for my scroll, going through it until I get to the one with the sword. I unseal it and put back my scroll quickly. "Saki, baby, this is the sword I'm talking about. I swear I'll show you what I want you to work on with it another time, but lives are on the line right now." I kiss her, leaving my meal and my tea where they stand and head out to the front gate. I don my wolf mask, and I head straight for the gate. I love that I'm so paranoid that I've been training in my Anbu gear.

 **-I'm already at South Gate, sis. The old perv's with me.-** Fox-nii gives me the heads up. I'm there in almost no time flat, and we head out immediately.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes us more or less twenty minutes to get to the mesa Sasuke was talking about. Fox-nii and I both pick up the residual chakra of some powerful techniques used recently. Sasuke's chakra easy to pick out among them.

We follow the trail up to the plateau, finding Sasuke's Uchiha Flame Formation still very much active. Jeez, even with that things like ten metres away from us, the heat it gives off is almost too much. Kakashi's going to be inside there.

 **-Hey, broody. Drop the barrier, we're here.-** Fox-nii really needs to not be like that with Sasuke, but frankly if Sasuke won't complain about it then I'll just keep out. The barrier drops a second later, revealing a badly injured Kakashi and a kunoichi I've never met – pink haired and covered in seals to show Sasuke did a number on her. Crap! He used the only one of my mini windmill shuriken he had on him to apply the seal! That means I can't track him! Well, technically that means he can't track me or Naruto as well, which might be why he did that.

Whatever! Focus! Kakashi!

Both his hands were sliced off at the wrist. He also has a few deep gashes in his left leg. He lost a lot of blood. The first thing I do is induce a coma – I don't need him reacting to me while I'm trying to save his life. Then I reattach his hands – after cleaning them out with some water and an antiseptic.

"You worthless scum! I can't believe you left me here to die!" The pink haired one sounds peeved.

"Fox, please shut her up." I order, already focusing on closing the wounds on Kakashi's leg. Once the three major injuries are dealt with, I focus on the Mystic Palm jutsu, starting at Kakashi's head and working my way down. No poisons, thank Kami-sama. No other major injuries. Plenty of cuts and bruises, but frankly I'm grateful and don't heal those yet. Once I get to his hands, I focus on correctly reattaching all the nerves, blood vessels and bone tissue. And all this without even having lunch too! Jeez, give a girl a break!

Once I'm satisfied with that, I continue down to his leg, neutralizing the onset of an infection and fixing the nerve damage I sense. He'll be messed up for weeks because of this. I guess good ol' 'Kashi is warming the bench for the invasion then.

Having done what I can, I unseal the equipment I'll need. Fox-nii helps me put Kakashi on the stretcher, and I bathe the three major wounds with a disinfectant and wrap them in gauze to keep them as sterile as possible. Once that's done, I go through the motions of closing all the smaller wounds and make a mental note to properly go over him once we've got him in more friendly territory.

 **-Oi, Broody. Kakashi's stable. You can relax.-**

"Fox, mind him. I'll deal with her." I say, refusing to get between the two almost-brothers. Instead, I turn my full attention to the kunoichi with my special shuriken still sticking out of her belly – just above the stomach. "Sasuke wanted you to come with us." I tell her simply. "I don't understand why, but the fact remains that you will comply." Having made it to her, I focus the jutsu into my left index finger and tap her forehead, inducing a coma.

With her no longer able to fight back, no matter what her conscious or even subconscious mind wants, I jerk out the shuriken from her, catching her before she falls. I take my time healing her major wound – the one stab wound that isn't all that bad, all things considered. The nicks and scrapes get ignored completely, and I don't disinfect her wound after I'm done.

"Oi, you carry this one, we'll carry Kakashi." I turn to the silver-haired man I still haven't been properly introduced to.

"The younger generation never seems to show me any respect." The man says, annoyed.

"I don't respect those that abandon my packmates, Jiraiya." I turn to him, fixing him with a glare. "Now carry her, and don't expect me to close her wound if you go and reopen it."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes us almost three hours to make it back to Konoha. We can't rush and risk Kakashi's health in any way. Once back, Jiraiya announces he's taking the kunoichi to T&I, not that I care. We take Kakashi straight to the hospital, to the Jounin Unit.

Protocol dictates that we announce the patient, have him written in, blah, blah, blah. I don't bother with that. I order Fox-nii into an empty room, we ease Kakashi off the stretcher, and I send Fox-nii out in search of a doctor to take over for me. In the mean time, I start carefully stripping my patient of his clothing, laying them on the side table next to me. The headband, the mask, flak jacket (which conveniently can be taken apart manually if you unclip the shoulders and unzip it), shirt… anything I cannot take off without moving my patient simply gets cut off and removed that way. I don't care, ensuring his wounds aren't in any way compromised means more than any emotional value he places on what he's wearing.

Once he's down to his boxers, I start wiping him down with a special mix I scored from the cabinet to fight off any kind of infection inducing crap from my patient. I then very carefully move him onto his side in a stable side position so he doesn't move about more than I want him to, and I tend to his back in the same way. Once I'm satisfied, I lay him on his back once again and wrap him in a hospital gown. He won't like it, but he'll just have to deal with it.

"Wolf, right?" I turn, seeing an unfamiliar face by the door. Judging from the uniform, I'd say this is one of the doctors. "Fox told me you'd be here with Hatake Kakashi. I've got to say, I don't know how you even got him in here."

"I put him in a coma, of course." I half joke. Kakashi, like any high ranking shinobi, hates being in the hospital. Even with the increased security, the fact remains that they are in unfamiliar surroundings, wounded, and unable to predict who'll enter their room – which hospital personnel have a bad habit of doing regularly. His survival instincts would drive him halfway insane if he wasn't in a coma – induced or no.

"That makes more sense. So what do you need me for?" He doesn't seem pleased for some reason.

"I'm not a fool, sensei." I say, hating that doctors get called 'sensei' by definition. "I have medical skills, but I might miss something that could end up having long-lasting effects. I need you to double-check my patient, make sure I didn't miss anything, and help me come up with a plan to wake him up without aggravating his injuries."

"Hmm. Sounds fair. May I?" He says, still not introducing himself. I growl. "Oh, sorry. I wasn't sure if you were close to this one or not. I'm Mogusa. Second ranking Medical Nin of this department. I've tended to Hatake-san a few times, so I know his quirks well enough. This isn't the first time I've seen another react the same way as him, either. You're an Inuzuka, a Hatake or a Namiki."

I study the man for a moment, the black markings on his face, the seemingly all-black eyes. He smells like he's lived in Konoha all his life – his chakra itself smells almost like trees and shrubs, like most Konoha shinobi.

I take a cautious step back, allowing the man to work. He scans my patient carefully, going over everything from head to toe. "Hmm, you should try offering just a little more attention to the smaller cuts. If you were to try to heal them a second time, the skin would grow back quicker and thicker, which would allow for the patient to reengage in battle immediately. It's not preferred, seeing as you would have just put them back together, but it gives you the option. The nerves in both hands were healed well enough, but not so well that I couldn't tell they were damaged. And those gashes on his leg will scar. Either you got to him more than twenty minutes after the wounds were inflicted, or you just need to practice more."

"Both." I intone.

"Ah. If that's the case, then I'd have to estim-" I growl, cutting the man off. I don't need him trying to identify me via my skillset. "I assure you I have no intention of doing anything other than helping you become a better medic. There aren't many Anbu Medics, so I tend to treasure them if given the chance. Now, as I was saying, I'd estimate you to be about Rank Six. Not the best, but certainly a Medic worth having around."

Rank Six out of Fifteen, where Senju Tsunade is the only Rank Fifteen in the known world, and the average 'field medic' ranks as a Four. I can **definitely** live with that.

"Now. Personally, I would advise that he be kept in a coma until his wounds have healed enough to not risk reopening. However, as I said, I know this man. He'll rouse himself from this coma within a day. Two, tops. It's better if you take him home and let him rest there. He'd never stay here."

"He lives alone. That is not acceptable."

"I'm aware, but I will not risk myself or my personnel by rousing him here." As much as I hate to admit it, he makes sense. A high-ranked shinobi brought in comatose from what can only be assumed is a mission… He'd be on an adrenaline high, and waking up from a coma will leave him mentally disoriented. He'd react to external stimuli on instinct alone – and that means that the enemy that wounded him might well still be attacking him.

"Letting him wake up naturally is the best option then?" I ask seriously.

"It is. Hurry. Stay well away from him the moment he's in a low stimulus environment. And talk him down from the moment he's lucid."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes some doing, but we set up a room in my house for him. The last free room too – there'd better be no more surprise guests like this! At any rate, Naruto-nii heads back out with his… well, with Jiraiya. So that means I'm the only one that can talk Kakashi down when he wakes up. I set up vigil inside his room and near the door, making sure Kakashi's as comfortable as can be. Yoshino-sensei offers to bind him with her Shadow Possession jutsu, but I turn her down.

While I'm here, Yasu-nee takes it upon herself to bring me every meal and snack and Momochi-san takes over for me whenever I need a little break. But for the most part, it's just me in here monitoring the idiot that nearly got himself killed.

Since I've got nothing but time anyway, I study a few scrolls I find interesting – one earth release jutsu I'm really interested in, two medical seals that could prove useful, another seal that could be used to monitor brainwaves, and the last is another sound release jutsu I copied from The Sound of Silence, this one on using the tiny vibrations from one's own heartbeat to create a weak barrier around the user to counter genjutsus.

Between the studying, the food, the constant supply of tea, and the worry I see on Yasu-nee's face each and every time she enters, I have enough entertainment to keep me going.

So it isn't too surprising that I almost miss the moment when Kakashi's brain reengages. "Stop being an idiot. You're in my home, Kakashi." I tell him plainly. "Don't open your left eye, because your headband is not on you. And if you even think to complain that your face isn't covered that I will chop off your hands again and let you figure it out for yourself."

It takes Kakashi almost five minutes to take in whatever he wants to take in. "How long was I out?" He asks.

"Eight hours, give or take." I say, still reading my scroll. "I brought you to the hospital, so I know you're in working order. But leaving you there is something even the hospital staff thought was a bad idea. So Naru-nii and I brought you here."

"Yeah, I can imagine you would find dropping me in my apartment when I'm like this is a bad idea." I snort, not commenting. "My hands feel weird. And my left leg isn't responding the way it should."

"You're hands were cut off at the wrist. And your left leg was almost turned into minced meat. Seriously, we almost had Kakashi filet for dinner." I tease lightly. "It wouldn't surprise me if you can't walk properly."

"So I'm back in rehab, huh." He sounds annoyed. "I'm guessing you won't let me out of the house until you personally green light it."

"Do you want me to answer that?" Yes, in other words. "Can I trust you to behave if Yasu-nee tends to you?" I ask seriously, looking up from my scroll.

"… Not if I'm asleep. But if I'm already awake, then yes. She wouldn't pose a problem." He answers honestly. I can live with that.

"Good. I'll make the arrangements. I still have a lot of training to do, so I can't baby you the way I'd like. Yasu-nee is practically the only one available to offer you the time needed." I lie easily. It's more like Yasu-nee would be upset if I give the position to anyone but her – she seems to have developed a thing for Kakashi. Well, her business, not mine.

"Just a question though… who all has seen my face?"

"Are you still going on about that?" I huff. "Yasu-nee, Naruto-nii, Mogusa-sensei from the hospital, but he says he's tended to you before so I doubt it's news to him, and Momochi-san, but he says he'll never tell seeing as he hides his face too. No one else."

"No stupid comments?" He wonders.

"Kakashi. You're gorgeous. Get over yourself." Happy now?

"… Kami-sama, I've missed being around Namikis." I'm not sure if I should take him seriously or not, so I just ignore him. "Can I have some sort of face covering?"

"I already sent Haku-chan into town, so we have new shirts with the mask you _oh so love_. But Yasu-nee flatly refused to let you wear one before she washes it properly. So you'll just have to wait until she brings it in." I say, keeping my tone light. "If you get hungry or need to go, let me know. Other than that you're on bed rest until at least tomorrow afternoon so we can run some tests on your wounds and whatnot."

"Nn." He isn't fighting me. That's a step up. I expected at least one escape attempt and having Yasu-nee get on his case about it before he became this agreeable. "Thank you, Aya."

"…" I look up at him, wondering what's gotten into him. "For?" He doesn't answer me though. He falls asleep, actually falls asleep; unless he's so good an actor… which might be closer to the truth. Whatever.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You know… I think I might be tempted to buy a few of those shirts myself. It's a lot easier than wrapping up my face every morning." Momochi-san comments. I don't know why Yasu-nee sent him up here with our late night snack, but I have a hunch. We'll just have to wait and see.

I roll my eyes, but only Kakashi can see that. He's once again wearing his shirt and headband, only showing the one eye, but his hands are still messed up beyond belief, so he's forbidden from using them. That of course means that I have to feed him. Which means I get to once again pull his mask down. Which is what prompted Momochi-san to make a stupid comment about the mask in the first place. _Sigh_. Why am I always surrounding by idiots of one sort or another?

I take my time feeding my patient. Regardless if he's usually stupid enough to prop in his whole meal in one go just for the sake of keeping his face hidden, I take my time. I already know he's strong enough to handle this, because we've gone through the whole soup thing… and frankly I'm not in the mood to do that again.

Maki offered to help, but no one but Yasu-nee and myself are allowed – 'logic' and 'shinobi' aren't synonymous. Momochi-san might know what Kakashi looks like, but I can't imagine what kind of twist in the fabric of reality it'd take to get Momochi-san to (be allowed to) feed Kakashi.

Once his plate is empty, I help him with his tea to wash it down. Then I wipe his face carefully and pull back up his mask. I leave his bed propped up so he can relax a bit, though I do put both his forearms on pillows to make sure they aren't put under any unneeded strain or stress.

Other than that, I leave him be. He'll let Momochi-san know if he needs something, so I can eat in peace. I start heading downstairs, munching on my stir-fry as I go (Yasu-nee's really spoiling Kakashi). Once in the family sitting room, I sit down to the table, glad to be away from my patient for a bit. I don't mind taking care of people, really. But sometimes I just need to get away from them.

And, of course, that means I run from one patient to another. "You seem to be collecting people, you know." Maki teases, smiling brightly at me. I keep eating my stir-fry, not bothering to disagree with her. "I'm glad. That Kakashi-san has someone like you to watch out for him."

"Nn?" I noise, giving her a questioning look.

"I don't know him that well, but I know the type. That he lets you take care of him says something." She says honestly. I shrug, sucking in another chunk of beef without a care.

"You won't be in top form. You know that." I toss out there. She looks down, but not very surprised.

"I know. I'm not even at fifty percent yet." She says sadly. "Still, I'm more than grateful that I've had you and your family caring for me." She smiles, obviously meaning that. I shrug again. I wouldn't have it any other way.

After finishing my meal, I wash my dishes and head back upstairs… I blink. Yasu-nee is just coming out of Kakashi's room. And Momochi-san is standing guard outside? And why is Yasu-nee smiling like that?

One sniff answers it all. She smells like Kakashi… and musky… and aroused… and there's another scent in there that I can guess is Kakashi's _response_ to her arousal. I smirk at my sister, rolling my eyes playfully at her. "Just tell me you were gentle. I don't feel like putting him back together again."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 46_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Yasu! Naughty, naughty! So much for showing her little sisters a good example :P_**

 ** _I hope I haven't made this too graphic for you guys? I mean, after what I've seen from the Anime itself? This is still kind of tame, right? At any rate, I'm sure you've noticed I didn't update this story yesterday, but those follow me as an Author know I posted a new story (The Gin Haze). I'm unsure if I'll be alternating which story gets updated, but I know I'll be writing which ever story matches my mood better (long story, don't feel like telling it)._**

 ** _At any rate! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_**


	55. Teardrops like rain

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 47 – Teardrops like rain_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I don't feel like it today." I tell them honestly. "I've been training for three and a half weeks straight, no days off. And the only half day off I had, I ended up having to play 'save a scarecrow'. I need to rest or I'll snap before the third exam even comes."

And that isn't even including being tired of chakra exhaustion, having knots in every muscle big enough to earn their own postal address, getting my period, wanting to cry to the point of dehydrating, and the worst cramps I've ever been through. Even that tea Haku-chan keeps making for me isn't helping. If you want me to break someone in half, I'm game. But without that kind of endgame for motivation, I just want to curl up in my bed with the biggest tub of chocolate ice cream man's ever made… and cry. Is that too much to ask?

"Good." Yoshino-sensei says, smiling at me. She walks up to me, tugging me into a hug. I'm not complaining, hugs are the best medicine. Well, hugs and chocolate. "Rest for the coming days. You deserve it." I nod, fully agreeing with Sensei. And I really like hugs. Hugs are awesome. Super awesome. Comparable to chocolate kind of awesome.

"Yes, I do." I murmur, nodding again. Sensei gently scratches my scalp with her nail, letting me enjoy this moment for all it's worth.

"I have an idea, if you're feeling up to it?" Sensei begins, but I don't care to respond. Let me enjoy my fluffy moment with hugs, and fluff, and not having to save a life or end it! "We could have a nice dinner tonight. I could invite Mariko-chan and Remi-chan and their families and we could have a nice, cosy evening in. And while I'm busy arranging all of this, you can curl up in bed with a nice book." I dunno, I'm not in a people mood. But curling up in bed sounds divine!

"Sounds to me like our little princess is in a foul mood today." Shikaku-san says. He sounds… not worried, but concerned. "How about I take over as your hugging post while Yoshi-chan gets you something nice to snack on?" He offers.

"That actually sounds like a good idea. And I happen to know an age old trick that will do you a world of good." Sensei says, trying to push me back a bit. I don't let go of her though. "What do you think, Aya?"

"That depends on the bribe." I murmur. Anything that makes me end this hug before I'm willing and ready to, is a bribe.

"Hot chocolate by the bucket, a hot water bag, and all the cuddling your heart could desire?" I think about that. Sacrifice a few seconds of not having this hug, for the sake of cuddling all day? Me likey!

I move back a bit, not fighting her this time. Our eyes meet, and all I can find in her is that concerned, nurturing woman, smiling that maternal smile of hers to let me know that she'll do all she can to make this horrid day a little more bearable.

I blink, and when my eyes open again it isn't Yoshino-sensei that's half hugging me… but mama. Gone is Sensei's cared for hair and soft silky texture, replaced by mama's wild and uncontrollable spikes. Her smile is a bit more feral, but just as warm and protective. Her eyes are more yellow than brown. I blink again, and it's gone.

I…

… I…

I hate being female so bad right now. I throw myself into Shikaku-san's awaiting arms, already crying and no longer able to look at Sensei.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Aya, sweetie, are you alright?" Yasu-nee asks, already opening my door and coming into my room.

Let's see. I'm curled up in a foetal position, under a quilt on my bed, with a hot water bottle trying to cook the horrid reality leaking out of my womb a little at a time. Oh, I'm also on my sixth bar of chocolate, third mug of hot chocolate, and have sworn off chocolate ice cream because anything cold just makes me cramp up worse.

"I'm just _peachy_." I drone sarcastically.

Yasu-nee offers a worn smile, her eyes showing just how well she understands what I'm going through. She closes the door behind her, making her way over to me. She lies on the bed with me, scooting closer bit by bit, until she's close enough to wrap me in her embrace.

"You mind telling me why you're suddenly avoiding Yoshino-san?" I wince. I didn't think I was being that obvious.

"…" I sigh. "It's stupid."

"I have time." I sigh again, unsure if I even want to put that into words.

I sigh once again, but I explain it. Halting, stuttering in places, and hating every moment of it, but I know I can trust Yasu-nee with this. "W-when I looked up… I didn't see Sensei, I saw… I saw mama. Her grin, her eyes, the warmth I've only ever felt when m-mama hugged me…"

"How do you feel about Yoshino-san?" Yasu-nee, of course, had to ask. I sigh, unsure how to answer her. "I know you trust her, I know you love her, I know you see her as part of the pack. But, if you were to give a status to it…?"

"Yasu-nee, I have enough going on right now. Can we skip to point?" I drone.

"You love Yoshino-san, right?"

"Yes?" What is she getting at?

"Like a big sister?"

"… No?"

"Romantically?"

"No." No brainer. Only Chouji-kun holds that title.

"… Like a mother?"

"…" I'd love to think about this, I really would. And I probably will some other time. It's just not very easy right now. Ask me to recite the vital organs and their functions, no problem. Ask me to think… that's a bit much.

"Sweetie, I know you're still hurting. But… Yoshino-san does care for you like her own daughter. Shikaku-san cares for you in the same way. And I'm sure Shikamaru cares for you in his own way."

"… I know…" I say, unsure how to feel about it. I mean… if Yoshino-sensei… if I start treating her like she's my mother… would that… wouldn't that… what about mama?

Why does this have to come up now? Can't this wait a week? Maybe two?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Sensei…?" I find her in the kitchen, already making another mug of hot chocolate. She turns to me, tears already welling up.

"Aya, are you alright? You look like you've been crying." She forgets whatever she was doing, her arms around me in an instant. "Why were you crying, sweetie? What's wrong?"

"… I'm sorry…" I mumble, hating myself a little more. "For a-avoiding you all morning…"

"Sweetie, do you really think I blame you for not wanting to be around peo…ple…" She tenses ever so slightly. "This isn't about people." Yeah, her brain is kicking into overdrive and she's starting to piece the puzzle together, knowing her.

I don't speak, I don't dare to. I just pray to whatever Kami is listening that she won't be upset when she figures this out.

"Why were you avoiding me, Aya?" Great. She probably already figured it out, she just wants me to say it. Why can't smart people just assume they're smart enough to figure it out and just go with it?

"… Because you reminded me too much of mama…"

She's quiet for a long moment, studying –dissecting– that information. "You're scared I'm replacing her."

"Yes…? No? I don't know." I complain. "I just… You…" I sigh. Why did I choose to listen to Yasu-nee and talk to Sensei about this? "You just remind me so much of her. How you always know what to say. How you always have an answer. How you can make anything better with the simplest of things."

She doesn't interrupt, just letting me ramble it all out.

"And Shikaku-san… he's…" I snort, amused. "Even Nara-san… I… Kami-sama, I'm not making any sense at all."

"You are." She says, holding me tight once again. "Aya, you aren't my daughter. I'm not your mother. I don't plan on replacing her, not that I even could."

"Nn." Why do those words hurt? It's the truth. The facts lay bare… so why does it hurt?

"But if you want...?" I don't react, I don't even breathe. "I'm sure Shikaku wouldn't mind. In fact, I'm sure he has trouble not seeing you as his daughter… just like I do."

"… don't… don't…" I mutter, over and over again. Don't you dare dangle something like this in front of me when I'm this vulnerable… don't you dare…

"What is it, Aya? What's wrong?" Please don't make me say this. Please. Please…! "Aya, baby, you're scaring me. What's wrong?" She pushes me back gently, tears spilling down her cheeks to match mine. "Please… tell me what's hurting you… I can't fix it if you won't tell me."

"I'm… scared." My voice is barely more than a whisper. But hearing that last word knocks the air out of me. Tears a streaming down my face, too much for either of us to stem the flow – no matter how many times she tries, and she's a determined woman. "I'm scared… because of this thing coming up… you and _him_ … and everyone… and I… I can't lose you… please…" I beg, shaking my head slowly, barely able to breathe from the tightness of my chest.

She hugs me again, tighter than before.

 **Shhhhhht!**

The kitchen door slides open. "Hey, guess who's home? Yasu said I'd…" Shikaku-san trails off, obviously noticing the funeral air in here with us. "Alright, who am I killing?"

That comes so far out of left field that I find myself laughing a little. The next thing I know, he's behind me, hugging his wife and sandwiching me between them.

"We're fine… it's just that Aya's a bit… worried right now. The whole invasion and everything, you know." She says.

"Is that so…" He trails off, pulling away from us. I feel his hand on my shoulder, so I turn to him. I don't hide my tears from him, knowing he already knows anyway. "I'd love to tell you what you want to hear right now. But that's not what you need, is it." He crouches down to my height, his arms held wide for me. "You know you want to." He says with a knowing smile.

I untangle myself from her embrace, throwing myself into his. My arms snake around his neck, just as his gently find their way around my middle. He lifts me up, almost like I weigh nothing, and he lets me hide from the world in his protective embrace.

"There, there, princess. It's alright. I've got you." Is that supposed to stop me from crying? Or make me cry more? "Daddy's got you, alright?" Definitely 'cry more'…

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I'm fine." I say defensively before anyone even has the chance to ask anything. Chouji-kun, Ino-chan and… well, Shika-nii (I guess) show up together. I still wonder how… how daddy got in without me opening the gate, but I'm just too emotionally and mentally scrambled to figure it out.

Shika-nii's been leaving with daddy every morning around the same time. One goes to the Tower, the other goes somewhere random to train with Sarutobi-sensei. So that the younger Ino-Shika-Chou trio show up together isn't that big a surprise. That Mariko-san and Remi-san are with them isn't that big a surprise either. Nor is the fact that Inoichi-san and Chouza-san with them a surprise. It's… Sarutobi-sensei and Yuuhi-sensei being with them, that catches me a bit off guard.

I open the gate, welcoming them all into our home. "Really, I'm fine. I'm just tired from overdoing it with training and everything." They haven't asked anything yet.

"I hope you don't mind that we came a bit earlier than planned. But Chou-chan baked some chocolate muffins and he figured you might like some." Remi-san says, smiling warmly. I smile a little too. More chocolate is SOOOOOOOOO welcome right now.

Once they're all through the gate, I close it behind them and we walk into the house together. Normally I'd wait with them while the remove their footwear, but no one seems surprised when I walk ahead into the family sitting room.

The second I open the door to the family sitting room, daddy's eyes meet mine and he smiles to welcome me back. I smile a little too, making my way over to him and curling up in his lap. I grab the hot water bottle again, placing it where it belongs, and daddy wraps me in the quilt once again. Only once I find a comfortable position do I sigh contently. Kami-sama, I've needed this sooo bad!

"It's fine, Kurenai-san. We're quite used to taking over the kitchen while we're here. You guys go on into the family sitting room." Mariko-san points out.

"Yoshi-chan, do you think it's too early to let the boys start on their sake? You know they're going to start griping about it just now." Remi-san teases lightly. "Oh, hot chocolate is not going to help her. Don't worry, I happen to know Haku-chan keeps a speci-"

"She's been drinking the tea all morning, it hasn't helped in the least. So I opted for making her comfortable. I even kidnapped Shikaku from work." Se… Mom explains. Somehow, calling _him_ daddy seems so much less awkward?

"Shikaku needed an excuse to be here for a gathering?" Chouza-san sounds amused. "Sounds to me like Aya's got him wrapped around her little finger."

"Come see for yourselves." Mom says, walking towards us. She smiles when our eyes meet. She's quick to make her way over to me and offer me my mug of hot chocolate.

"Thanks, mom." I say, meaning it. Her eyes smile warmly.

Chouza-san's roaring laughter fills the house. "Well, well, looks like Aya got to the both of you, huh? Can't say I'm too surprised."

"Chouza! Behave yourself please." Remi-san chastises her husband. "And, young lady, I can already tell you haven't been kind to your body this last month. I hope you remember that for the next time. A kunoichi's body has a way of reminding us we aren't machines." She says, offering me a meaningful look. I snort, not disagreeing with her in the least. "Lucky for you I know a trick or two to help, but you're still going to need to take it easy in the coming days."

"That's the plan. Isn't it, princess?" Daddy squeezes me gently. I nod, sipping my hot chocolate.

"What have you been doing? Training around the clock for the last month?" Mariko-san sounds annoyed with me.

"More or less." Daddy, you are sooooo not helping! I sigh, sipping a bit more of my hot chocolate. I'm not in the mood for this. I'm already dealing with the consequences, so just leave me be already!

"Hey, hey. Stop picking on my cute little student." Kakashi ambles in, headband missing and on crutches. See! I'm not the only stubborn one in this house!

"Oi, Kakashi-sensei! What happened to you?" Ino-chan asks, shocked to see him looking so beat up.

"Oh, this? Well, you see I tripped and fell down the stairs." I snort, knowing that idiot would say something stupid like that. I can sense Inoichi-san and Chouza-san studying him closely, just as Mariko-san and Remi-san are.

"Now, now. Stop hogging the doorway, Kakashi-san." Maki is right behind him with Momochi-san and Haku-chan. I guess they were outside together, or something. Chouza-san's laughter probably called them inside. Once Kakashi makes a stupid comment and gets out of the way, everyone starts crowding the low table. "Well, well. Looks like Aya-chan has finally come out of hiding. What'd you bribe her with, Shikaku-san?"

Daddy shrugs, choosing not to comment.

"Hey, Aya-chan, sorry to bug you again, but…" Kakashi says, sorrow in his tone. Daddy unwraps me, knowing I'd rather deal with this now than let Kakashi suffer needlessly. His leg's healing really well, but Kakashi's a stubborn mule that refuses to stay in bed. So every few days the pain starts acting up again. It's simple enough to deal with, but… whatever.

Momochi-san helps Kakashi to sit without stressing his leg too much, so once I put down my mug and hot water bottle again, I only have to deal with his leg. I activate the Mystic Palm jutsu, going over his wounds for the millionth time since he got them. "The inflammation isn't that bad this time." I murmur, healing what little is acting up.

"Sake does wonders." He announces, eye-smiling. I don't even react to that – I don't feel like it. In under a minute I've dealt with his leg, so I instruct him to hold out his hands for me so I can check those as well. Nothing out of the ordinary there though.

"And people wonder where I get my stubborn streak from?" I complain, helping him to set his leg comfortably without aggravating it even more. "You know you shouldn't be moving around, even with crutches, right?"

"Now, now, sorry doc, but I have this itch that only fresh air can cure." He tries, but I just roll my eyes at him.

"I'll be right back." I say, deciding to change my pad and _go_ so I can cuddle up with daddy… without having to worry about _that_ for a while again.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once I'm once again properly wrapped up, Remi-san offers me a cup of tea. "Drink, young lady. It might not be helping the worst of it, but I promise you it **is** helping." I shrug, but don't comment. I drink the bitter tasting tea quickly, offering her the empty teacup and grabbing my chocolate once again to wash down the horrid taste. The tea itself isn't that bad, but the aftertaste could kill!

"Hey, Aya, you want a muffin? They're fresh!" Ino starts trouble. I roll my eyes, ignoring her for the moment. I take my time, enjoying my now somewhat lukewarm chocolate milk. Even lukewarm, it tastes like heaven.

"Ino, it's fine. When Aya's ready to try one, she'll try one. They're _only for her_ though." I smile into my mug, knowing that's the reason Ino's making such a big deal about this.

"Troublesome." Shika-nii mutters.

"A half hour ago you were just as curious if she'd like them!"

"A half hour ago I didn't know my parents adopted her. Or that she went and overdid it again." Shika-nii counters. "Can you imagine would mom would do to me if I annoy my little sister when she's like this?" Good point.

"You don't mind?" Daddy asks.

"Why would I mind? She's practically been family for months." Shika-nii points out. I don't get involved, this might be about me, but it has nothing to do with me. "Just don't ask me to get between her and Chouji. That'd be too troublesome for words."

I snort, almost choking on my chocolate milk. "I hope you guys don't expect me to call everything 'troublesome' now." I complain.

"Nah. Bothersome works better for you. Besides, if anything, you take after mom. She's too strict for that." Shika-nii points out. "Just try distracting her when she gets on my case. I've been searching for years for an ally when she gets mad at me." Okay, so not going there, bro. You're on your own.

"Shikamaru, you're assuming she won't take your mother's side." Ino-chan points out.

"You're assuming this hasn't happened before." Shika-nii counters. I giggle a little. He's not wrong. I do pick mom's side a lot, but I do tend to help him out when she's just dragging it out. "I ran into Lee earlier. He wanted to thank you for the tip?"

"Nn." I smile a little. I knew Lee would be able to handle that training. I sip the last of the chocolate, putting the empty mug down on the table. Normally I'd make a shadow crow and have it bring the mug into the kitchen, but I'm pretty sure mom and Yasu-nee will never let me live that down.

"Dad, question. Yasu and Sakiko?"

"Hnn?"

"Are they a packaged deal with our latest addition?"

"Probably. Not like I mind. This way your mother will stop bugging me about wanting a little girl." Again, I'm sooo not getting involved in this. "It does, of course, mean that I have to have a nice, _long_ chat with Kakashi about his plans for Yasu."

Kakashi looks a little nervous about that. I just laugh. "Shikaku-san, I assure you I have only the best intentions for Yasu-chan."

"I'll believe it when I hear talk of a wedding date." Daddy counters easily. "I don't go easy on Chouji, so don't expect me to even _consider_ going easy on you."

"Ah…" Ouch, Kakashi. I guess you're going to have to step up your game if you don't want a peeved Nara on your case – not something anyone sane would want.

"Speaking of which… Zabuza?" Inocichi-san begins. I narrow my eyes, wondering what Momochi-san has to do with any of this.

"Oi, keep me out of this. I already told Maki I won't even consider making a move until she's back at a hundred percent." Oh? I didn't know Maki and Momochi-san are a thing?

"Be that as it may, Haku-chan and Ao-chan need a mother figure, and they both get along quite well with Maki." Inoichi-san counters, smooth as silk. "It might be worth noting that Maki isn't against the idea, and I happen to know that the house next door is on sale. You may wish to consider making a bid."

"Noted." Momochi-san drones. To anyone else he might seem annoyed, but I've spent enough time with him to know he's considering it, if nothing else.

"No rush, Momochi-san. I won't mind if the four of you stay here." I add my two cents.

"Thank you, Aya-chan. Really." Maki says, blushing brightly. What's with all the talk of relationship hook-ups though? "That reminds me… Ao-chan has been talking about that Kamizuki boy a lot lately… it might be good for us to get to know him?"

"See, Hiro-kun, I told you they'd want to meet you." I sniff the air for a second. Yup, Ao-chan and Hiro. I smirk. He's been coming over 'in secret' a lot. Psh! Like he could really get in here without anyone of us noticing?

Minori, Haruki, Asami, Hina-nee, Fuu, Moegi… look, everyone that was upstairs studying comes in to join us.

"What makes you think I haven't already spoken to him?" Momochi-san asks, seemingly annoyed. The way Hiro-kun gulps painfully, I know Momochi-san isn't pretending – he **_talked_** to the boy already, in painstaking detail.

"If it makes you feel better, Hiro-kun, we're like this with everyone." I say, smiling a bit.

"Oh? Even Chouji-san?" Hiro wonders, eyeing Chouji-kun. The tension in the room suddenly skyrockets. Even Kakashi –as beat up and worn down as he is– is eyeing Chouji-kun with flat out contempt. "Ah. Nevermind." Yeah, I think that's evidence enough for any jury.

"Now, now. I believe it's my job to be the scare factor in this particular situation." Daddy butts in. I just reach out and grab one of the muffins Chouji-kun brought for me. I start nibbling on it, waiting for the situation to play out. This muffin's REALLY good though!

"Ah?" I break off a piece and offer it to daddy. He rolls his eyes, but doesn't fight me. I prop a small piece into his mouth so he can get a taste. He nods appreciatively. I know right? They're yummy!

"Yeah, Nara. You're so scary when you get like that." Momochi-san drones sarcastically.

"Ah?" I offer Chouji-kun a piece as well. He smiles at me a bit, leaning as far over the table as he can without risking falling. I prop a piece into his mouth as well.

"Wow, girl. You already have him eating out of your hand?" Minori just had to go there. Everyone gets a good laugh off of that. Especially Kakashi and Momochi-san. I raise an eyebrow to those two in particular.

"Now, now, Namiki. What'd I tell you about the death threats?" Momochi-san drones, unimpressed.

"You know, Zabuza… I think what she's trying to tell you is that any girl or woman that isn't worth being 'whipped' for, isn't worth having in the first place." Daddy points out.

"Hnn. You putting words in my mouth, Nara?" Momochi-san **is** annoyed this time.

"Merely responding to a familiar look and a thought that went unsaid." Daddy counters. Momochi-san shrugs, knowing daddy's right.

"To answer your question, Hiro-kun." Kakashi begins. "Aya just so happens to have a… unique position in the pack. Just as Yasu-chan does. So Chouji… or anyone that's interested in her, really… let's just say that Aya won't ever have to worry about anyone treating her badly. Not if they value their life." Chouji-kun shivers at the tone Kakashi's using. Even Hiro looks a little pale at that. I just roll my eyes – this isn't something I didn't expect, considering what they did to poor Lee. And now adding daddy and Shika-nii? I don't think I'll ever understand guys.

"Kakashi, you're ignoring that all females in our pack get the same treatment." I glare at him dully, reminding him that he's in fact Yasu-nee's love interest. "That means that you don't just have daddy to worry about if you don't treat Yasu-nee the way she deserves." Everyone tenses slightly, even Momochi-san. "And that's ignoring the fact that I don't have a special status, I'm just the only one that keeps putting you idiots back together when you get messed up."

"Yeah, 'Kashi! You better not dare make my sister cry, ya know!" Sakiko announces, growling at him menacingly – properly growling, mind you. I grin, knowing that little Saki's going to be a force to be reckoned with in time; and because I'm so proud of her. "And Chouji-san! That counts double for you! Aya-nee might have forgiven your stupidness, but I won't ever forget it, ya know!" She doesn't growl this time though, she just flies at him, ready to pound him into the ground.

I grab her out of thin air –seeing as she was planning on jumping over the table to get to him– and set her in my lap. "Muffin?" I offer, smiling warmly.

"Mou! Aya-nee~eeeee!" I prop a piece of the muffin in her mouth to keep her quiet. She grumbles, but quiets down when her brain registers the yummy chocolate.

"I'm not saying you're wrong, Saki. I'm saying that people make stupid mistakes. Just because I know not to bother get between guys and their caveman bonding, doesn't mean I'm going to let you get caught up in it."

"I don't get it…" She admits.

"Well, guys have their way of testing the character of another guy who's interested in a family member. We have our way. Just like Remi-san tested me. Just like Yasu-nee and I tested Maki. Just like I tested Hina-nee. And just like we're all going to be testing whichever girl catches Shika-nii's eye." On cue, Shika-nii groans, not liking where this is going.

"Ehhhhh! I didn't even notice something like that going on, ya know!"

"No, you probably didn't. You see, unlike the guys, we're really subtle about it. Just like how we test the person we're interested in, we test the person interested in someone we love." I explain sagely. "And that reminds me… Asami… since we're on the topic anyway…?" Everyone's eyes are on her, especially Konohamaru's.

"Oi, Namiki… who's the lucky victim?" Momochi-san asks, his tone just barely not threatening.

"Sasuke." I say, smirking a little.

"Oh. I thought you were bringing us news." Momochi-san obviously no longer cares. That's the reason I'm smirking. It's not that Sasuke's earned that much respect, we just all know he'd never do Asami wrong. Not if he can help it.

"Sounds to me like only Ino and Shikamaru need to find a suitable mate then." Kakashi teases.

"Oi! I'm still here, you know!" Minori huffs, ticked off and more than a little annoyed.

"Yeah, but then we'd have to include Haruki as well, and that would mean including Hanabi, Udon, Moegi, Konohamaru and Sakiko as well… that's just a can of worms we don't want to open." Kakashi drawls almost lazily.

"Chouji hasn't been approved." Momochi-san points out… I sigh. This is just going nowhere.

"I'll tell you what, you tell Aya that, and I'll be here watching." Minori teases, smiling brightly.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 47_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Mostly fluff and filler here, I know that. But important fluff and filler ^_^ I had this chapter done last night, but I was wondering if I wasn't overstating th family gathering a bit, so I wanted to get some sleep and read through it again.  
_**

 ** _I know, I could have done so much interesting things during this month, but really, it's nothing that couldn't be showcased during the Third Exam or the invassion, so I figure getting to the good stuff would be so much more fulfilling that mere allusion to what the good stuff might be. Next up is the Interlude on Orochimaru, then one on Sarutobi Hiruzen, after that... dun dun duuuuuuuuuun! Round 1, Fight!_**


	56. Interlude 8 – Plotting

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Interlude 8 – Plotting_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Deep in the Land of Sound, in an underground base. There are no natural light sources, only the harsh florescent tubes casting an eerie, doom-like glow on all the wrong things. Uchiha Sasuke looks at the experiments with no emotion whatsoever. The Third had been graphic in detailing what he might encounter, so he knows not to expect rose petals and pixie dust. The pained and frightened screaming constantly coming from deeper in the base is somewhat harder to stomach, though.

Still, Sasuke looks on as stoic as he'd ever been.

Orochimaru studies the him, dissects his every move, trying to piece together why this boy is so different from what the reports showed. After Itachi's massacre, Sasuke was withdrawn, sullen, a loner. So why did he threaten to kill himself on the spot if Orochimaru tried to engage a downed, and likely dying, Hatake Kakashi? It didn't make sense. Loners don't care if comrades die, not to the point of suicidal thoughts or intentions. The only thing that makes sense is that Sasuke found so much more in his team than merely people that push him to become stronger. What was even more intriguing, was that Sasuke didn't immediately give into Orochimaru's offer of unfathomable power. More than enough to rival Itachi.

Not only did Sasuke not react to hearing that name, which was a surprise in and of itself, but he scoffed at the offer. Orochimaru had to resort to threatening everything Sasuke holds dear if the boy tried to run away. Then, and only then, did Orochimaru see the hatred in the boy's eyes. The hatred he'd expected would be reserved for Itachi.

At any rate, so long as Sasuke plays nice, Orochimaru did promise not to go out of his way to kill any of Sasuke's precious people. If they got killed during the invasion though; well, Orochimaru wasn't going to lose any sleep over it.

Deeper and deeper into the underground lair they walk, until they reach a series of doors in a dimly lit hallway. "These will be your quarters for now." Kabuto explains, his tone light, almost friendly. "I'm sure we don't have to explain what would happen if you turn up missing?"

"What I tolerate from Orochimaru, isn't something I would tolerate from his lackeys." Sasuke warns, his tone dark. "I've heard his warning. I will abide by his rules."

"Now, now, Sasuke-kun. Kabuto is my right hand man. Surely you can see that his words are, in fact, coming from me?" Orochimaru says, amused with his newest pet.

"Hnn." Both Sound shinobi got the distinct impression that if anyone threatened Sasuke's precious people again, they'd wind up dead. Most would be worried about such a thing, but Orochimaru is mostly intrigued, thinking how entertaining Sasuke might be until he's needed.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Once in his office, Orochimaru goes over the plan in his head once again. It isn't foolproof, or even a very good plan, really. Lots of people will die on both sides of the invasion. But, the only goal he really cares for is killing Sarutobi Hiruzen, crippling Konoha, and getting either Naruto, Gaara, or both killed to mess with the Akatsuki's plans. Oh how Orochimaru enjoys toying with other people's plans. Not directly, most of the time. No, that's so crass and pointless. No, Orochimaru enjoys ruining plans at a distance. Frustrating his enemies, making them careless; these are things he enjoys. Like that Sasori of the Red Sand. Sending a spy to infiltrate Orochimaru's organization? Still, he's most grateful for the gift; Kabuto has been nothing short of useful ever since he acquired him.

"So, to recap." Orochimaru says, an amused smile on his lips but not reaching his eyes.

"Team A will summon three of the larger snakes to break through the outer wall, allowing for both our people and Sand's to enter Konoha without being bottlenecked. Their orders will be to slaughter everyone they encounter, taking no prisoners." Kabuta recites almost mechanically. "Sand's jinchuuriki has been ordered to unleash the One-tail as soon as the invasion begins, drawing all attention to him. And you will have the Third Hokage all to yourself. Are you certain you do not need a fourth person for the barrier?"

"Sakon and Ukon can handle it." Orochimaru waves off the concerns. "Not my best plan, but it is good enough."

Kabuto's face twitches almost microscopically, showing that a thought just went through his head. He doesn't voice it though, and Orochimaru either doesn't notice, or doesn't care.

"Kabuto, send a runner to meet with our _Kazekage_. Inform him that there's been no changes."

"At once, Orochimaru-sama."

"And I'll be expecting an update on my _little project_. I do oh so wonder what Sasuke will think of it."

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Deeper in that same base, a pair of cold Sharingan eyes stares at the ceiling. The room is dim, but she finds this to her liking. Low lighting usually means _he_ doesn't want anything with her. She oh so hates it whenever _he_ shows interest in her.

She didn't have a name, not one she remembered at least. In fact, the only memory she had at all that wasn't directly or indirectly related to this base, was of a smiling woman she'd long since decided was her mother. _He_ called her Uchiha, but even that name had no value.

Seven years old, not that it mattered. She understands enough of the world around her to know that she is a slave, a tool her cruel master will use as he sees fit. A tool that, if broken, will be tossed aside. How strange that she looks forward to that day. That's why she doesn't fight back, hoping to prove useless. Hoping to have it end. It's only when the darkness claims her that she ever feels at peace, after all. Death should be something like that, right? Darkness?

She certainly hopes so.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Interlude 8_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I wonder what this will mean? We'll just have to wait and see._**


	57. Interlude 9 – Family

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Interlude 9 – Family  
_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen goes over his plans once again, with Shikaku of course. "The Allied Mothers Force will, of course, be in charge of guarding the shelters. The genins that cannot be trusted out in the battlefield will be under their direct supervision. All battle-ready genin and chuunin will be in charge of the evacuation." Shikaku lays it out.

"Hmm. Yes, that sounds like a solid plan." Hiruzan agrees. "What would be your suggestion for our Anbu and jounin forces?"

"If the invasion is being focused around the Exams, it's likely the first strike will be in the stadium. My suggestion would be to focus about seventy percent of our jounin there as spectators, along with perhaps thirty percent of out Anbu forces. Have the others set up in these key locations, as they offer the most immediate response to enemy actions." Shikaku taps a few places on the map, spread out over the whole village. "Give the jounin orders to aid the chuunin and genin if they can, to minimize casualties, but give the Anbu orders to take out the more immediate threats."

"I see." Hiruzen thinks about it. "Yes, that makes sense."

"The only thing that worries me is that Sand team in the finals. They will be part of the invasion force as well. No doubt with orders to unleash the One-tail in the middle of our village." Shikaku doesn't sound too pleased with that thought, but he isn't sure how to counter that just yet.

"Gaara will be neutralized before he has the chance. Naruto and Aya have their orders." Hiruzen says evenly.

"H-hokage-sama, surely you c-can't-"

"They are Anbu trainees, Shikaku. They will not fail, and they certainly won't fall." Hiruzen interrupts his Jounin Commander, smiling. "Surely you do not think Naruto will let something happen to his little sister?"

"..." Shikaku wants to agree. After all, logically, Naruto would sooner die than let anything happen to the girl. Emotionally, however, it's a lot harder to just blindly trust that nothing would happen to the daughter he'd only just found. And what's worse is how much of a daddy's girl she's turning into. Shikaku is forbidden to leave the house before hugging her at least once. And kissing Yoshino in front of her so she knows he did.

"Something on your mind?" Hiruzen doesn't like it when Shikaku has that focused look on his face, not when their planning something as important as village security. It usually means he's unhappy with the plan, and that just isn't something the Third wants at this critical stage of planning.

"Just worried about my little girl." Shikaku says honestly. "I don't like the idea of her facing a potentially psychotic jinchuuriki. And I certainly don't like that she's playing such a major role in all of this."

"Aya?" Hiruzen guesses. He hates to admit it, but he doesn't spend nearly enough time with people in a social setting, so most of the social/emotional developments usually escape his notice.

"Nn. We haven't legally adopted her or her sisters, but..."

"I understand." Hiruzen says, smiling warmly. "I've seen what the girl can do, Shikaku. I trust in her and her team to get the job done."

"Her team...? Sasuke...?"

"Nn. As well."

"... I see." Shikaku thinks about that for about half a second, before deciding that saving every life they can is far more important than figuring out what the Hokage's been doing covertly; even if Shikaku already mostly figured it out.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

It's going on ten in the evening by the time Hiruzen finally arrives home. Asuma is drinking some sake in the sitting room, idly thinking about something the Hiruzen can't place. "Ah, mind if I join you?" Hiruzen asks his son.

"Sure." Asuma nods, pouring a saucer for his old man. "The house sure is quiet without our two little loud mouths."

"That it is." Hiruzen agrees, laughing. He thanks his son for the drink, before they toast and sip till their saucers are empty. "I often wonder if you'd ever forgiven me for hiding the truth about Asami from you."

"Hmm?" Asuma thinks about that, already pouring another saucer for the both of them. Hiruzen, meanwhile is fixing his pipe for a smoke. "I can't say it wasn't obvious from the start, pop. I mean, even back then, Asami looked just like her mother."

Hiruzen laughs again. "Too true. But that doesn't really say anything."

"I know why you did it." Asuma says, already sipping his sake and puffing his cigarette. "You couldn't save them both from the village, so you saved the one you could."

"Nn." Hiruzen downs his saucer in one go this time. He regrets a lot of things in his life, but not being able to protect Naruto... that stings even now.

"Don't be like that." Asuma says, pouring his father another saucer. "He has Aya. And that girl is someone everyone would want watching their back."

"Just like her mother." Hiruzen agrees, lighting his pipe and taking a long pull from it. He puffs out the smoke, thinking about that. "It's hard to look at those two and not see Minato and Miwako."

Asuma downs his saucer, filling his and his father's once again. "You're right about that. Adding Asami into the mix though... it's déjà vu every time." The two shudder, thinking about that. Whenever Kushina was added into the mix... one could never be certain of the outcome. Something Naruto most definitely inherited from her. "Hey, which one of the two would you rather see as Hokage in the future?"

"Asami." Hiruzen doesn't even think about that. "Could you imagine Konoha with Kushina as Hokage?" Asuma shivers at the thought.

"Point. Still, I doubt Aya or Shikamaru would allow for Naruto to make too many bad decisions."

"Oh?"

"What, you don't know? Shikaku and Yoshino pretty much adopted Aya."

"Shikaku said as much during our meeting." The ageing shinobi thinks about that. "Hnn, with Aya watching Naruto's back, she'd use every resource available to guide him. Even Shikamaru."

"Exactly. And that's ignoring the fact that she's going to be hounding that boy to train harder from now on. With the support net he's building? I'd say Naruto's a safe bet."

 _ **8-8**_

 _ **End Interlude 9**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Look at that! Both interludes on the same day! My, I'm spoiling you guys ^_^  
**_

 _ **So guess what? The next chapter is the Third Exam! It might take a little longer though! After all, I want to make sure everything is absolutely perfect! You'll know when it's ready ;)**_


	58. First Round!

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 48 – First Round!_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You got your scroll?" Naruto-nii asks.

"Yeah." I answer simply. "You know the plan?"

"Yeah." He answers. "You want me to carry the prisoners' scroll?"

"No need." Asami fitted my gloves with a series of seals that I can seal basically anything I want and keep it handy at all times. "You told Yokoshima the plan?"

"Yeah." He nods. "You sure about this though? I mean, this is major, you know?"

"Yeah." I nod solemnly. I'm not looking forward to it, but I understand it. "It's Haku and her team that worries me most though."

"Yeah…" Naruto-nii doesn't like the idea at all, but… what can you do. At least Haku's focusing on the evacuation, and has very clear orders to avoid the fighting at all costs. Still… that's both Yukis and two of Naruto-nii's clansmen on one team… "We'll just have to finish up our parts quickly to go help them if they need it."

"Yeah." We seem to be going back a forth like this. "You have a communications seal set up in case anyone here needs to reach us?"

"Of course! Kakashi-sensei has one. Maki has one. And I made sure that every member of Team Haku has one, just to be sure. Hina-chan has one, so her team is covered. Shikamaru has one, so his team is covered."

…

I think about that for a long, lo~ooooooong moment. Everyone should be in contact at all times. So… why do I still feel so nervous? "We're going to be alright… right?"

"… I hope so…" Not helping, Naru-nii. Not helping at all.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You two ready?" Mitarashi asks. I look to her, seeing nothing different about her.

"I should be asking you that. What do you think this is? Are you even armed?" I round on her. "For Kami's sake, do you think this is a game?"

"Huh?" She sounds confused, then smirks. "Oi, brat, I'm always ready for war." She claims.

"Oh really? You're going to be using jutsu that our allies might identify as enemy fire. And you're ready?" I counter. That brings her up short. "Idiot." I walk up to the cache hidden right here in the family sitting room, opening it and motioning her inside. "Take at least three you feel confident you can wield."

She grins like a kid in a candy store. "You sure about this? Any three I want?"

"That's what I said." I roll my eyes, annoyed with her. "Kakashi, Maki, are you two going to be alright without me?"

"We'll be fine, Aya-chan. Yasu-san's here with us." Maki assures me. I nod, knowing that my sisters will take care of them for me. "Are **you** going to be alright?"

"Yes." I promise her. "I'll be home as soon as I can. I'll be sure to keep you and Kakashi updated."

"Aya-nee…?" Saki looks worried, scared. "You still have to teach me that jutsu, ya know…" She's almost to the point of tears.

"Come here, baby girl." She glomps me in the blink of an eye. I hug her tight, idly running my hand through her hair. "Nothing will keep me from coming home."

"Promise?" She holds me a lot tighter, obviously not wanting to let me go.

"Promise. Naruto-nii and I will be here for dinner. And tomorrow I'm going to show you a really cool new jutsu." I hold her a little tighter as well. I don't care which Kami I have to defy, I'm not going to let my family down.

"What if the house gets damaged?" Saki asks, crying.

I push her back a little, crouching down to her height. "I don't come home to this house." I tell her. "I come home to my family. To my pack… to you and Yasu-nee." Tears stream down her face, but she's quick to hug me again to hide that. "I am loyal to our pack, not our den, Saki."

She nods, understanding but still refusing to let me go. I look to Hina-nee, finding that she's having a teary moment with her little sister as well. Deciding that I should probably grab a quick snack before I go, I pick up Saki, letting her wrap herself around me, and walk to the kitchen. "I was wondering when you'd find your way here." Yasu-nee says, amused.

"We both know I'd never leave without…" Yasu-nee holds up a tray with ice cream sandwiches. Wolf and moon shaped ones, just like she made for my birthday.

"I have enough for later as well. So you'll have plenty to look forward to." She says, smiling warmly. I push the tray out of the way though, hooking an arm around her middle. "Now, now, sweetie. They'll melt if you don't hurry a little."

"Let them." I say, my voice quivering a little. "I have all the chocolate I need right here." I squeeze them both a little just to show her what I mean.

Yasu-nee wraps her arms around Saki and I, holding us tight. "Promise me you'll be careful."

"I'll be home before you know it, sis."

"You'd better be. Our pack needs you." Her voice is quivering too. "I need you."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After some a pretty emotional send-off, we're all in the front yard, just about ready to leave. Mitarashi-san, Momochi-san, Haku-chan and her team, mom, daddy, Shika-nii, Naru-nii, Hina-nee, Sasa-nee, all of us are ready to go to war.

I just need to do one last thing though.

 **Boar – Dog – Bird – Monkey – Ram – Summoning jutsu!**

Five wolves stand ready. Tsuren and her pups. "Aya." Tsuren greets me.

"Tsuren. I need to go deal with this insanity. Please… will you and your pups guard those who stay behind?"

"Of course." Tsuren nods solemnly. "Fret not, Aya. None in this den shall come to harm."

I walk up to her, wrapping my arms around her. "Be safe, Tsuren."

"And you, Aya. We have much hunting to do. It would not do to fall."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Eight of us stand at attention before thousands of spectators. I stand between Hina-nee and Shika-nii, looking up at the crowd. "Mom's probably complaining about you slouching." I mumble, smirking when I hear Shika-nii grumble about 'troublesome women'. He does stand a bit straighter though.

"Father's here with the elders." Hina-nee mumbles. I shrug. The Hyuugas aren't something I worry about most days. "They will want to see first hand what I can do."

"I say you let them keep guessing." Naru-nii says, grinning – I can hear it in his voice. "Show only what you need to for the promotion."

"Sound advice." I agree with him. "But that's your call to make."

"Nn." Hina-nee noises, uncertain what she wants.

"Eyes on the prise, Hinata." I remind her; _focus on the mission_.

"Nn." She noises again, the steel in her spine finally showing.

"No matter the outcome. I'm proud of you, Hinata." I whisper, knowing she'll hear me. Even from the corner of my eye, I can see pride in her eyes. Good. Let the Hyuugas see the lioness, not the timid mouse. Let them see everything they never wished to see before.

"Thank you all for coming!" Hokage-dono begins, kick-starting the tournament. He says a 'few' words, before announcing that the tournament may begin.

"Everyone but Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, please go up to the fighters' balcony." The proctor announces – some guy I've never met. His scent is familiar though. I think he's usually in Hokage-dono's office.

Everyone starts heading towards the door that would lead up to the balcony, but I stay for a second longer. Naruto-nii and I exchange a look, before we bump fists. We know what's at stake, and we know we will not fail Hokage-dono.

"Uchiha Sasuke! To the Areana!" The proctor plays ignorant. We know where he is, and it certainly isn't in Konoha. They're probably playing this off as him being late, or whatever.

 **-Yo, broody. I can't believe you're late for your Chuunin Exam debut!-** Naruto-nii teases.

 **-Hnn. It's the only way you'll look good.-** Sasuke teases right back. I can hear the smirk in his voice. I let them hear me giggling through the seal.

"Winner by default, Uzumaki Naruto!"

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Naruto-nii complains.

 **-Winner by default.-** I update Sasuke, a smile in my voice. This time Sasuke's chuckle comes through the seal.

"Will Hyuuga Hinata and Namiki Aya please enter the arena!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

And so, here we are. Hinata and I. In front of the village, in front of her clan, and essentially everyone we hold dear. I wonder why I feel someone in the crowd staring at me harder than anyone else; the feeling disappears as soon as I look around.

"You ready for this?" I ask Hinata. She nods, obviously feeling nervous. "Eyes on the prise." I remind her. She takes a deep breath, calming her nerves as best she can.

"Combatants Ready? Begin!"

Neither of us move.

Her words from earlier this week resurface. How she asked me –demanded really– to really fight her, so that she can see for herself just what she can do. I smirk. A proud lioness awaiting a challenge to overcome.

I whip out my flute. She's quick to do the same. However, she also activates her Byakugan; the veins around her eyes bulge, almost looking painful. So, Hinata. Let's see, once and for all, just how far you've come then.

I start playing a random song, and dash for her. When I'm about halfway to her I start my Sound Release: Siren's Call, but she's quick to use the Offsetting Sound to counter it. I fly towards her with a Flying Tiger Knee, but does a backwards somersault at the last second to dodge. I know she'll take advantage of this, try to use her momentum to scare a kick, so I position my right shin, and lock it in place.

She doesn't disappoint. Using a Gentle Fist styled kick, I feel one of my chakra pathways shut down in my shin. Yeah, about what I figured. I should have just substituted, but I wanted to know if she could actually do that in this kind of situation. I know better now. We've never gone all out against each other, so I truly have no idea how far she can take this – though the same is true the other way around.

Landing with all my weight on my left leg, I'm already focusing on reopening the closed pathway. To make sure she doesn't try to take advantage of the opening, I create two Sound Release: Divine Hands (Ha! I finally have a name for my Step Three!) and four Sound Balls.

I keep the Divine Hands near me as a defence, sending the Sound Balls at her, and still trying to open that stupid pathway! Jeez, I've never had to reopen one before! And it's PAINFUL!

Seeing as both the Sound Balls and Divine Hands don't need a constant flow of sound waves, I refocus my Siren's Call, to force her to keep up her Offsetting Sound. I wonder if she'll be able to multitask as well as I've learned to, but seeing as she's keeping up… well, I guess she isn't going to fall behind so easily.

It takes me almost five minutes to reopen the chakra pathway she'd forcefully –and painfully– closed. All the while, she's dancing around my attacks and trying to hit my Sound Balls with one of her Gentle Fist styled kicks. She'd hit the Sound Balls a few times, but she wasn't expecting them to be flung into the distance like an actual ball. Her Sound Balls are decent, don't get me wrong, but they still explode on contact. Mine don't.

Having grown tired of this cat and mouse game, she slams her foot onto the ground, using the sound waves to create four of her own Sound Balls, which she slams into mine – all four, at the same time. The girl's good.

Just not good enough. Her four explode, mine are still in the running. And now that I'm back in the running, I can take this up a notch again. I put away my flute, unsheathing my tanto. Her eyes widen slightly, shocked, as I start to sing and keep up my Siren's Call. And, oh yes, those four Sound Balls and two Divine Hands, as still VERY MUCH active and pushing her to her limits.

But, what's the fun of getting into her effective range for her Hyuuga styled pokes again? No, no, no. That's not what this is about. Instead, I snap and create two more Divine Hands.

I'm starting to feel the mental strain though. I mean, focusing on maintaining four Sound Balls, four Divine Hands, Siren's Call, and keeping the chakra moulded and prepared for my own Offestting Sound, should Hinata figure out a way to cast a sound release genjutsu… It's a… bit taxing.

Still, this way I'll know what my own limits are – something I've never truly tested.

With no reason not to, I send two Divine Hands towards Hinata, keeping the last two behind me as a backup. She starts sweating, obviously wondering just what in the hell I'm still capable of. I smirk a little, but luckily it doesn't affect my singing.

There's suddenly a look of intense focus on her face. Crap. She's figured a way out.

Without warning, her hands –including her flute– fly down to waist level, and she lets out a screech that would make Haruno-san jealous. A bubble –a single sound wave, really– erupts from her, and all six of my jutsus fizzle out of existence at once. Interestingly, the rocks within the blast radius all shatter and the blades of grass wilt. I figured. Sound Release: Acidic Screech. Her range isn't too impressive yet, but I'm just glad I'm well outside it… I've never seen that jutsu's effect on a human target, and I'm not planning on being the first either.

I'm so shocked that I stop singing, but I don't lose focus on my two surviving Divine Hands – thank Kami-sama. So if she tries to Body Flicker behind me for a surprise attack, she knows she'll get a nasty surprise herself.

"Not bad, Hina-nee. Not bad at all." I compliment her.

She snorts, breathing hard. "I can't believe how much force it took… Those Sound Balls you make… How…?"

"All things in time." I shrug, obviously not willing to explain it in front of thousands of onlookers. I briefly wonder if anyone in the crowd even knows how intense that little scuffle was, but I seriously doubt it. I do notice that everyone's on the edge of their seats though, so they are obviously enjoying the show.

I give Hinata a moment to catch her breath. I know an opponent wouldn't ever do something so silly, but I want to see what else she can do. I now know her sound release limits, but that leaves out kenjutsu, medical jutsu, sealing jutsu… so many yummy things.

Once Hinata's caught her breath, she unseals Saki's new sword. "Sakiko asked me to use her sword against you. So we could tell her just what it's capable of." She explains. I study the sword for a second. The jagged, bone-like teeth almost making it look like a double sided saw – if a very narrow one. I don't doubt for a second it'll make sound waves, and that it's sharp… but I've never really seen what it can do either.

"Meh. Whatever." I allow my two Divine Hands to unsheathe my kodachis, sending them over to Hinata. If she wants to test something that could potentially harm people… well, she can do that OVER THERE! Far away from me.

Just in case she gets any bright ideas, I make two more Divine Hands and keep them behind me once again.

I hear a shocked noise –a collective shocked noise– from the crowd. Seeing two swords dancing around in thin air would surprise anyone, I suppose.

The reason I always make my Divine Hand in pairs is actually quite simple. One is a right hand, the other a left. Somehow that helps me focus on them. So my ethereal right hand tries stabbing Hinata, but she parries and knocks my kodachi with her… saw-sword (I guess). I hear a very distinct low pitch erupt from the brief contact. I thought so. And with Hinata's Byakugan active, there's no way she won't notice how intense that sound is. The more intense the base sound, the more you can amp it up, the more dangerous it becomes in sound release jutsu.

This might very well become a dangerous match. Good.

My ethereal left hand and right hand start attacking her using the same Earth Fang style I've learned. Focusing earth release chakra into the blades to make them stronger, heavier, and swiping at her over and over again to test her defences. She dodges them all, having seen just how dangerous this style is during my spars with Mitarashi-san, and tries to knock my kodachis as hard as she can with the saw-sword.

The only trouble with making my kodachis heavier, is that they pack more of a punch in every attack. That's bothersome, because the more energy in each strike, the more noise that stupid sword makes, the more decibels she generates for her sound release jutsu.

I'm not too surprised when, after hitting both kodachis at once, she using the nearly deafening sound waves for another Acidic Screech, decimating my two Divine Hands once again. Both kodachis drop instantly, but aren't damaged – thank Kami-sama! They weren't cheap!

Hinata seals her blade, picks up mine and throws them to me. My two remaining Divine Hands catch them and resheathe them. I just shake my head, wondering about how this match is going. "Alright, you win that one." I say honestly. I should have known that would happen, but I needed to be sure. And besides, it's not like I risked anything!

"So it's one-one." She grins. I shrug. "We both know you could have taken me earlier." I shrug again. "Medical jutsu this time?"

I sheathe my tanto, blazing through the handsigns for the Chakra Scalpel. She's quick to do the same. There's once again a collective gasp. The crowd obviously didn't expect us to have this broad a jutsu repertoire.

"One thing though…?" She looks curious, wondering what I want to know. Before she can get over her –brief– distraction I shoot a mud ball at her. She slices it in half with her Chakra Scalpel. I nod. She could probably behead me with that jutsu. I'd better be careful. "Good. Shall we?"

I Body Flicker to her, trying to slice her in half with my left hand. She ducks under the attack, trying to clip my with her right foot – Hyuuga styled poke included, I'm afraid. I sidestep, firing off three mud balls at point blank range. She slices two of them in half again, and tilts her head to one side to avoid the third.

This continues for another few minutes. Both of us testing the other's defence, and both of us being SUPER careful to not get cut in half. Between dancing around the Konoha Medic Style taijutsu –meant to focus on sweeping motions to maximize the effectiveness of using Chakra Scalpels– and trying to create openings with her water bullets and my mud bullets…

I eventually just accept that this is getting us nowhere. We're equally matched. So instead, I start playing dirty. A Mud Flow River here, a Earth Spike there, anything to create the opening I need. But she's just so… fluid with her movements that I can't seem to hit her at all. All those suicidal trainings with Mitarashi-san are paying off.

"Fine. That isn't working at all." I complain. I'll just have to lure her into a trap then. Let's see. I have more than enough mud lying around that's soaked with my chakra. And I have a few nasty surprises still up my sleeve.

I release the jutsu, seeing the green chakra surrounding my hands fade. She's quick to do the same, but she blazes through some handsigns. She tries catching me off guard with a crack from her water whip. I snap, creating a Sound Barrier to keep that at bay, then a stomp the ground with the needed moulded chakra. I smirk when she realises what just happened. Earth Release: Eject. I just love this jutsu, I really do.

She flies up a good twenty metres in the air – she'd tried sticking to the ground as it rose up beneath her, so she didn't fly up nearly as far as she might have. To try to minimize the damage, she casts Water Release: Water Prison around her. Interesting choice, but that might backfire. I stomp the ground again, and a ramp jumps up to meet her, turning her downwards momentum into sideways momentum. She crashes into the arena wall, disoriented and dizzy from rolling at such a high speed. Lucky for her, her Water Prison takes the worst of the damage, even as it ruptures and splashes everyone around her – even some of the nearby spectators.

I body flicker to her, unsheathe my tanto once again and place it against her windpipe. "Not bad. Not bad at all." I compliment her. "Try to focus more on strategy next time, and not so much on countering mine." I tell her.

"Proctor I forfeit!" I announce, resheathing my tanto and offering my sister a hand up. Her eyes are slow to focus, obviously still trying to regain her bearings. So instead, I pick her up, bridal style, and walk to the centre of the arena. Hinata's caught her second wind by the time I get there, so I carefully drop her to her feet.

"Winner by forfeit, Hyuuga Hinata!" The proctor calls it. The crowd goes wild! I don't care who they cheer for, to cheer for either of us is to cheer for Konoha. And I can live with that.

"Don't let me down, Hina-nee. I know you can be awesome when you put your mind to it."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Having made our way back up to the balcony, Naruto-nii is quick to engulf both of us in a hug. He gushes about how awesome we were and how 'totally badass' that match was, and a whole lot of crap like that. I smile, mostly for his sake and because I'm proud of Hina-nee with how far she's come.

"Next match! Will Temari of Sand and Nara Shikamaru please come down to the arena!" The proctor announces. I roll my eyes, hearing my annoyed brother complaining over and over again about troublesome matches and troublesome women and troublesome exams. He's not looking forward to this at all.

"Shika-nii, you know you have to fight at least one match. Mom'll be totally unreasonable if you don't." I remind him. He sweatdrops, knowing I'm right.

"Yeah, Shikmaru! Come on! You can do it!" Naru-nii announces, slapping his shoulder so hard that the sudden momentum forces him a little too far over the railing and he falls down into the arena bellow. I swat Naru-nii, hard. But he just grins, knowing he did the only thing that might have gotten that boy down there. Temari makes her way to the centre of the arena, presenting herself before the crowd once again.

"Combatants ready? Begin!"

Nothing happens. A whole minute passes and Shika-nii is still just laying there on his back like he was when he landed. He's still muttering and glaring dully at a more than amused, blond Uzumaki. I find myself wondering how he'd survive if we dragged him into our training regimen.

Temari's losing her patience though. "OI! Are you just going to lie there all day!?" She bellows, unimpressed with her opponent.

"I don't think she understands what she's doing." I point out. "Trying to motivate a Nara? What if she succeeds?" Naru-nii and Hina-nee laugh nervously, as the three of us wonder how this will play out.

Temari's patience eventually wears out, and she flicks open her fan. With a HUGE swat from it, a focused gust slams into the spot Shika-nii is laying down. I grin a little too widely. If there's anything Shika-nii hates, it's people making fun of his friends… and people not respecting that he just wants to be lazy.

I'm not in the least surprised to see the top of his head a few metres above the dust cloud that covers where he was lying down a second ago.

"I swear. Blondes are just naturally troublesome." I hear him muttering. I grin a little wider, knowing he's saying that for Naru-nii to hear.

"Any time, Shika-chan!" I giggle at the expected, and more than a little annoyed, groan.

But… that giggling dies down when the intensity of his focus grabs my attention. All I feel now is pity. Pity for the girl that has to face that lazy ass now that he's at least halfway motivated.

"Oi! Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to wake someone while their napping!?" I can't see from this angle, but I can hear that annoyed frown in his voice. Temari is NOT going to enjoy what comes next. I promise that much.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to make a lady wait?" Temari counters.

Shika-nii snorts. "Yeah, usually a girl that makes me wait an hour and complains that I make her wait five minutes."

"HEY!" I never made you wait any more than… a half hour! At most!

"If the shoe fits, sis." He says, smirking. I grumble, hating his stupid idiocy. "Oi! I'll make you a deal. Forfeit now, and we won't have to fight at all." Ouch. That means he has a plan, but still isn't really motivated enough to want to put it into action.

"What kind of an idiot do you take me for!?" She sounds upset. Severely upset. Too bad. Obviously she's an uninformed idiot.

"Fine." Shika-nii complains, hating that it's come to this. "Don't say I didn't offer." Without warning, ten kunai are tossed and imbedded into the ground in a straight(ish) line between him and his opponent. For some reason there's a notable gap in the middle. Not one of them comes close enough to trigger any warning bells in Temari. That's a mistake in and of itself. If Shika-nii does something, anything, you can bet your last Ryou (or even your last piece of chocolate) that he's doing it for a reason.

Then one more kunai is tossed, this one with a lit explosive note, right towards Temari. She, of course, casts a wind jutsu at it to send it back to its owner, but it explodes safely about halfway between them. I smirk. A smokescreen.

After the fire – and the light from it – dies down, and all that's left is a cloud smoke, I see Shika-nii's shadow shoot down the wall, connects with the kunais in the floor and uses the shadow from the smoke cloud the extend his reach even further.

"Shadow Possession jutsu, successful." That boy's scary when he wants to be. And he hasn't even moved. I can't see her from here, but I know better than to doubt that boy when he gets like this. "You remember when I offered to let you forfeit? You're going to regret not taking that opportunity." He makes a funny movement with his arms, then it almost looks like he's banging something against his own forehead. Hard.

He releases his jutsu a second later, his shadow returning to him and picking up his wayward kunai along the way. He puts them all back into his pouch before doing a funny somersault. Ah, he was standing on two kunai embedded in the wall, which we wanted to reclaim as well. The second he lands on the ground, his back to his opponent, he announces the most interesting thing I've heard all day:

"Proctor, I forfeit." And he just walks off, no longer caring.

When the smoke clears, I find an unconscious Temari, slumped over her closed war fan, and bleeding pretty badly. Ah… He forced her to beat herself with her own fan. Ouch. That's… a bit harsh, Shika-nii.

And what's worse, she can't be tended to by a medic so long as she's still in the 'tournament'. That means she'll just have to make do with the bleeding, the obvious concussion this will give her, and whatever other problems that could mean. Poor thing.

"Winner by forfeit, Temari of Sand!" The crowd isn't sure what the think about that.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Shika-nii and –a very unhappy– Temari are back on the balcony with us. I'm offer to tend to the girl's injuries, seeing as I'm a medic and all, but Kankuro turns me down. I shrug. Don't say I don't do nice things for bad people.

"Next match! Kankuro of Sand versus Aburame Shino!"

Kankuro and Aburame-san make their way down. I'm grinning like an idiot. I mean, I know Aburame-san well enough to know that Kankuro doesn't stand a chance. Poor Temari is left leaning against the wall, her wounds still bleeding – though the bleeding is slowing down. She'll pass out from blood loss in less than a minute, and that's if she's still conscious.

I groan, hating that I feel the urge to keep her from dying. So I walk over to her, ignoring the curious glare of her redheaded little brother, and I focus my jutsu to close her wounds. It takes me about a minute, but it's long enough to know I'm missing some of the action. Temari's eyes flutter open and are slow to focus on me. I unseal a bottle of water and a blood plasma pill.

"Take this. Now." I instruct. She's too weak from blood loss, so even though she tries, her hand-eye coordination is too shot to grab the little pill. I place it in her mouth and open the bottle to help her drink from it. She swallows a few times. I open her mouth manually, checking that the pill is indeed downed; it is. I nod, satisfied with my work, even though I hate how pale she looks. Still, she offers a little smile, before her eyes flutter –closing– and her breathing evens out. She's asleep. I shake my head, annoyed that her brother couldn't see that she'd die if nothing was done – not something I'd want Shika-nii to have on his conscience.

I manoeuvre the girl, so she's lying as comfortable as possible in the recovery position – on her side, so that if she throws up for whatever reason, she won't choke on it and die.

"Why did you save her?" The redhead asks in a dry monotone. He knows she would have died, no doubt about that.

"Why not?" I ask him right back. I lay the girl's fan behind her –so it's still close to her– and decide I've done all I can. I make my way back over to my spot between Shika-nii and Naru-nii.

"You didn't miss much. Shino's mostly busy laying his trap, and Kankuro's trying to keep as far away from the larger groups of bugs." Naru-nii gives me (rather vague) update.

I shrug, seeing Aburame-san, hands still in his pockets and looking as uninterested as ever, studying the desperately dodging Kankuro.

"Thanks, by the way." Shika-nii says, referring to Temari. I can tell from the tension in his voice and shoulders that he's more than a little upset that her brother refused care. I lean my head against his bicep, letting him know that he's more than welcome.

"Seriously though, sis. You're scary good. I hope I don't end up fighting you." Naru-nii teases. I roll my eyes, choosing not to comment.

Ooh! I think that ball of black over there is Kankuro getting devoured by bugs. "Proctor. I forfeit. Why, you ask? Because my allies have already gorged on too much chakra. It would be unwise to continue beyond this point." Oh, that is the biggest lie I've ever heard! He's just forcing Kankuro to stay here when he's all but useless.

"Winner by forfeit, Kankuro of Sand!"

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 48_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: How interesting. The first round is over, but there seems to be so much going wrong here? Just what is happening behind the scenes? Well, I guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out!  
_**


	59. Fox and Wolf

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 49 – Fox and Wolf_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

So… we're here then. There was a half hour break so everyone could place more bets, stretch their legs, and whatnot. Now, in the arena, stand my Naru-nii and a redhead that would like nothing more than to rip him to shreds.

This is the moment Hokage-dono believes everything will start. This match; though it is far more likely that Sound –Orochimaru– would have wanted to see Sasuke against him, and not Naruto. Not that it even matters seeing as that bastard already has Sasuke, just not the way he hoped for.

So, Aya, are you ready? Are you ready for hundreds, if not thousands, of invaders to tear through streets that watched you grow up? Are you ready to not know if your brothers, your sisters, your colleagues, your friends, your family… everything you care about… are you ready to not know if they're alright?

"Imouto-chan." I turn to the voice, finding Shika-nii with a serious gaze, his eyes warm and welcoming. I can't fight off the goofy grin hard enough. No one ever calls me 'little sister' after all. Sure, 'sis', 'sweetie', even 'baby' from time to time, but never 'imouto-chan'.

I lay my head against his shoulder, grateful for idiotic big brothers. "Being stupid. Sorry." I mumble. He doesn't react, but he doesn't need to. "Take care of _him_ for me?"

"Like you need to ask." He sounds amused. I can hear that stupid smirk in his voice too. "He loves you, you know."

My face heats up instantly.

"He's just too scared to tell you."

"N-nn."

"… You'd better start braiding your hair." He reminds me. I nod, standing up a bit straighter and get down to it. I wonder… was Shika-nii always this… gentle towards me?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Combatants ready? Begin!"

The second that last word is spoken, there's an explosion of sand from Gaara's gourd. Even the gourd itself explodes. A sea of sand, a wave of it, threatens to engulf my Naru-nii, but he doesn't seem to care.

At the last second, he body flickers towards the wall, letting the blood stained sand hit nothing but air. Gaara doesn't seem to immediately notice, so he wastes chakra trying to crush the poor air – or did Naru-nii leave a shadow clone just to mess with the already unstable boy?

From his perch, Naru-nii goes stealth. And I mean, so deep in stealth mode that I can't tell where he is other than his scent. Dozens of clones explode into existence, and the original starts skulking away from that spot, trying to find a nice quiet place to relax and study his opponent. Has he been hanging around Shika-nii?

Gaara stands in the same spot he began, his sand trying to crush each clone as they come, but there's a problem: the clones are focusing wind chakra into their now drawn blades, and they are ripping the sand constructions and turning them back into loose grains.

The first time it happens, Gaara doesn't react at all – just a coincidence. After the fiftieth time, Gaara grins. And not a sane grin. It's a manic, overly happy, 'your blood is what mother wants' kind of grin; it affects me like nails on a chalkboard.

Gaara changes up his tactic, and instead of sending 'sand tendrils', he forms little shurikens of the sand and flings those instead; by the dozen. Naruto's clones slice them, overloading them with chakra, which cause them to explode.

Why would he waste chakra on that? Better keep an eye on the sand affected like that.

When that doesn't work, Gaara starts to focus. His eyes go wide, and I can feel his grip on reality slipping. He's no longer just standing there, he's hunching forwards, gripping his hair with both hands, his face partly covered.

Then comes the laughter.

Sand erupts from the ground like a geyser, covering every inch of the arena. Then all that sand starts whipping up into a whirlpool of sand, every grain trying to overwhelm my brother. A tidal wave of sand crashes down onto the clones. My heart skips a beat, unsure what to make of this.

I smell around, trying to locate the original, but his scent is just everywhere from all the clones. I don't know if my idiot is alright down there.

Twenty little explosions go off at once. The sand around the Narutos fly in every direction, and I can once again see the grass and dirt around them.

"UZUMAKI! YES, UZUMAKI! SHOW ME YOUR POWER! IT'LL BE THAT MUCH MORE DELICIOUS TO TASTE YOUR BLOOD IN MY SAND!" I shiver. There isn't a hint of killing intent in the air, that's pure bloodlust; an unhealthy craving for blood to be spilt. I was never this bad.

"You're annoying." Naruto counters, taking a page from Sasuke's book. The tightness in my chest eases slightly. If he's messing with his opponent, then he's still in control.

Then… oh, Kami-sama… all the Naruto's fling their wind imbued blades at Gaara at once. A shell of sand covers the redhead, expecting this to be enough to save him.

It isn't.

The blades rip through the sand like Chouji-kun through a bag of chips. The blades fly through the other end of the shell, most of them bloodied. There's holes in that shell, it starts to crumble. And the more it crumbles, the more Gaara's grip on reality crumbles with it. He starts wondering about the warm liquid he feels – not knowing it's his blood. When he realises, there's a blood curdling scream.

The shell rapidly reforms, only this time it looks like a giant cocoon. There seems to be veins going up and down the sand now – blue and pulsating. The Narutos just stand by, waiting for the next move.

I worry about that. Is it really smart to give someone like that the chance to come up with a plan? Is it really wise to let him continue to bleed? His grip on reality wasn't too strong to begin with, and his respect for life isn't much better.

I find myself gripping Shika-nii's arm. He doesn't comment.

"Aw, come on, Gaara. We were just having some fun. Come out, come out and pla~aaaaaay!" One of the Narutos taunts.

It takes almost five minutes, but the cocoon dissolves around Gaara. And I wish to Kami it didn't. Gaara looked unstable before. He's starting to make me look sane. And I mean like, run of the mill, cute as puppies in pink bows, serving food in a restaurant and smiling kind of sane.

I knew I'd end up running into a psycho that'd steal my thunder.

Half of Gaara's face is covered in sand. That side's eye is now black, with what looks like a yellow plus mark for a pupil. That half of his mouth is curled up in a creepy looking smile, so wide that he can't stop the drool from dripping out. That half's arm and hand have mutated as well, looking like something you'd expect on a… I don't even know. It looks like it has a bunch of little 'feelers' on it, with blue tips, and they twitch every so often.

He looks… gross. Simply gross. Utterly disgusting.

"Ah. There you are. Hey, I've got a question for you? You mind not grossing me out?" One of the Narutos taunts further.

"Yeah! And seriously! Look at your face. What chewed on you and spit you out?"

"Oi! Eyes on the prise!" I shake myself out of my stupor. That one was talking to me. "Ready, boys!? HERE WE COME!"

Feathers. The entire stadium is filled with feathers. It's starting. "Shika. Hina." They nod seriously.

I move over to the downed Sand Siblings, take my Prisoners' scroll and seal them away. I'm pleased to see that their weapons aren't sealed with them, so I take out another scroll, a smaller one, and seal those separately.

"Shino." Hinata says, her tone deathly serious. They two of them body flicker up into the crowd, obviously to meet up with Inuzuka. They have a task to complete.

I look back down in the arena, seeing Nar… no, that's Fox standing over Gaara. There's a piece of paper stuck to the redhead's forehead, and fear in his eyes. He's slowly backing up from Fox. I smell nothing but fear from him now. I almost feel bad for him. Now is not the time though.

"Shika."

"I got it, I got it." He waves me off, disappearing in a body flicker as well.

"Stay safe." I say, a longing in my voice. I don't have time to play games though, or to worry. So I mould my chakra and slide down through the floor. Once on the lower level, I unseal my things and change as quickly as I can. I don my Wolf mask and switch my weapons. I seal everything I don't need. Once satisfied, I dash out into the arena. Fox is there, glaring at Gaara. I don't bother with being nice, I seal the idiot away, happy to see the sand fall limp around where he was a second ago.

"We have orders." I remind him, strapping the scroll to my lower back for safe keeping. He nods seriously. He disappears, and I start making my way to Checkpoint Alpha. Fox and I are the only two non-Anbu allowed to not help with the last phase of the evacuation. Our task… is to be the first middle finger shoved in the enemies' plan's face.

"Stay safe… everyone."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Wolf, Fox, you will take South Gate. Kill anything bearing its fangs." We're ordered. I know this one's scent, no matter how much she wishes to mask it. Inuzuka Tsume. She bears the title Dragon now. And that's just how she acts. She's the alpha here, and she doesn't care who disagrees.

"Affirmative." Fox and I drone. We body flicker away from the gathering of Anbu and across the rooftops. I see a steady stream of enemies, and a steadily retreating stream of allies with civilians. Our orders are to take out the enemies, but I see no reason not to do both if we can get away with it.

 **#Clones, guard civvies.#** I sign to Fox-nii. Twenty clones pop into existence, stealthily following our own. I nod. If he can focus on help our people, I can focus on taking out the enemy.

 **SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!**

I make four pairs of Divine Hands, tossing them each a kunai. The first wave is upon us, but I don't care. Corpses, the lot of them. The more that come at me, the more I strike down. Any that avoid my ethereal hands, are cut down with my tanto. I don't care for any of them. This is our territory. NO ONE invades our territory!

Each time I slay one with a sword, I leave my kunai in their hide and take their weapon instead.

We keep moving, slicing through the enemy as we go. We encounter more and more of our colleagues, sometimes even civvies on their own. Fox-nii always leaves a clone or two with them, guiding them, protecting them.

I get stuck with the worst of it, as usual. I'm the incarnation of carnage. I tear through anything with a Sand or Sound headband. I behead any snake summons I encounter – which isn't easy, mind you!

The closer we get to South Gate, the thicker the waves of enemies become. I don't care. They will fall, for their foolish desire to stomp into our territory.

Once at the gate, I sigh for Fox-nii to keep his distance. I body flicker right into the thick of their numbers and I… I lose myself. From the Sound Release: Acidic Screech, to a garden of Earth Spikes.

It rains blood. A downpour of the very essence of their lives.

I create a barrier, a bubble of earth and mud, to block the entire gate. Then I pop a soldier pill, feeling my chakra reserves drop dangerously low. I walk over to my partner, to Fox-nii. He nods. It's his turn.

He pops a soldier pill as well… no three of them. I feel his chakra boiling up, almost ready to explode! Then he makes a familiar handsign.

"Forbidden Jutsu – Multi Shadow Clone Rain!" Thousands of clones litter the area we're in. His clones dash off in every direction. A true rain of death, one that makes me look like an amateur. And what's more, I hear the fighting around us die down in minutes.

Fox-nii is breathing hard, obviously wiped out from his jutsu. I don't blame him – I doubt anyone else would have survived that.

"Wolf. We need to get moving. Our section is cleared." He reminds me. I swat his arm.

"I'll send a crow to Dragon for orders." I make six shadow crows, sending three to Dragon's location; the other three fly around, surveying the area.

"SHIT! Wolf, let's move!" I don't ask, I follow.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the hospital, finding dozens of enemies engaging the guards set up here. I don't ask, I act. With the eight Divine Hands still active, I start to sing, and I start wiping out anything I don't trust.

It takes me less than a minute, thank Kami-sama.

"Report." Fox-nii demands, once the chuunin in charge here recovers from my Siren's Call.

"Anbu-san. Thank Kami-sama. We've been trying to hold down the fort here, but we got overrun. A few of them got inside. We-"

I don't even wait for him to continue. I body flicker into the hospital, and I start unleashing hell on anything bearing a blade. Six of the doctors I know are bleeding badly, but I'll tend to them in a bit.

"How many got in?" I demand.

"Six." I'd only killed four. Two to go. I sniff the air. There!

I dash down the hall, finding the last two engaging Haku's team. They're holding their own, no doubt about it, but this isn't the place to let them prove themselves. I end the last two, grabbing their corpses and dragging them with me. I don't even stop to say hello.

Back at the entrance, I find Fox-nii lining up the medical staff for me. I toss him a scroll to strip the enemies, and I start focusing on my new patients.

Thank Kami-sama these are trained professionals. I heal one, they check their own wounds and move on to heal the next. We have our comrades back on their feet in ten minutes.

"Thank you, Anbu-san." One of the doctors tells me. Haku and her team have made their way to us once again. They eye Fox-nii and myself, nodding seriously. We nod back.

 **-Orders are in. Academy.-** I sign to Fox, and we move out once again.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I'm going to soooooo regret this in the morning!" I complain loudly. Thank Kami-sama Momochi-san met up with us and decided we're more fun to hang around. He's been coming with us and having all the fun his twisted little heart desires.

"More orders?" Momochi-san asks, obviously happy about that.

"Nn." I nod, body flickering towards Checkpoint Alpha once again. Fox-nii and Momochi-san are hot on my heels. Once we arrive, we find the checkpoint overrun with enemies. How do these idiots keep getting in!?

Momochi-san grins, cruel and unforgiving. He grabs his blade and disappears in a burst of speed. A moment later, the ground is littered with corpses. All bearing Sand headbands, mind you.

"Good timing." Dragon nods to us. "Who's the noob?" She asks.

"Momochi Zabuza. He found us and decided we're hogging all the fun." Fox-nii updates her.

"Well, I can't say I blame the man. You two have been everywhere today." Dragon says, grinning behind her mask. I groan, not disagreeing with that. "Listen. I'm needed elsewhere. I'll need the two of you to guard this post."

"Sounds like fun. I'm coming with you." Momochi-san announces, grinning.

"You do that. I could use some backup." Dragon says. I don't doubt the two idiots over there, the ones holding the stubs of their arms, are the ones that were guarding this post before. I groan, making my way over to them.

"Where're the missing pieces?" I ask. They point. "Why do I always end up putting idiots back together?"

"Cause you're awesome, Wolf." Fox-nii announces. I just groan once again.

"You idiots are not to engage anyone else, you hear me? I'm not wasting more chakra to put you back together again after this."

"You hear that, Badger. A rookie's ordering you around." I hear amusement in that one's voice.

"Shut it, Weasel." And annoyance in this one's.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"This is bo~ooooooring!" Fox-nii complains.

"Shut it!" I order. "Boring is good at this point."

"Yeah, yeah. By the way." Fox-nii tosses me three scrolls. "Hold onto those."

I seal them into my glove, not even bothering to ask what they are – I don't care. We've been mostly relaying orders to the other units, and I've been playing happy doc to the idiots that stumbling back to us in pieces. I swear, I must be the only medic around here, because I see the same masks coming back time and time again, asking for me to patch them up again.

I don't mind, really. But it isn't doing my reserves any favours!

"Oi, Wolf-chan. It's good to see you again." Rabbit announces, another four kunais in her back. I groan.

"You playing pincushion again?" I patch her back up. "Fox?"

"Uh uh! We had a deal! Last time was supposed to be the last time!" Fox-nii complains. I cross my arms, daring him to say that again. "Jeez, Rabbit! Would you stop getting me in hot water!" He makes four more clones and sends them with her on her rounds again.

And just in time for Badger and Weasel to drag in a half dead Ferret. I groan. "You idiots can't be serious! And when did you two even sneak out!?" I curse and complain, but they know I won't deny a comrade care. I so swallow another soldier pill and get down to it.

"Are you two sure you're just trainees?" Badger asks.

"No, we just like the look of blank masks." I drone sarcastically. "Ferrets not going to wake up today." I tell them honestly. They nod seriously, body flickering back out into the chaos.

"Wolf, Fox." Dragon's back, with an annoyed looking Momochi-san. "Orders."

"Unless you plan on keeping this idiot on this plane with those orders, I suggest you shut it." I tell her honestly, still focusing the Mystic Palm jutsu and trying to reconnect the tatters of my patient's spinal chord.

"Tell me, Dragon. Wolf has been getting all the action." Fox-nii is soooo not helping!

"Nn. I need a team to break through their final defences. I was hoping for the two of you, but it seems Wolf's needed here." Dragon says, her eyes lingering on me.

"That shit's distracting, Dragon." I tell her, not in the mood to deal with this anymore. I want to go to sleep for a month! Maybe two!

"Sorry, twinkle toes." She doesn't sound sorry at all, but her eyes are no longer on me. It takes a few minutes, but I think I put her back together right. I go over her, trying to check for anything I'd missed. I sigh, letting my jutsu fizzle for the thousandth time today.

"Why am I the only one around here with medical expertise?" I complain, feeling my body trying to shut down on me.

"The others are out there, dealing with what they can." Dragon informs me. "They complain just as much as you do." She's smiling now. But I'm too far gone in my fatigue to care.

"Whatever. Get moving. And Fox?"

"Yeah, yeah." He makes a clone, leaving it here for me. I nod, waving them out.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Another hour passes. More patients come in for me. Most of them repeat offenders. I notice how most of them aren't even new wounds, just old ones that reopened in the fray. Most of them have already been given a blood plasma pill, so I can't risk giving them another. Nine times out of ten, then just pop one on their own, shrugging when I glare at them.

I've been introduced to over fifty Anbu Operatives today. I've studied their scents, their chakra signatures – kind of hard to miss it, considering most of them come in bleeding. I wonder how they're still alive half the time, but I guess most of them are just too stubborn to die.

Then… I hear it.

"AYA~AAAAAAA!" I hear Sakiko, both through the seal she bears, and from how loud she's screaming.

I tense instantly. Everyone around me notices. "Badger, Weasel with me. Now!" I order. They don't fight it. We body flicker towards my den… but…

No… no…! Kami-sama! No!

Chouji's on the ground, a sword sticking out of his back. There's some kid with him, but I don't recognise him at all. I'm on Chouji before the kid even notices there's company. I remove the sword, already flitting through the handsigns for Mystic Palm. I'm cursing this idiot worse and more violently every second.

I don't have the chakra anymore to properly deal with this. I've popped too many soldier pills for the day as well. Well, I guess I'm just going to have to push beyond what's healthy and sane.

Fox is behind me in an instant, thank Kami-sama! "Fox. A little help?" I feel his hand on my shoulder in an instant, my body suddenly overflowing with chakra. Jeez, that boy's still got so much!?

It takes me almost five minutes, but I stop the bleeding, and I do what I can to reconnect his spinal chord as well – the fifth patient that needed this today alone! He's not out of the woods, but he's not dying on me either.

I unseal a stretcher and put my patient on it. "We'll carry the boy." Weasel offers. I nod, strapping Chouji in carefully.

"Be gentle with him. I **will** kill you for him." I warn only once. They pair of them nod seriously. They understand what this means, and they know I mean it.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Back at Checkpoint Alpha once again. I arrive just in time for another round of 'What's up, Doc?', and I really wish these retards would stop trusting me so much! If it wasn't for Fox-nii, I'd have passed out hours ago. He's offered six Chakra Transfusions by now, and it isn't even healthy to do two.

My body is **_NOT_** happy with me. But there're lives to be saved.

"Oi, who're the kids?" I look to Rabbit, who's here because her wounds reopened again. She's looking to Chouji and the kid that was with him – obviously Fox-nii refused to let him stay in a warzone alone.

"None of your business." I tell her, beckoning to her. She comes over to me, letting me reclose her wounds once again. "You guys really shouldn't keep going back out there. Wounds shouldn't be reclosed this often."

"Someone's gotta do it." Rabbit says, shrugging. I don't argue with her. "Besides, you look dead on your feet, but you keep patching us up." I groan, but don't disagree.

"If you idiots would stop reopening your wounds, I wouldn't have to." They don't argue with me. "Fox, blindfold the kid. I don't want one of our own to be dragged with half a mask and get outed to an outsider."

Neither the kid nor Fox-nii complains. The other Anbu nod, grateful. "Yo, Wolf, when this is over, I'm treating you to all the dinners you want!" Rabbit tells me.

"Thanks. I'm not into girls though." I tell her, a teasing smile in my tone.

"That's not what I'm offering." She says, obviously blushing. "Besides, I'm not exactly into girls either." I shrug, not caring.

"Whatever." I try not to roll my eyes, grateful her wounds are closed once again. "Rabbit. I need you to stay here. Those wounds won't close again, so I need to wrap you up the old fashioned way. Weasel, Badger, you two are the best rested here. Take Rabbit's place for a bit." The pair nod, body flickering back out into the fray. I pray they'll be safe.

Rabbit takes off her flak jacket and lifts up her shirt to expose the area I need. I nod, grateful she isn't fighting me – that's just be too bothersome for words. I unseal the disinfectant and gauze I'll need and set about dressing the decoration of pink new skin that just keeps reopening time and time again.

"So, who's your trainer?" Rabbit asks, obviously just trying to kill time. She doesn't make a sound when the disinfectant touches her skin – I know how painful that is, so I'm impressed.

"Dog is my trainer, Frog is my captain. I'm on Team Xi." I say, wondering about that for a long moment. It's 'Xi' right?

"I see. I haven't seen him at all today. Where's he hiding?"

"Rehab. He's one of the idiots I keep having to put back together." I say, smiling a little as I wrap her middle in gauze and a prayer that she stays in one piece.

"Sounds like him. He and Cat were always getting themselves messed up during missions. Then again, they always seem to survive it." Rabbit sounds amused.

I snort. "Cat, huh? I've seen him around. Never knew he was a heavy hitter."

"You're new, so I can't say I'm surprised. Cat, Tiger and Snake are the only people Dog teams up with." Rabbit informs me. Snake would probably be Mitarashi. Tiger… I think that's the purple haired one. I can't remember her name right now – too tired to care.

"Team Rho, I'm guessing?" I ask, mostly for confirmation. My mind seems to be a bit foggy right now. And my eyes don't seem to want to focus at all.

"Nn. You're shutting down on me aren't you." Rabbit asks.

"Nn… Sorry."

"Don't be. I'll take over for you here. Rest, Wolf. You did good."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 49_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I know it might seem like I made Aya and Naruto appear all badass and everyone else pathetic by comparison. However, keep in mind that the mistakes only start being made once you're tired. Those Anbu have been at it for HOURS, and Aya's only been in the fray for two hours by comparison. Everyone starts out at the top of their game, and the Anbu that keep coming back in pieces are not at the top of their game; they just refuse to give in if they can help it.  
_**


	60. The doc is in

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 50 – The doc is in_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You're safe." I say, for the sixth time in three days. My final patient has awoken at last. "You passed out from your injuries and blood loss. We brought you to my home so you can recover in a safe environment." Ferret, Sarutobi Chinatsu, age thirty-two, suffered a severe spinal injury. Her spinal chord is still swollen from the injury, she won't be able to feel her legs at all.

"Who're you?" She asks, her brain is still rebooting.

"Namiki Aya. Codenamed Wolf." I tell her plainly. Her eyes widen slightly, before they narrow and she nods. She understands what I'm talking about. "Can you tell me your name, just to make sure I put you back together properly."

"Sarutobi Chinatsu. Codenamed Ferret, second in command of Team Gamma." Good, good. "I can't feel my legs." There's a slight panic in her voice.

"I know. I had to reconnect your spinal chord. The feeling should come back as the swelling eases." I tell her honestly. "I'll be keeping you here until it does."

"Where am I?" She looks around, obviously noticing we're not in the hospital.

"Namiki residence. I told you I brought you to my home." I explain calmly. I slowly walk over to her. "I swear to you, you're safe here." I offer my right arm to her, like I did with the others. She takes my arm by the elbow, holding me firmly.

"How's my team?" She asks.

"Worried about you. They're downstairs killing off all the booze." I tease. She doesn't even crack a smile.

"How long was I out?" She's still not letting go of me.

"Three days." She nods slowly, not too surprised by that. "I have you hooked up to a catheter, so you don't need to worry about going, just go. I just need to take this crap out of your nose." I slowly grab the tubing for the liquid food and pull that out. She winces, but doesn't complain.

"Thank you, Namiki-sensei." She grips me a little tighter. There are tears in her eyes, even though she's looking around to make sure no one else sees it but me.

"Just Aya is fine." I wave it off. She nods.

"What's the prognosis, Aya-sensei?"

"Chinatsu, seriously. Just Aya. I'm not a doctor." I tell her, annoyed. I've been saying that over and over again. "And we won't know until the swelling eases. I'm cautiously optimistic though. Yours wasn't even the worst case I had to deal with that day."

"Good…" She lays her head back down. She's tired, worn out, even though she's been unconscious for days. Recovery isn't a fun stage to be in. "Thanks, Aya-sensei." She lets go of my arm, fast asleep once again. I shake my head, updating her charts and moving on. Anbu Operatives are just so stubborn!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Yo, doc! I got my toe to wiggle!" Kurama Hikaru, codenamed Eagle. He's the one that had me the most worried, seeing as I had to reconnect his spinal chord is four places. I roll my eyes at him.

"How many times do I have to tell you idiots to call me Aya? Just Aya." I walk over to his roommate first, who's still sleeping. I sit on the bed next to him, my hand ghosting over the side of his face. He's been sleeping a lot, but I'm not too surprised by that. He always wakes up for meal time, anyway. He's too much the Akimichi not to.

His eyes flutter open, focusing on me. "Hey." He says, a smile in his eyes.

"You do realise I'm going to kill you the second you're back on your feet." I say, my eyes a bit watery.

"No you won't. You'd find it too bothersome to put me back together again." He grins this time, his hand reaching for me, cupping and rubbing my cheek gently. "Your sister's an excellent cook by the way."

"You hungry?" I ask, my hand cupping his, even as I muzzle it and enjoy his calluses. He has such rough hands, but his touch is always so gently.

"I could eat." He says, grinning. "If it's not to much trouble?"

I lean in, kissing him. "You're never too much trouble, Chouji." I say, smiling warmly. We share another brief kiss. "I'll have Maki bring it up for you. I really need to report in."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once downstairs, I groan. Momochi-san, Mitarashi-san and six Anbu idiots are in the visitors' sitting room, drinking their troubles away. I swear, if any of them make another scene, I'm kicking them out myself!

"Yasu-nee, I nee to report in. Chinatsu woke up. That means she has to start on soups until her stomach is a bit stronger. Maki, you know who's peckish again. You mind helping him out? And please don't either of you tolerate those idiots if they start anything. I swear, I'm going to stop letting them in!" I make sure they can hear me too!

"Oi! Doc, don't be like that!" That'd be Hyuuga Hitomi, codenamed Rabbit. I snort. That woman's been here ever since the invasion. She's pretty much been part of the furniture. I hear footsteps coming my way. Hitomi's scent is getting stronger. Gee, I guess I've got my usual shadow then. "I'll come with you. You know Boss won't like it if our little princess was alone for more than five seconds."

I snort. Tsume's as bad as the rest of them! Not that Hitomi even needs an order to shadow me. I swear the entire Anbu organization might as well move in here!

"Hey, Aya-chan. You reporting in?" Hana asks. I sigh. Tsume all but begged for Hana to stay here to give me a hand, seeing as I have five Anbu Operatives in my care (the ACTUAL patients, I mean). Hana's one of the few Anbu Medics, so she knows just how annoying most Operatives are.

"Nn. You know Dragon would flip her lid if I don't report in on time." Hana laughs, not bothering to deny that. Her mother's… a bit intense.

"You already did the rounds?" She asks, her tone far more professional now.

"Nn. Chinatsu woke up. I updated her charts, and I informed Yasu-nee. Chouji woke up for a bit. Maki's bringing up food for him now. The others are already showing progress. You may want to tell that idiot Hikaru not to over do it again. He's busy wiggling his toe. And bragging, if you could believe it." I say that last part in a compete deadpan. Hana laughs, knowing Hikaru well enough not to bother wondering about that.

"Alright. I'll talk to him, _again_." She smiles and rolls her eyes. We both know he won't listen, but we can't not say it. She heads upstairs without another word. So I start my trek to the gate. I run into Sakiko and company. They're busy training with Minori and Haku, who are correcting any little mistakes in their stance as they run through a kata. They all wave to me, but Sakiko blows a kiss. I blow one right back at her, teasing a pleased blush and a smile from her.

"Ah, Remi-san! I was wondering where you were." I say, opening the gate for her. She's weighed down with bags – she simply refused to let anyone else do the grocery shopping, knowing that her Chou-chan is going to need the best possible ingredients while he's recovering. The kids all run over to come give her a hand bringing it into the house.

"How's he doing?" Remi-san asks me.

"Not much change. He's still sleeping a lot, only waking up to eat." I tell her honestly. "I have to report in though. Hana and Maki are upstairs with them." With that I close the gate behind me. Hitomi and I body flicker, hoping to make it to Anbu HQ before Tsume gets impatient.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Oi, you here too?" Naru-nii says, rubbing the back of his head. What's he doing at HQ?

"Yeah. Someone likes daily updates." I say, rolling my eyes. He laughs, but doesn't bother asking for details.

"I've got a mission coming up. The old perv and I need to head out to find someone." He says vaguely. I shrug. If it's something I need to know, he'll tell me. Otherwise, I have enough to worry about, so I won't care not knowing. Besides, as stupid, annoying and unwaveringly idiotic, Jiraiya wouldn't let anything happen to my Naru-nii.

"How long will you be gone?" I ask as we nod to the two guards stationed at the door.

"Dunno. Maybe a month? Maybe longer? This person has to be found, so…" I shrug again. "Asami's coming with me." So they took my advice huh.

"When are you leaving?"

"After the wake." His voice is lifeless this time. I don't blame him. Losing the Third has been hard on everyone, but Naru-nii was especially close to him. Poor Konohamaru's been on the verge of tears every since. Thank Kami-sama he has a net to catch him each and every time he falls. Saki's been especially supportive – every time I catch him crying, it's either Yasu or Saki holding him.

Don't get me wrong, I'm positive Asami would too, but she's mostly holed up in her room crying. Haku's been stalking the girl to make sure she doesn't go crying by herself.

We make it to Tsume's office, so I knock. "In!" She announces, probably already knowing it's us. "Report." I barely open the door before I'm demanded to spill the beans.

"It's nice to see you too, Dragon." I drone, unimpressed. Naru-nii closes the door behind him. "Ferret's awake. We're starting her on liquids before we start working her up. Eagle's being…" I go through the motions, giving her every single change in my patients since yesterday's report.

"Good. I assume Akimichi Remi is still doing the shopping." Dragon doesn't ask. She never asks. She orders or makes statements that can be taken as questions.

"She is."

"What about Dog?"

"He won't be allowed to start even rudimentary training until at least the end of the month." I inform her. "Maki however is doing much better. And her team is already helping Hana and me with our rounds whenever they are able."

"Good." She nods, finally satisfied. "You've earned quite a name among the ranks. Not too many medics that can hold their own in a fight."

"Hana?" I remind her. She chuckles, and I can imagine there's a proud grin behind her mask. The worst cases were brought to me, but from what Hitomi told me? Hana took the bulk of the cases right there in the field.

"Can't argue there. She's turning into an amazing kunoichi. As are you." I shrug, not caring. "I'm bringing by some presents tonight. Everyone pitched in to thank Wolf for saving their hide time and time again. Tell Hana I'll be bringing hers as well."

"I d-"

"This isn't a negotiation. Anbu has far too few medics as is. Let alone medics that open their own home to fellow Operatives for their rehabilitation. Usually they spend the first few weeks clawing their way out of the hospital." I believe that. Kakashi is every bit as bad. "You have yet to report a single escape attempt."

"There hasn't been one. I keep them on their needed sake and junk food." I wink, smiling at my own words. Tsume snorts, knowing at least one of my patients really would demand that.

"My point exactly. They are safe, and they feel safe. The hospital isn't a place they can claim to feel that way about. I mean, Dog has yet to try escaping! If that isn't a miracle, I don't know what is!"

I shrug. "Whatever you say, Dragon. Was there anything else?"

"There is, but I want to discuss that later. That's why I'm coming over."

I shrug again. "Alright, just know that you aren't the only one who'll be there. And if you're missing a few of your operatives, they're probably passed out on my back porch.

"They've earned the right." She says seriously. Not arguing with you, but I've earned it too and I'm still sober and dealing with stubborn as sin Anbu Operatives! "The Shinobi Council will be calling a meeting after the wake. They're going to want a report the invasion. Be prepared, they'll want to speak with you."

"Oh?"

"It's standard procedure." No it isn't. "Oh, one last thing." I'm tossed a scroll. "Fox tells me you have a thing for unique jutsus." I look at the scroll, but it's unmarked. I open it, finding two A-ranked sound release jutsus described within.

I roll it back up. Don't mind if I do. "I have a request."

"Nn?"

"I want to teach Hana sound release. And any other Anbu medic that's willing. If there are so few, I want to make sure they can survive anything."

She just gazes at me, silent for a long moment. "That's what I was hoping to ask tonight."

"Good. I have enough going on in my home anyway, so having a few extra medics just hanging around will be a blessing." I wave and see myself out, my two shadows coming with me.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Dinner time is really turning into an event in the Namiki household. We have six patients upstairs how are still very much bedridden. A minimum of six out of uniform Anbu Operatives that are constantly here in case… I dunno, a battalion of enemy shinobi break in? Daddy, mom, Remi-san, Chouza-san, Inoichi-san, Mariko-san, Ino and Shika-nii are always here for meal time too. Shika-nii only eats at Chouji's bedside though. I don't mind too much, my heart can't take seeing him like that too often – no matter how guilty I feel that I'm not by his side twenty-four hours a day.

Tonight we have Tsume and Kuromaru here as well. Shocking, I know. Dragon says she'll come, and Tsume shows up. You might almost think it was a coincidence, right?

Hana is of course here as well, along with her three partners. Inuzuka-san decides he can join us, which Tsume has to end up begging me to let him. I mostly just glare at the idiot every time he opens his big fat mouth.

I make sure to keep daddy and his friends entertained with their sake after dinner. Kami-sama knows those three need a drink after a hellish few days. I haven't seen Sarutobi-sensei or Yuuhi-sensei since before the invasion, but I figure he just needs some time and she's there with him.

Momochi-san doesn't complain that I keep bringing him more sake as well. Though I never check to see if he actually drinks it. Just like Kakashi, I assume that if the bottles empty, he drank it and wants another one.

Mitarashi-san has been pretty chummy with me, constantly mussing my hair and hugging me when she's had one too many. I don't mind too much, I'm just glad she survived.

"Oi!" Mitarashi-san is at it again. "A toast! To our amazing little brats that just never know how to give up!" She raises her sake filled saucers to me and Naruto-nii.

"To Naruto and Aya!" Daddy agrees, and the others all raise their saucers as well – especially the Anbu Operatives.

"OI! AYA! WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM HERE!" Maki calls me from upstairs. Hana and I share a look and we rush up in half a heartbeat.

"Hikaru just flatlined again." We nod rushing into his room, taking turns to undo the damage his idiocy inflicted this time. The worst part is, we can't even put him in a coma, because the moron keeps waking himself!

Five minutes later, we have one embarrassed looking idiot, who's smiling and thanking us for the third time today. "Oi, numb nuts. Try to remember that you're supposed to be taking it easy! Forcing yourself to recover quicker is only making this worse!" Hana gets on his case.

"Seriously, one more screw up and there'll be no more junk food for you until you recover!" I add. He looks sheepish, apologizing once again.

"I'll be good. I promise." He tries. But we're not buying it.

"So how was dinner?" I ask Chouji, motioning for Shika-nii to scoot over so I can check on… crap. He's sleeping again. I pick up his and Shika-nii's dishes, Kiss Chouji on the forehead and make my way back downstairs.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Everything alright, princess?" Daddy asks, worry in his eyes.

"Yeah. Hikaru was being an idiot again. Hana's up there giving him hell." I explain. Everyone shrugs – this isn't the first and this won't be the last time one or both of us is rushed upstairs to deal with him.

"Aya, before I start drinking…?"

"Nn?" Daddy and mom make some space between them, so I take my seat, wondering what's going on this time. "What's up?"

"The first thing is your paycheck for not only your part in the invasion, but your capture of the Sound Siblings." I'm handed a paper. I don't bother check the amount on it – it's not like I'm hurting for money right now. I just shove it in my pocket, deciding to go over details like that another time. "As well, with Naruto's help, we've identified your kills and I've taken the liberty of cashing the bounties for you." I'm handed another slip of paper. I roll my eyes, putting that in the same pocket as the last.

"Tsume, I-"

"Hush now. I'm not done." She instructs. "This is a present from the guys, for constantly having to put them back together." She places a rather large but flat(ish) box on the table, sliding it over to me. I open the box, finding twin wakizashis. Custom made, from the look of it. Pink and with violet butterflies all over the sheaths. I take out one of them, finding the blade to be bubblegum pink. I smile, shaking my head in amusement.

"They're chakra conducting, but these aren't reverse edged like your kodachis. The boys figured you could use something like this, and Hana happened to know about your love for pink and butterflies." Tsume explains.

"I love it." I slide the wakizashi back into the sheath, hugging it to my chest. Tsume smiles, but the smile quickly fades. She places another box, a much smaller one, on the table and slides it to me. I open the box, finding a more than familiar mask inside. A wolf mask. Mama's mask. Tears fall before I can hope to stop them.

"I…" Words fail me.

"Your parents met because of a similar situation. Miwako was messed up from a mission, constantly trying to escape from the hospital, so your father took her home with him. He took a month off from work and tended to her." Tsume explains seriously, a sad smile on her face as she thinks about mama. "After that, he was the only person allowed to tend to her. And she got messed up during missions a lot. I'm sure you can understand how things went from there." I nod.

"Thank you." I say, meaning it.

"You've earned it, Aya." She says, her tone serious. This isn't just an honorary gift. This means more. I narrow my eyes at her. She nods solemnly, knowing what I'm asking. Wow. Thirteen and a full member of Anbu. I guess it helps that I kind of saved quite a few of their members –of my colleagues, I guess– during the invasion.

I close the box, place my new wakizashi back with its twin, and close that box as well. I sigh, unsure how to even feel right now. This is… major! Oh so major!

"One last thing. Since you've agreed to train Hana and the other medics… I wanted you to have this as well." Tsume soldiers on, placing a third box on the table and sliding it to me. I narrow my eyes. This one is smaller still. Almost a jewellery box.

I open it, finding the most GORGEOUS pair of pink gem earrings (Tsume is quick to point out that they're actually sapphires) I've ever seen! Dangly ones, with thin, teardrop stones as long as my thumb! The gold the stones are set in is simple, almost understated.

"Kami-sama! Tsume, they're gorgeous!" I take out the earrings and show them to mom, who gushes over them just as I am. "Now I just need to get my ears pierced! And I need to get invited to a royal banquet." Everyone laughs at that, but no one disagrees.

"Aya, you've done your parents proud. To have defended our village in her hour of need. And to have saved countless lives, including six doctors at the hospital." Tsume says.

"All of my parents." I agree, leaning into daddy's shoulder. Mom is quick to hug me, and daddy sandwiches me in.

"Oi, Aya. I was wondering." Inoichi-san begins. "Would you mind teaching Ino as well? I mean, I doubt I'll buy you that expensive a thank you gift for it, but…" Everyone laughs at that. I just roll my eyes.

"What do you think, Hina-nee? Should Ino be allowed to join the club?" I ask, teasing the blond a bit.

"Aya. That isn't very nice, you know." Hina-nee gets on my case.

"What? You'll be working her in, so I think you should have a say in this!" I point out. Hinata-nee thinks about that for a whole second, maybe a second and a half, before nodding. Father and daughter smile, thanking us, but I just wave it off.

"As well, Aya. I'll be stationing Hitomi here until further notice." Tsume gets my attention again.

I snort. "Like you could order her to leave? I'm amazed I'm allowed to go to the bathroom alone!"

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Hitomi complains, sticking her tongue out at me. I roll my eyes at her.

"Just calling it like I see it." I wink at her playfully. "You do realise that means you'll be dragged into whatever insane trainings go on in this house, right?"

"Like that'll sca… wait… Anko's here every day isn't she…" That gives Hitomi pause. Then she whimpers. "Fine, but I'm not training with her! That woman's crazy!"

I snort. "No arguing there."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once the madness dies down, I head back upstairs. I make my rounds, making sure everyone is comfortable, before… before finding myself at Chouji's bedside once again. I go over his charts, finding that the Hana agrees that the swelling is going down. And yet, when I tickle the bottom of his foot, nothing happens. I run my fingernails over his bare feet a second time, hoping that maybe he's just overly tired and will react this time.

He doesn't.

Kami-sama, I… I don't know what to think, to feel. Did I mess up? Did I reconnect the nerves wrong? Did I ruin his life? Will he hate me for it? Does he hate me already? Is that why he's 'sleeping' whenever I'm in here? Is he just avoiding me?

"Hey." Chouji reaches out, taking my hand. Even with his eyes closed.

"Hey." I echo, tears falling.

"I'm sorry." He says, his eyes fluttering open. "I… wasn't strong enough."

More tears fall. And there's a tightness in my chest that wasn't there a second ago. "You're alive." I say, no longer fighting the tears. "The rest we'll just have to figure out in time."

"But…" He looks away from me.

"But what, Chouji?"

"What if… I never walk again…"

"Then we'll just have to set up a room for you downstairs. And get you a proper wheelchair so you can move about freely." I tell him. "I mean… it's the least I can do when…"

"Aya… come here." He tugs me towards him. I climb into his bed laying my head on his chest for the first time since he woke up two days ago. "I'd be dead if it wasn't for you."

No, you'd be walking around if it wasn't for me.

"Can I ask you something?"

"N-nn."

"Do you mean what you said?" I look up at him, questions in my eyes. "That you'd take care of me if I could never walk again."

"What kind of a silly question is that?" I wiggle myself up so I'm at eye height with him. "Akimichi Chouji. I love you." I manoeuvre myself so I'm straddling him. "All of you." I lean in and wrap my arms around his neck.

"I wouldn't blame you, you know… if you were to-" I silence him with a kiss. He tries again, so I kiss him again, and again, and again.

"So long as you love me." I kiss him again. "So long as you treat me right." I kiss him again. "So long as you pick me up when I'm feeling down." I kiss him again and again. "I won't stop loving you."

"Then why were you avoiding me these last few days?" He asks, pain in his eyes.

"Because… I'm… scared." I admit, not wiping away the tears. "I'm scared I… screwed up. I'm scared I didn't put you back together right. That… I… That I'm the reason you can't feel your legs."

He rubs my cheeks with both his calloused hands. "Get it through your skull, Aya. I would be dead without you." He says, his voice gentle, his eyes warm and welcoming. I hear him, I understand his words… but will he still think that in ten years if he really can't walk? "Besides, Hana checked. That Mogusa guy checked. That Kitou guy checked. You didn't do a perfect job, but you put me together as well as possible."

I hug him. Worried for his future, worried for his prognosis. Worried that he's just lying to make me feel better.

"I… Aya, I…" He pushes me back gently. He looks me in the eyes, cupping my cheeks with that gentle touch of his once again. "I love you, Namiki Aya." His eyes are fluttering again. He's going to fall asleep.

I lean in, kissing him one last time as he falls asleep.

"I love you… Chouji…" I shift over towards the wall, not wanting to hamper his breathing as he sleeps. I lay my head on his arm, praying to whatever Kami is listening, that Chouji will be okay… that I can make him okay…

"Akimichi Aya…" Isn't there some law against having a family name and given name being so similar, or something… And did I just say that out loud?

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 50_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N:_**


	61. Interlude 10 – Of Dragons and Wolves

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Interlude 10 – Of Dragons and Wolves  
_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Checkpoint Alpha, the hub of Anbu information. There are four Anbu Operatives currently flitting about, and one that is standing so still you'd think her a statue. Inuzuka Tsume, codenamed Dragon. She isn't the Head of Anbu, that honour belongs to the reigning Hokage, but she's second in command. She's his voice to his personal army of shinobi. And she's damn good at it.

There isn't a single Operative that doesn't know not to mess with Dragon. Not on the battlefield, not off duty, never. She demands respect, and she will break you in half if she feels she isn't getting it.

Dragon was ordered to recall every team she could for the invasion, and she did. But that still doesn't mean much right now. Konoha faces two invading forces, and only Kami-sama knows the numbers of each. Still, this is their home, their territory, they **WILL** _**NOT**_ falter. That doesn't mean Dragon isn't worried, though. There are ten Anbu Teams at her disposal, three of which are incomplete due to fatality or a member being sent on a different mission solo. So imagine her shock when the Third orders her to utilize Fox and Wolf during the invasion!

Two wet behind the ears Anbu Trainees. Two combatants Dragon had never seen in action. Pups. And pups of two of her dearest friends to boot! It didn't sit well with Dragon, at all.

What's worse, is knowing that the first, and by far the most dangerous, part of their mission is the suppression and capture of the Sand jinchuuriki and his siblings. Granted, Fox is a jinchuuriki himself, but that doesn't excuse the obvious insanity. No, Dragon doesn't like this at all.

And yet, once the invasion begins, it takes Fox and Wolf no more than ten minutes to report in, and hand over the scroll containing the Sand Trio. Dragon blinks, unsure what to make of this. At the same time, Dragon can't help but compare the two before to with their parents – her with her mother, him with his father. A dangerous combination if these two prove to be anything like them.

"Wolf, Fox, you will take South Gate. Kill anything bearing its fangs." Dragon orders, hating that they need to take care of so critical bottleneck. All she can do is trust the Third's judgment.

"Affirmative." Fox and Wolf drone, showing no emotion at all. And poof they're gone. Dragon worries for them, but she has dozens of others' lives to worry with as well. Let alone the civilians of Konoha and the shinobi population.

"Stay safe." Dragon intones.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

It's a half hour later when three shadow crows enter Checkpoint Alpha. Dragon eyes the crows, wondering what this is about. "South Gate is secure, enemy shinobi neutralised. Requesting further orders." That sounds like Wolf's voice, is all Dragon thinks. She'd received reports that thousands of Fox clones were spotted pretty much everywhere as well.

Dragon grins. "Report to the Academy, ensure Team Epsilon is in one piece. Report in once that area is secured." She orders. One of the crows disperses, the other two fly off, obviously meant as backups in case one of them were dispersed before receiving orders.

"Dragon, the hospital's been overrun!" Rabbit reports in, her tone emotionless but there's still a sense of urgency in her stance.

"Badger, Weasel, you two will report to the hospital immediately. Rabbit stay here as my lookout. Keep me up to-"

"Ah... apologies, Dragon. Wolf and Fox just arrived at the hospital. They've already dealt with the threat." Rabbit updates her.

Weasel whistles, clearly impressed. "And we're sure they're just trainees?" He wonders out loud. Dragon grins, wondering about that herself. They don't act like trainees, and they're at least as efficient as the other Operatives.

"We don't have time to wonder. Badger, Weasel, to Checkpoint Theta, report in once there and update me on the situation." Dragon orders, and Checkpoint Alpha suddenly has two less Anbu in it. "Rabbit, how's the evacuation going?"

"Ahead of schedule. The last civilians should make it to the shelter in five minutes. Fox has been sending clones to aid in any way he can." Rabbit says.

"... Just like his father." Dragon murmurs, grinning again. Yes, definitely no longer Trainee material, those two. "Rabbit, keep an eye on the situation, and update all Operatives that we enter Phase Two in less than ten minutes."

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Phase two is by far the most troubling thing to deal with. Because now that the evacuation is complete, all chuunin and jounin personnel of Konoha have standing orders to wipe out the invaders. This is troubling, not because there's more manpower, but because Dragon no longer has the information relay structure to get everyone on the same page. That means that everyone runs the risk of messing up. Sure, the jounin aren't likely to, most of the jounin have been through this before. The chuunin and tokubetsu jounin, however...

That means Dragon has to be out there, in the fray. Not that she minds, she prefers cracking skulls to ordering subordinates which skulls to crack. It's that she's mostly out here to organize the chuunins, and assign the tokubetsu jounins to jounins that could use some backup. She's essentially reduced to a secretary.

And what's worse, that means she has to leave two Operatives at Checkpoint Alpha to ensure her other Operatives still have a secure location to return to if they need it, while still having one of them relay orders and updates.

It's nerve wrecking!

"Checkpoint Alpha is under siege." Rabbit updates Dragon. Yes, this is exactly what she was afraid of. She knows she can handle being under siege in this kind of setting – it's not as if it'd be the first time. But Badger is a new Anbu Captain, and he's just so... cocky. The first thing Dragon thinks, is that Badger and Weasel will be dead by the time they ever get there.

"I'll handle it. You go deal with that group of chuunins over there." Dragon orders, body flickering towards Checkpoint Alpha.

Just as Dragon arrives, all she sees is a sea of enemies. Yup, there's no way Badger and Weasel survived this, she thinks. Then, suddenly the enemies just... drop. In pieces, mind you. In the midst of the carnage is Momochi Zabuza, but Dragon isn't sure how he even knows about this location. On the fringe, is Wolf and Fox once again. Those two seem to be everywhere today!

"Good timing." Dragon nods to Wolf and Fox, grateful they're handling themselves so well. "Who's the noob?" She asks. She knows who it is, of course, but she needs to know what he's doing in her Checkpoint.

"Momochi Zabuza. He found us and decided we're hogging all the fun." Fox updates her, sounding amused. Dragon has to fight not to snort. Yeah, that would agree with the reports on his love for battle.

"Well, I can't say I blame the man. You two have been everywhere today." Dragon says, grinning behind her mask. Wolf groans, not disagreeing with that. "Listen. I'm needed elsewhere. I'll need the two of you to guard this post." Dragon orders. Yes, she needs someone capable of guarding their Checkpoint, but she's also doing this because she doesn't need two pups getting in over their heads. They've been amazing so far, but everyone has their limits. These two need to rest.

"Sounds like fun. I'm coming with you." Zabuza announces, grinning.

"You do that. I could use some backup." Dragon says, meaning it. If he can take out that many that quickly, then he's definitely someone she can use to handle a few hotspots Rabbit's noticed. The two of them body flicker back out into the fray, leaving an annoyed Wolf to tend to two downed Operatives.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's been two hours since Zabuza joined Dragon. Rabbit's been hit quite a few times, proving just how far beyond their limits everyone is. The interesting thing though, is that every time Rabbit returns to Checkpoint Alpha, she comes back not ten minutes later in fighting condition once again. Dragon didn't ask the first time, simply assuming she ran into one of the Anbu Medics. However, after it happened the fourth time...

"Rabbit, you know of a stationed Medic." Dragon demands.

"Wolf. Everyone's been reporting to Checkpoint Alpha to get patched up." Rabbit says.

"Wolf's a medic?" Dragon hates not knowing the skills of those under her command. Wolf being a trainee is no excuse.

"A decent one to boot. Badger seems to like her." Rabbit says, knowing her words will have two important messages. One, that Badger is alive, and two that he isn't looking down on a trainee.

"I see." Is all Dragon says. Not time to worry about this. "We have two more trouble spots. Rabbit, you're in no condition. Return to Checkpoint Alpha to see who can back us up, we'll meet you there."

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

On arriving at Checkpoint Alpha once again, Dragon looks around. Unconscious, but clearly alive, Operatives are everywhere. All of them are patched up, even if it's clear some are in worse shape than others. Dragon sees the telltale signs of limbs having been reattached, chakra deprivation to the point of passing out, severe blood loss, and yet not one of them looks to be on the verge of death; anymore, at least.

Wolf, however, looks like a zombie.

"Wolf, Fox. Orders." Dragon doesn't have the time to play favourites. Of those here, only Wolf and Fox and in any condition to head into a hotspot.

"Unless you plan on keeping this idiot on this plane with those orders, I suggest you shut it." Wolf grinds out, hunched over Ferret. All present, and conscious, Anbu Operatives stiffen. No one talks to Dragon like that and walks away from it; not in their experience. And yet, all Dragon feels is pride in the wisp of a girl that's obviously keeping her head up in a den of monsters, essentially. Anbu Operatives aren't known for coddling anyone, not even their own.

"Tell me, Dragon. Wolf has been getting all the action." Fox says, fidgeting a bit and obviously itching to get back out there. Dragon can't help but see his mother in him this time. Kushina wasn't any different.

"Nn. I need a team to break through their final defences. I was hoping for the two of you, but it seems Wolf's needed here." Dragon says, her eyes lingering on Wolf, and wondering just who that little girl really is.

"That shit's distracting, Dragon." Wolf tells her plainly. Again, every Operative stiffens. That's twice that Wolf's mouthed off. Little do they know that all Anbu Medics mouth off when they're under stress, as Wolf clearly is. Dragon remembers going through this with her daughter more often than not, and Salamander is nothing if not respectful to her.

"Sorry, twinkle toes." Dragon teases, but Wolf doesn't seem like she's in the mood. She looks like she's going to pass out any second.

"Why am I the only one around here with medical expertise?" Wolf complains, feeling her body trying to shut down on once again and is obviously fighting it.

"The others are out there, dealing with what they can." Dragon informs her. "They complain just as much as you do." She's smiling now.

"Whatever. Get moving. And Fox?" Wolf orders. Dragon grins this time, knowing that Wolf wouldn't care if the Third himself were here. Wolf would just order him around all the same.

"Yeah, yeah." Fox makes a clone, so Wolf waves her colleagues out. Dragon wonders about that girl once again. Just what keeps her together?

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Between Zabuza's Executioner's blade, Dragon and Kuromaru's teamwork, Rabbit's Byakugan, and Fox's seemingly limitless energy, it takes the impromptu team less than a half hour to work trough the hotspots. Dragon wouldn't ever admit it, but she's impressed with the pup. His taijutsu isn't bad, his teamwork with his clones is seamless, and his ninjutsu is nothing to sneeze at. For a supposed genin –which Dragon flatly refuses to consider him as– he's comparable to an all purpose pocket knife. He's someone you want watching your back.

Then Dragon's sensitive hearing picks up a cry for help. A girl is calling for Aya specifically. Fox stiffens, before apologizing and body flickering away. Whoever that was, she's important to both of them, so she'll cut them some slack.

"Rabbit, any more trouble spots?" Dragon asks. Rabbit nods, guiding them to another group of Sound shinobi – this one managed to block off an alley to bottleneck Konoha's forces. Dragon snorts; this isn't the first time she's engaged in urban warfare. "Zabuza, we move in on my signal. Rabbit, you're support this time." Rabbit's holding it together is nothing short of a miracle at this point, so Dragon isn't going to risk her life if she can help it.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Making it back to Checkpoint Alpha once again. The battle's not yet won, so Dragon knows she only has the time to catch her breath before heading back out. Rabbit is wounded again, and Dragon doesn't trust her to go solo this time. Wolf doesn't even hesitate, patching her up without complaint. Only, this time Dragon sees Wolf's sluggish response, a paleness to her skin that wasn't nearly as bad before.

"Oi, I still say we claim the bounties. It's not like that idiot even cares about it." Badger says, obviously too far gone to even realise that Zabuza's here.

"I don't care what you say, those are Momochi's kills. He deserves the bounties." Wolf says, not broking any arguments. "Besides, if not for Momochi, neither of you would still be here."

Badger stiffens, obviously wanting to say something about that. Weasel just pats him on the shoulder. Rabbit's good to go once again, but Wolf is careful to point out that her wounds will easily reopen if she isn't careful. "It'll have to do, Wolf. Thanks." Rabbit says. Dragon notices the new additions –Akimichi Chouji, and some kid she doesn't recognize– but isn't sure what to make of it.

"Ready to go?" Fox asks. Dragon nods and they head out once again. Dragon finds herself praying that the fighting ends soon. Each time she returns to Checkpoint Alpha there's another one of her subordinates passed out. Thank Kami-sama she hasn't encountered a single Anbu casualty thus far; and she prays it stays like that.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"No more, Rabbit. You're wounds are reopening with a stiff breeze." Dragon points out. The fighting is easing, and there hasn't been any hotspots in nearly an hour, but there's still some stubborn Sand and Sound shinobi putting up a fight.

Dragon, Zabuza and Fox escort Rabbit to Checkpoint Alpha, refusing to trust her stubbornness to engage the enemy when she's clearly push well beyond her limits. Rabbit doesn't argue, thankfully. So when they arrive, she eases into a more relaxed state of mind – and she actually notices the bodies strewn about. The flinch is minute, but definitely there.

"Oi, who're the kids?" Rabbit asks, walking over to Wolf for the umpteenth time today. Dragon studies the girl, not liking what she sees. All that's keeping Wolf conscious is her stubbornness.

"None of your business." Wolf tells her, beckoning to her. Rabbit shrugs, taking the final steps and presenting herself to the young medic once again. "You guys really shouldn't keep going back out there. Wounds shouldn't be reclosed this often."

"Someone's gotta do it." Rabbit says, shrugging. Dragon hates to admit it, but Rabbit has a point. If they don't keep going, then who will? "Besides, you look dead on your feet, but you keep patching us up."

Wolf groans, but don't disagree. "If you idiots would stop reopening your wounds, I wouldn't have to." No one argues with her. "Fox, blindfold the kid. I don't want one of our own to be dragged with half a mask and get outed to an outsider." Wolf seems to have finally thought of that, but it's not like it would matter. The kid's too scared to look around much.

Neither the kid nor Fox complains. The other Operatives nod, grateful. "Yo, Wolf, when this is over, I'm treating you to all the dinners you want!" Rabbit says, meaning it. Dragon doesn't argue with her. Salamander reported in that the other two medics passed out hours ago. Wolf and Salamander are the only two still going.

"Thanks. I'm not into girls though." Wolf tells her, a teasing smile in her tone.

"That's not what I'm offering." Rabbit replies, obviously blushing. "Besides, I'm not exactly into girls either." Dragon watches the exchange, wondering about that. Wolf, if she's anything like her mother, won't take to people easily. Somehow Rabbit wormed her way in already. Maybe it's because Rabbit worked with Miwako? Dragon isn't sure, but she's grateful.

"Whatever." Wolf sways a bit on her feet, but doesn't even seem to notice. "Rabbit. I need you to stay here. Those wounds won't close again, so I need to wrap you up the old fashioned way. Weasel, Badger, you two are the best rested here. Take Rabbit's place for a bit." The pair nod, body flickering back out into the fray. Dragon doesn't stop them. She's grateful, really, so she sends Zabuza with them; he's already caught his breath after all. And Dragon is really curious about what's going on here.

Rabbit takes off her flak jacket and lifts up her shirt to expose her middle. Wolf nods, already unsealing what she needs and busy disinfecting her patient and wrapping her exposed skin in the medical gauze.

"So, who's your trainer?" Rabbit asks, obviously just trying to kill time. She doesn't make a sound when the disinfectant touches her skin. Dragon wonders briefly if Wolf even realises she's about to pass out.

"Dog is my trainer, Frog is my captain. I'm on Team Xi." Wolf answers, but sounds unsure. Yeah, her mind is shutting down, but she's still carefully tending to her patient.

"I see. I haven't seen him at all today. Where's he hiding?"

"Rehab. He's one of the idiots I keep having to put back together." Wolf says, tying the gauze off in a knot, and helping Rabbit to make herself decent once again. Dragon had heard that Dog was brought to the hospital, but then he just dropped off the radar. It's no wonder the Third trusts Wolf and Fox as he does.

"Sounds like him. He and Cat were always getting themselves messed up during missions. Then again, they always seem to survive it." Rabbit sounds amused.

Dragon ignores the pair for a second, downing a rations bar and some water. Wolf is wobbling, but seems to want to do something, though Dragon can't say what.

"Nn. You're shutting down on me aren't you." Rabbit asks, obviously noticing.

"Nn… Sorry." Wolf says, meaning it. Dragon can tell she'd fight to keep going all day if she could, but we all have our limits, and Wolf is at the very end of her rope.

"Don't be. I'll take over for you here. Rest, Wolf. You did good." Rabbit assures the girl, catching her as she wobbles and loses her balance. Wolf passes out in Rabbit's arms.

Looking around, Dragon can see the admiration in each Operative's eyes, in their stance. "Boss. When you start the pool to buy her something, let me know, eh?" Parrot says, but those around him are quick to nod.

"Nn. Is anyone able to fight?" Dragon asks. Parrot, Sloth and Panda nod, standing up to follow Dragon back out into the fray. Dragon finds herself praying this is the last round. If Wolf is down for the count, there's no doubt that Salamander isn't far behind. "You boys are gonna have to step up your training if you don't want the rookies to make you look bad." Dragon teases. Her men groan, but the sober up quickly. Dragon doesn't know what they're thinking, but she can guess it has something to do with Wolf.

Only a trainee, and already earning respect in Anbu. That's got to count for something.

 _ **8-8**_

 _ **End Interlude 10**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Not exactly action packed, but definitely offers some insight.  
**_


	62. Chouji: I'll be here

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 51 – Chouji: I'll be here_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Namiki Aya. The more I get to know you, the less certain I feel around you. I mean… I'm sharing a room with an Anbu Operative. One that I've never seen before, that I don't know. And definitely one that doesn't trust me. I'm glad he doesn't have any sharp, pointed or heavy things in his reach, because they looks he's been giving me…

But, the point is, that I've already learned that there are four other Anbus in this house, not including Kakashi. Five Anbus that were injured during the invasion, just like me. And Aya took them all in, to help them recover.

Aya didn't know any of them before the invasion – even Hikaru admits that. Aya doesn't have to care what happens to them, but she does. And I'm starting to get the impression that these Anbus, and the unfamiliar voices that keep shouting downstairs, are going to be a bit zealous guarding Aya from now on.

What's worse, though, is whenever Kakashi comes up to check on his colleagues. He takes his time talking to each of them, even if they don't say much. Then, when he gets to Hikaru, they mostly just take turns talking about what they'd do to anyone that hurts Aya in any way. They've been quite graphic too.

This time, Hikaru's talking about the unique things that genjutsu can do to you, and how he's been meaning to test this one genjutsu that he'd considered too barbaric to use on enemies.

I shiver. Something too horrible to use on someone trying to kill you, but obviously more than willing to use it on me.

"Hikaru!" Aya announces, suddenly in the room with us. "How many times have I told you not to try sitting up yet! I swear to Kami-sama, you're just begging me to refuse you your sweets and sake! What is wrong with you!?"

"Sorry, doc. I'm just trying to see something other than your ceiling, you know?" Hikaru tries, obviously knowing better than to get on Aya's bad side.

"I don't want to hear it!" She tells him plainly. "If you can try, for just one day, to not make me restart your heart, I'll arrange that you spend a few hours outside. Will that shut you up?"

"Doc, that would be awesome!"

"Then it's settled. But let me warn the both of you… if either of you tries harming Chouji… you'll find out just how combat capable I am." She almost sings, her voice joyous and cheery. Then her face morphs into what could only be considered demonic, her tone dark and holding the promise of death. "Is. That. Understood."

Both Anbus swallow painfully, nodding.

"Chouji, are you comfortable sharing your room with this man?" Aya asks. "I can make other arrangements."

"It's fine. Besides, where would you put me?"

"In my room, if it comes to that." She says glaring at the two clearly shocked shinobi.

"I don't th-"

"Kakashi." Aya's tone is sweet. Far too sweet. "I don't remember asking for an opinion on the matter. Do you?"

Kakashi-sensei swallows again. "N-no, ma'am."

"That's right. I didn't. Now, if you continue to be so bratty, I'll just have to tell daddy just what you've been doing with my poor, defenceless sister when you think no one's watching. I mean, even being messed up like you are, a civilian is no match for you, am I right?"

Ouch. That's so low I think his feet are aching from the blow. I glance at Kakashi-sensei, seeing his visible patches of skin go ghostly pale.

"Now, I hope I've made myself clear." Aya coos, smiling and batting her eyelashes at them.

"C-crystal." Kakashi manages.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's going on midnight, but for the first time in days, sleep just won't come. I try counting the beams holding up the ceiling, I try counting backwards from a thousand – twice. Nothing seems to work. Sleep hates me right now.

"How does a runt like you land a girl like that…?" Hikaru says out of the blue.

"You got me there." I admit. What's the point of denying it? Girls like Aya, those one in a billion girls, they don't fall for shmucks like me. "If you figure it out, let me know?"

"I'm being serious." Hikaru sounds annoyed.

"So am I." I counter. "I don't know what I did to catch her eye. And I certainly don't deserve her."

He snorts. "Got that right."

"But… she loves me." I say, wondering about that for the umpteenth time. "By some miracle, she doesn't just care about me, she loves me." I shake my head, trying to make sense out of nonsense.

"Tell me something I don't know." Hikaru says, his tone sour. "Did you know that she sleeps in your bed most nights?"

Hmm, maybe that's why I can't sleep? I've subconsciously gotten used to having her here? "No."

"Did you know that she talks in her sleep? That she's been mumbling 'Akimichi Aya' every night since I woke up?"

Akimichi Aya… And here I thought she'd demand I take her name. "No." I probably sound too amused for his liking, because he growls.

"You… you best pray you don't ever make that girl cry."

I'm the one that snorts this time. "Sorry, Hikaru, but you'll have to get in line. I think uncle Shikaku has front row for that. And I think Zabuza and Kakashi are close seconds."

"Boy, you have no idea, do you." That isn't a question. "Everyone that worked with her mother would happily kill you if you break her heart. And a lot of still active Anbu Operatives worked with her mother."

"Yeah, and the doctors at the hospital that worked with her father wouldn't even try to save my life. I know that. Then there's her godmother, I've yet to hear about who her godfather is, but I'm sure that if he's alive he'll be every bit as bad. And auntie Yoshino…" I shiver. "Have you ever seen an upset Nara?"

"You know… and yet you risk it?" He asks, curious.

"… Yeah." I think about that. "You know that kid I came in here with? He's an orphan. His parents moved here a few years ago, looking for a better life, but got blindsided during a scuffle with a spy trying to make a break for it."

"You're point?" He doesn't sound impressed.

"When I met him, he was busy pickpocketing. He got caught by the wrong kind of people." I explain seriously. "All I could think at the time was how easily that could have been Aya, or Naruto. How similar their stories were, because of how messed up the system is towards orphans."

I frown, remembering how the mercenary Katsuo was targeting picked him up by his arm, ready to snap the boy's neck on the spot.

"I ended up taking him to the police myself, to make sure he arrived in one piece, but… the police just gave him a fine and sent him on his way. A fine! Someone is struggling to survive and you punish them by charging them for what they're forced to do in order to survive."

"A point. Do you have one?" Hikaru asks, annoyed.

Honestly no. I'm mostly just trying to kill some time, hoping that I pass out. "Did you know that Aya took him in? That she paid that fine herself? That she's been taking care of him just like she's been taking care of us? That she wrote him into the academy and is paying his tuition?" I think about that some more. "How does someone like that fall for someone like me?"

As usual, the answers don't come.

The door slides open, but I can't see who's there. "Can't sleep?" Aya asks, worry in her tone.

"Yeah, sorry."

"Don't be. I've gotten used to curling up in your bed." She admits, suddenly by my bedside. I look up at her, wondering why there are smudges under her eyes, like she hasn't been sleeping well.

"You alright?" I ask, cupping her cheek.

"Yeah. Just tired."

"Did she make it?" Hikaru asks, but I'm not sure I understand what's going on. Did something happen?

"It was a close call, but yes. Hana's staying with her to make sure she doesn't slip away." Aya crawls into my bed, curling up with her head on my arm. She sighs, worn out and frustrated. "Wake me if anything happens?" I nod, unsure I'll even be awake for it myself.

Her breathing evens out almost immediately.

"Hey, Hikaru. What's the trick to make my toe wiggle?" I ask.

"You make it." He tells me, his tone serious. "Focus on one of your toes so hard that your body will force itself to make a connection."

Well, if sleep won't come, I should at least try to make use of the time I'm awake. It's a bit hard to focus on my toe when I could focus on Aya instead, but… this is for her. If she's giving this her all, then there's no way I won't do the same.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hey, Chouji." Shika greets me, walking into the room. I put my finger against my lips to tell him to keep it down. Aya's still sleeping. He smiles, fixing the sheet to make sure she isn't cold. "So this is where she's been hiding." He sounds amused.

"She came in sometime around midnight." I say, worried. She's been pushing herself so hard, trying to care for some pretty intensive patients.

"Well, things should be easier on her now. Tsume just arrived with two medics and two medics in training." Shika says, hooking a few stray strands behind Aya's ear. "Let her know when she wakes up?"

"Nn." I nod, regretting it instantly. Aya's stirring, grumbling and saying something about stupid ferrets.

Her eyes flutter, but she seems to be refusing to wake up. I smile, amused with the annoyance clearly announced on her face.

"Shh, go back to sleep." I whisper, kissing her forehead. She nods, liking that idea. Her breathing evens out again.

"Breakfast is ready. Maki and Hitomi will bring up for you guys, but mom wanted me to check where Imouto-chan was hiding."

"Hey, is mom here?" I ask. Shika nods, questions in her eyes. "You mind letting her know that I got all ten of my toes to wiggle?"

"Careful, Chouji. If you end up being one of the stubborn ones, she's going to blame it on your roommate." Shika teases, smirking. He might be smirking, but there's laughter in his eyes. He's happy.

"I'll gladly take the blame." Hikaru announces, puffing out his chest.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

That afternoon, Aya organized the troops, 'dragging' all six patients down the stairs and outside into the back yard. It's been forever since I've been able to just 'sit' here and enjoy the sunlight. None of us are allowed to sit up yet, but Yasu-san arranged that we all have hats to make sure we aren't troubled by the sun.

Hikaru is enjoying his sake with Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza-san. Chinatsu is smoking her cigarettes with Asuma-sensei, who was dragged here by Kurenai-sensei to get him out of the house – and into someone else's it seems. Kanon, the only other female patient, is on her third helping of dumplings. Rokurou is busy throwing kunai at a target Anko-san set up for him. Shouta is trying to flirt with Hitomi, but Aya gave him a dirty look and he shut up quickly. And Akio is busy stretching his legs manually – using his hands.

I smile, seeing other patients with similar problems, all handling it in their own way.

"Oi, Chouji! Look at you, sprawled off and cloud watching without us." Ino teases. She and Shika make their way over to us, bearing snacks.

"Hey, don't blame me if you guys are slow." I tease right back.

"Hold on, let me help." Aya says, suddenly at my side. She carefully leans me onto my side, setting something under me and leans me back. I find myself propped up a bit – not much, but enough to eat my dumplings without worrying about choking on them.

Aya fixes my hat for me, angling it just right so I can still watch the sky without getting the sun in my eyes. "You joining us?" I ask, hoping.

"For a little while, yeah. I need to trai-"

"Aya. You've been training yourself into a rut. Please, just take the afternoon off and spend some time with me?" I beg. She looks like she wants to argue with me, but I beg her with my eyes. She nods a moment later.

"Aya, sweetie, you finally taking a break?" Yasu-san asks from somewhere near the house – I can't see her or the house, so I can only guess. "Good. I brought you some ~ice cream~!" I smile, glad Yasu-san is getting on her case to rest sometimes too.

"Yasu-nee, I love you, you know that?" Aya beams, accepting her chocolate ice cream with a goofy grin. I feel everyone's mood lighten at hearing the joy in Aya's tone. Without missing a beat, Aya snuggles up with me, laying her head against my chest, and starts on her ice cream before it melts.

I can just barely make out the subtle glances of the other patients, but I feel more eyes on us than just them. The out of uniform shinobi that I've heard over the past days, all of them are making their way out here to join us, bring snacks, junk food, more sake and a few new packs of cigarettes for the two Sarutobis.

Maki joins us as well, but Yasu-san looks like she wants to head back inside. "Yasu-chan?" Kakashi-sensei calls to her. I see her turning to him from the corner of my eye. "I think you could use some fresh air too, you know." He pats the grass beside him.

"I really can't. I need to start on lunch you know." She tries begging off.

"We'll pick something up, Yasu. Really. You can't order your little sister to take it easy, if you yourself refuse to." Hitomi-san counters. I smile, liking how everyone tries to take care of Yasu-san the same way she takes care of everyone.

"I agree, Yasu-chan. You should try to relax a little. Otherwise you'll make me want to come inside and try to cook just so you won't have to." Kakashi-sensei says. Judging from how everyone tenses, I'd say that's more of a threat. Still, not my problem.

"Kashi-chan… you wouldn't dare try cooking again." Yasu-san sounds worried.

"Not if you're out here to keep an eye on me, I wouldn't." He bargains. I like how Yasu-san turns to Aya for help, but Aya's too busy enjoying her ice cream to even notice; or care.

"Oi, Yasu-san. Give it up already. You've been in that kitchen more than anywhere else in the house." Fuu teases, making her way over with some of the others. Kami-sama, this house is packed lately.

"Yeah, I mean, it's not like you of all people don't deserve a day off." Hmm, the new redhead… Karin? Yes, I think her name was Karin.

"Oi, it's not like we don't appreciate everything you do for us, you know. We just want you to relax a little too." Okay… I know this voice. Minori! Wow, it seems everyone is coming to join us.

"What about you, Asami-chan? What do you think?" Yasu-san asks. I turn, seeing the sullen looking Asami-san, trying to smile as brightly as she can. No one's buying it.

"Honestly, I just feel like take out. I wouldn't mind coming with you, Hitomi-san?" Asami tries. I think she just wants to get out of the house a bit. She's been holed up in her room for days, as far as I know.

"Well, I feel like some barbecue." Auntie Yoshino joins the fray. I try not to laugh – I don't think Aya would like having to balance her ice cream through that.

"That's a good idea, Yoshi-chan. I could order ahead to make sure everything's ready." Mom? Wow, everyone really is coming out here to join us.

I kind of zone out, not really caring too much either way. It seems Yasu-san's given up on trying to get away, and seeing as the discussion is no longer about whether or nor to order, but what… well, I'm not too surprised when Yasu-san plops onto the grass next to Kakashi-sensei.

"Oi, I don't care what we order. So long as it goes with sake." Zabuza says, helping Maki to sit down comfortably on the ground. "I'll tell you what. Haku can have my vote. Whatever she feels like eating is fine with me."

I shake my head, turning all of my attention to the brunette still digging into her ice cream without a care. She's slowing down though, and her eyes are getting heavy. She's probably still really tired.

I grab the tub, just as it's about to slip out of her grip. She doesn't even notice. "Mom?" I call. Mom comes over taking the tub of ice cream and the spoon, probably taking it back in to kitchen before the ice cream melts. "Thank you."

With nothing I'd rather do more, I hold Aya close to me, letting her snuggle all she wants. I pointedly ignore the 'aww's and the gushing from the female population out here though.

Aya doesn't seem to like the noise, so she straddles me, burying her face in my chest. I just shake my head, amused with her. Fast asleep, and still trying to get me killed.

"If any of you so much as thinks of waking my daughter… you will be dealing with me." Auntie warns, her tone dangerous. I look over, seeing her glaring at some of the new faces. Anko-san seems to agree, cracking her knuckles menacingly. I shrug. No one's stupid enough to touch me with Aya sleeping this close to me – she gets cranky if someone wakes her up when she's tired.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 51_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Wow, I'm really spoiling you guys today... I need to work on that.  
_**


	63. Life happens

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 52 – Life happens_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

No one is in a very good mood today. I can't say it's too surprising really. I mean, today's the wake. The ceremony to honour the passing of not just Sarutobi Hiruzen, but all those that gave their lives when Konoha needed them most.

Tsume-san told me that we got lucky. From Anbu, we only lost one member, who was killed instantly. From the shinobi population we lost less than a hundred souls. A horribly high number, but it could have been far worse.

The twenty civilians that died though… that hurt. We did everything we could to save our non-combatants. It hurts to know that sometimes, our best just isn't enough. Naru-nii took that especially hard, seeing as three of those civilians died in his arms – technically his clones', but that memory lives on in him.

The invasion was hard all around. Everyone felt its sting. Be it in losing a loved one, a friendly face, or just the trauma of seeing our beautiful village in tatters. Everyone feels it.

I've been so busy keeping my patients in one piece, that I haven't been able to help the restoration effort. Naruto-nii however has been spamming clones like only he can, doing everything in his power to help.

However, now that everyone is getting ready, now that everyone has their mourning uniform out, or is already wearing it… there's just a… weight, a burden we all carrying though none of us see.

Asami and Konohamaru are especially morose. I think I found both of them crying by themselves at lease five times so far this morning. And it's not helping that everyone is pointedly refusing to let me stay home to care for the patients.

Yasu-nee's the only one that everyone can agree shouldn't go. Seeing as she's the only civilian, and no one wants her to be alone. Sakiko's too young, lucky girl.

The majority of us though… we're trying to put on our happy faces, but not even we buy it.

"No, Kakashi. You're in no state to go." I tell him. "Neither are you, Maki. Shinobi need to stand at attention for the duration of the wake. Niether of you are in any shape to even try that."

"It's alright, sensei. Haku-nee and I will be there. We'll represent you. And Minori-chan already bought flowers from all of us." Ao-chan assures Maki. She still doesn't look too pleased, but she nods anyway.

I… don't even know how to feel about this. The thing about tending to six patients that need twenty-four hour care? I've been so busy that I haven't been able to even process that Hokage-dono is gone.

I sigh. "We should probably get going."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Befitting our leader, the entire village turns out to honour his sacrifice. Naruto-nii and I are standing on either side of Asami, in case she needs us. Konohamaru is closer to the front, with the academy students – including Katsuo. I haven't really spent much time with the brunet, but he seems decent enough. And Saki's taken a liking to him, so he's okay in my book.

The elders –Hokage-dono's advisors– say something to honour Hokage-dono and all those we lost. Then we're asked to observe a moment of silence.

Just as we do, it starts to rain. I don't mind, it perfectly matches our mood. Then the procession starts. We're each allowed a moment at the alter. There's one large picture of Hokage-dono. He has a stern look on his face, as usual, but I've never seen him wearing only white.

To either side of him are pictures of shinobi that also gave their lives. Lined up to the front of them are pictures of the civilians that were lost. There are also two large torches, burning even in the rain.

Asami, Naruto and I walk up together. We bow, but my eyes only linger on Hokage-dono's picture. The three of us kneel reverently, placing our flowers in front of us. Each of us mutter a few words – I'm asking Hokage-dono to watch over us, but I can't make out what they say.

I hear Asami sniffling beside me. I lay a hand on her shoulder, letting her know I'm here for her. Without warning, she almost bowls me over burying her face in my chest. I don't rush her, letting her cry it out in peace.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You will of course forgive me for finding a meeting not an hour after a wake to be… distasteful." I drone, wondering what these people want with me. When everyone else was leaving the wake, an Anbu Operative I don't recognize strolls up to me, informing me and Naruto-nii that we're needed in the Council's Chambers. The only reason I agreed to come at all, is because Momochi-san assured me he'd take Asami out to get some junk food, and they'd meet us at home.

Hitomi, of course, refused to let me come without her being by my side.

"We don't like it either, Aya. But you learn that sometimes you need to focus on tomorrow, and not get lost in yesterday." Daddy tells me. I stand a little straighter, trying to do him proud.

"Very well. What can I do for the esteemed Council?" I ask, my tone far more professional now.

"We've heard the reports on you and Naruto's deeds during the invasion." One of the elders –they're both mummies for all I care, so I don't know which of the two it is– says.

"Oh?" I ask, looking to Tsume-san, wondering what that means. She smiles proudly, but I don't know what to make of that.

"Indeed. And not just during the invasion either. You both saved countless lives in Konoha's hour of need. One of you continued to saved lives after the invasion, while the other worked tirelessly to help rebuild our village. I think we can all agree that the two of you are shinobi this Council, and our village can be proud of." The elder explains. I don't react. How do you react to something like that? I mean, we were doing our duty, nothing more. "You disagree, child?"

"I will ask you only once not to refer to me by my sex or my age. I am Aya." I glare at the elder, not in the mood to be looked down upon. She glares right back, but doesn't comment. "And this has nothing to do with agreeing or disagreeing. I did my duty. Both as a medic and a kunoichi. I fail to see why a meeting should be called for something I see as my duty to my village."

"Well, you see." Daddy begins, his tone a lazy drawl. "They're trying to talk you into something troublesome."

"Oh?" I ask, curious.

"What Nara-sama means to say, is that we have a proposition for you." What's-her-face, the elder, says, her tone smooth as silk.

"I like the way daddy explains things. He doesn't like hiding behind pretty words." I turn, facing daddy – grateful that means turning my back to that old hag. "So, what is this proposition, and what does it entail?"

"They want you to become Naruto-kun's partner. Both martial and marital." Daddy gives it in one go.

"To be his partner as a shinobi. I accept. To marry him… I'd rather chew on rocks. Will there be anything else?"

"Now, chi-"

"Honoured elder. I do not repeat myself when I say I will only ask or say something once. If you choose to ignore my words, you give me clear license to offer you the same lack of respect." I try to speak as politely as I can, but a little fire does leak out in my tone.

"… Can we know the reason, Aya-chan." The other elder tries, his tone soothing.

"Naruto-nii is my brother. I don't like the idea of incest." I explain simply. "Now, please explain to me why there had to be a meeting scheduled right after a wake for something so simple. I'm having a hard time believing this is all you want from me."

"… There is another… proposition we have."

"Daddy, really. You and I both know I'm already out of patience for careful idiocy. Please just tell me what they want." I demand hotly.

"Heh. I warned them not to push this." Tsume-san says, smirking. "They want Namiki babies. Stat. So if you turned down Naruto, they were going to continue making propositions until you agreed to one."

"And which party or parties are pushing for this?" I ask, my face held carefully neutral.

"If it makes you feel better, Aya. I'm sure they'll shut up when they hear the truth." Chouza-san says, chuckling. I glare at him, unamused.

"Chouza-san, who I am interested in is not what I am asking. I wish to know who here feels they have the right to tell me who I should be _screwing_." I turn my full attention to the two elders, glaring at them. "So tell me. Whose bright idea was it to demand of a thirteen year old to open her legs for the sake of Konoha?"

Shockingly, no one answers me. "Hnn. Are there any other _bright_ ideas you wish to piss me off with?"

"You will wa-"

 **Snap!**

Even when attending a wake, I'm still armed. And now that my Divine Hand has the sharp edge of my lovely little kodachi hovering against the woman's throat, I think I finally have her undivided attention.

"I. Will. What." I grind out, my tone dark. Not surprisingly, she doesn't finish that sentence. "To honour me for my dedication to Konoha, only to demand things of me you have no business demanding." I intone, well and truly **pissed off**.

"I will marry when **_I_** am ready to do so. I will open my legs to whomever **_I_** wish to open them to. And I will **not** tolerate some _decrepit, old shits_ telling me otherwise." I make sure each and every person present hears my words loud and clear. "Now, if that is all this council has to say?"

"Aya, please calm down. There is something I wish to discuss before the council." Daddy says, his tone soothing. I move my blade from the woman's throat, resheathing it and letting my Divine Hand fizzle.

"Yes, daddy?" I turn to him, trying to brush off my annoyance, but I'm only partly successful.

"I am aware that you are trying to establish the Namiki clan. However, as you are well aware, this can only be done once you attain the rank of jounin. Would you find it acceptable that I represent you in Council meetings, should another such… situation arise?" Daddy says, keeping his tone as pleasant and calming as he can.

"There will be no more _situations_." I intone. The desire to rip that old ghoul's head of and spitting down her throat is almost overwhelming right now.

"I should think not, but I think Shikaku is trying to negotiate that if someone else is dumb enough to try again, that he wants to handle it before it even reaches your ears." Inoichi-san offers. "Unfortunately, we've all already expressed our… displeasure with this attempt. But seeing as none of us are your legal guardian, it can be pushed for once again to call you before this council to try a similar stunt in the future."

"I understand what daddy meant. And I appreciate your support, but I wish to make this perfectly clear." I say, my tone darkening the more I speak. "There. Will be. No more. Situations."

The room goes quiet. Everyone's eyes are focused on me. "Just as I have no sway to tell Hyuuga-sama who his daughters should marry. Just as I have no sway to tell Tsume-san who her children should marry – other than the fact that it won't be me." Tsume-san chuckles at that. "Just as I have no sway to tell Katou-sama who any in his clan should marry. Just because I do not hail from a clan, does not excuse the fact that I do no tolerate any of you –other than daddy– telling me what to do with my life. Should any of you try this again, I promise you here and now, I will hear of it myself. And I will be back before you myself. And I swear on mama's grave, next time there will be a **body count**."

A few of the council members that don't know me very well start to murmur among themselves.

"So, I will say this one last time. There had better be no 'next time'. There had better be no 'new situation'. Do not attempt to control me, because any of you that have dealt with a Namiki in the past knows that this never ends in your favour. It will not change. And furthermore, should I hear that any of you attempt this with Namiki Yasu, Namiki Sakiko… any Uzumaki, Yuki, or even to Uchiha Sasuke. I swear to you, I will treat that attempt no different that if it was aimed at me. Is that understood?"

Chouza-san starts chuckling patting daddy on his back. "Shikaku, you always seem to find the fiery ones."

"Che. Keep in mind who's interested in her." Daddy counters, smirking. That just makes Chouza-san laugh even louder.

"If there is nothing else, I have patients to tend to. Daddy, Chouza-san, Inoichi-san, please do not waste too much time here. I don't want to have to explain to your wives why you've been called away on such an emotionally charged day." With that, I grab Naruto-nii and-

"Aya, though you are free to go, there is much we must still discuss with Uzumaki."

"No. There isn't. Good day." I hear Chouza-san's laughter echoing off the walls as we make our way out of that insanity.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I'm telling you, Yoshino-sensei! You should have seen her! Sis was ready to rip those old ghouls a new one!" Naruto-nii announces, once again being dramatic – honest and accurate, but dramatic all the same.

"The nerve of those two! Really! To arrange such a meeting! And after a wake no less! Have they no respect!?" Mom understands where I'm coming from.

"Well, I'm just glad that Aya isn't afraid to stand up for herself." Remi-san says, smiling at me. I blush a little, remembering all the little hints at Chouji being the theoretical father of my theoretical future children.

"Nn. Chouza-san made a few jokes about how the position was already taken." I say, blushing a little deeper. I'm not sure why I said it, but…

"Maybe it is." Remi-san says, smiling a little brighter. "And I'm sure Chou-chan would agree."

"Maybe, but we're both too young to worry with such things for now." I say, blushing deeper still and looking away.

"Yes, you are, baby. It's okay to think about it, but… to arrange such a thing? No. Unacceptable. I don't even want to hear about marriage talks until you are at least sixteen!" Mom declares, even glaring at Remi-san to get her point across.

"Now, now, Yoshi-chan. Of course I'm going to be teasing them both about it. But you are quite right. They are both much too young for such things." Remi-san placates, a teasing smile on her face the whole time. I roll my eyes, choosing not to get involved.

"Oh! Before I forget! Yasu-nee, I told them point blank that you aren't to be bothered with this either. You're eventual marriage, should you choose it, is no one's concern but yours. The same goes for Sakiko." I say. Yasu-nee smiles, petting my hair, careful not to muss it too much.

"Thank you, sweetie. I'll keep that in mind." She says, kissing my brow.

The doorbells rings. "Now who could that be?" Remi-san wonders. I'm wondering about that myself. Momochi-san and Sasa-nee already came home, maybe it's another wave of Anbu come to check our colleagues?

"I'll come with you." Hitomi announces, seeing me heading towards the door. I roll my eyes, wondering about the shadow I can't seem to shake – not that I mind too much.

At the gate, I see two very distinct parties. Hyuuga-sama and the same Hyuuga-san that Hina-nee knocked down a few pegs, being one party. The other being the two elders from earlier.

"Yes?" I ask, keeping my tone neutral and –mostly– polite.

"Good afternoon, Namiki-san." Hyuuga-sama says and bows his head politely. "I would like to visit with my daughters?"

"I see. And the _esteemed_ elders? To what do I owe the _pleasure_?"

"We wish to speak with you, privately." The man says.

"No. Anything else?"

"Aya-chan, really, there is no-"

"I believe I have said all I wish to say to you. Now unless you have something more interesting to say, leave. Neither of you is welcome on this property."

"That's just it, Aya. We do have something more interesting to say, but we wish to discuss it privately." He tries once again.

"Does the word 'no' hold no meaning these days." I open the gate motioning for Hyuuga-sama and his escort to enter. The elders try to take a step forward, but Hitomi already unsheathes her katana. "Elders of Konoha, I've made my stance perfectly clear. To step onto this property without my express permission is to give me legal rights to claim your lives."

"Now, now. All we want to do is talk." He tries once again. I shut the gate.

"Talk."

They share a look, neither too pleased with my obvious hostility. "Is it wrong that we wish to ensure the continuation of the Namiki family?"

"So we're still on this are we?" I drone. "Good day." With that I turn and walk towards the house.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hello, daughter."

"Hyuuga-sama, please. Cut the polite idiocy. I think we've all had enough of that for one day. There are no eyes or ears here that will look down on you for showing your daughters love and affection." I cut into the usual stupidity of high society. "And you. I don't care what your reasons are. Speak down to Hinata or Hanabi and I will end you. Clear?"

"Na-"

"Aya."

"…Aya-san. I'm sure you understand why I speak to my children this way." Hyuuga-sama tries.

"Understanding and caring are not the same. Do you love your daughters?" He thinks about that. I groan, already hating I let these stupid idiots in. "Look. Do you see how different Hina-nee is when compared to six months ago?"

He nods without hesitation. "Of course. I would have to be blind not to see it."

"She blooms because here she is shown love, support, acceptance. If you wish to see the proud lioness I helped to cultivate in her crumble, then, by all means, continue being the constipated stoic." I drone. Hina-nee tries not to, but I see in her eyes that she wants to laugh.

"I see." He says.

"No, you don't. You don't even want to." He 'regards me coolly'. "If you wanted to, you'd try to understand that your daughters crave for love to be visible in your eyes when you look at them. You'd try to understand that they want a hug from time to time. That they have emotional needs you are neglecting as their father. It is your choice to not remarry, I'll not get into that. However, by not doing so, you accept the role of both mother and father to them. And you are _consistently_ failing them in this."

Wow. I really just am trying to get in everyone's face today. Oh well.

"Hinata… do you agree with this?" Hyuuga-sama asks carefully.

"I'm afraid so, father." Hina-nee says, looking away from him.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He says, his eyes, his face, still set in stone. I roll my eyes. You're not even trying. "Hinata?" Hyuuga-sama steps forward, gently coaxing his daughter to look at him with a single finger under her chin. Her eyes are watery, unshed tears welling up. I can see her heart yearning for more than he's giving.

"N-nn?" Yeah. Five minutes with you undoes six months with me. Congratulations. Idiot.

"I'm proud of you." Tears fall, not just from Hina-nee's eyes, but from my own. "I'm proud of the woman you are becoming. Of the strength in you I just never knew how to coax to the surface."

A teary smile peeks from behind the rain clouds. "Thank you, father." Then… he hugs her. She's shocked, I can tell from how stiff she is. That shock slowly gives way, and the dam she'd built to hold back her tears gives way with it. She clutches his kimono shirt, holding onto him for dear life, and she… cries.

Hyuuga-sama holds his arm out, obviously wanting Hanabi to get in on the action. "I'll give you three some privacy. You will come with me." I glare at Hyuuga-san. He nods, following me wordlessly. I smile a little when I see Hitomi following me wordlessly as well. That woman!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I lead Hyuuga-san out onto the porch. I sit down without a word, not caring that he remains standing. "You are a jerk to her. Purposely. Why?"

"That is-"

"Hyuuga clan business. So in other words you resent her. For her being of the Main house, while you hail from the Cadet house. Is that it?" He doesn't answer. "Look, Hyuuga-san. I hang out with Naras and Yamanas and Akimichis all day, almost every day. I understand the ins and outs of clan life, even though I wasn't raised in that idiocy. And on top of that, I have Hyuuga Hitomi here, who is from the Cadet house. Do you really think I can't piece together what your problem is?"

He still doesn't answer me.

"Hnn. Idiot. It isn't my place to poke at prod at your wounds. I'm not your doctor. However, keep in mind what I said. And this isn't limited to her time in this house. Do I make myself clear?" I start to get up.

"You really think you can change people? Change fate?" He begins.

"Hyuuga-san. I don't care what you think. I'm not here to change you, your mind, your fate, or whatever other crap you believe in. I'm here to care for my pack. Hyuuga Hinata is a member of my pack. And if you think I am half as forgiving as she is… then you haven't been _properly introduced_ to a Namiki before."

I stand up meeting his hostile gaze, and not in the least bothered by it.

"And for the record. Uzumaki Naruto… the dead last of our graduating class… changed his fate. With help, yes, but he did so nonetheless. You're just too scared to try." I leave him there to stew in his own stupidity.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Daddy!" I glomp him the second I see him.

"Hey, princess. Sorry we took so long." He hooks his hands under my arms and scoops me up for a proper hug. I don't fight him in the least. "I'm really proud of how you handled yourself today, you know." He murmurs, holding me tight. I beam, enjoying his warmth.

Chouza-san chuckles, mussing my hair a bit. I glare at him dully. "You made that meeting worth attending, Aya. You should show up more often." I groan, already hating dealing with those idiots.

"So what kept you? I figured the meeting let out a while ago, seeing as the elders were here to 'talk privately'."

"How interesting. They wanted to speak with Chouza and me." Daddy doesn't sound impressed. Chouza-san doesn't laugh this time, he looks furious.

"What'd they want?" Chouza-san asks.

"To discuss something about 'the continuation of the Namiki family'. I don't know anything beyond that, because I refused to let them in and they wanted to talk privately." I say. "I'm half tempted to give you the rights to speak for me now. I mean, those two seem persistent." Both of them laugh a little. "Nothing I can't handle so far, but… still."

"Well, it's fine either way." Daddy kisses my brow again, before easing me back down. I groan, unhappy that he's ending the hug. Still, I do offer him some sake – both of them nod, smiling at me.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Dinner, once again, is turning into quite the affair. Other than Hyuuga-san, everyone's in a pretty good mood – even Asami and Konohamaru are trying to enjoy themselves. Eventually, dinner comes to an end, and the sake rolls out once again. I roll my eyes at them, wondering why sake is such a big deal.

"Come on, Hiashi-kun. Don't tell me that life has dampened that wild spirit I once knew!" Chouza-san says, offering the man a drink. "You do realise that it's that zest that your wife fell in love with in the first place, right!?" Chouza-san can be a… bit loud when he's had a _few_.

"Chouza, you're never going to change, are you." Hyuuga-sama asks, his face perfectly neutral.

"Why should I? Remi loves me just the way I am. Chouji respects me just the way I am. And even little Aya loves me. I see no reason to worry about anything else!" I roll my eyes, wondering why I'm getting dragged into this.

"Oh? There have been so many insinuations already. Tell me, is she courting Chouji?" Hyuuga-sama asks.

"Nope. They're trying to work on themselves first, before getting entangled. But it's no secret that they are head over heels for each other. In fact, thanks to Aya, Chouji's been focusing on being a better man! And that's completely ignoring that he owes her his life! Can you believe it, she simply refused to let him have to lay in a dinky hospital! She has him upstairs tending to him herself every chance she gets!"

Poor Aya. Always the topic of the hour.

"Speaking of which, I think I should go see how he's doing." I point out. That just makes Chouza-san laugh even louder.

"You see what I mean!? My boy couldn't possibly be in better hands!"

I ignore him, making my way upstairs. I do make sure to check on everyone – most of them are resting, if not sleeping. Chouji though… he's massaging his legs, trying to move his feet or something.

"Chouji… physical therapy doesn't start until at least next week. Relax." I say, rolling my eyes at him.

"I'm lying down. That isn't relaxing?" He quips, a smile in his eyes. "Dad's got a lot of faith in you, you know."

"He has more in you." I counter. "Did you want to come downstairs to take a few rounds of teasing?"

Chouji laughs at that. "Thanks, no. Just hearing how bad you're getting it is plenty."

I walk over to him, taking his leg from him, massaging behind the knee with one hand while pushing the bottom of his foot upwards until his knee is firmly pressed against his chest. I hold it there for a moment, before tugging it back down, still massaging behind his knee.

"That tickles a little." He says.

"I know. That's the point. It's to stimulate your muscles so they don't atrophy, while stimulating your nerves to let your brain know something's happening." I explain. "But that's only supposed to start next week, because the swelling isn't gone entirely yet."

"Sorry, doc." He says, not in the least bit sorry.

"No you're not." I smile warmly. "Don't worry, Chouji. With the strides you're making, we should be able to start you on light exercises soon. After that, it's walking exercises. Okay?"

"Hey, I plan on asking you to dance for your birthday, so you'd better make sure I don't make a fool out of both of us." He teases. I blush, looking forward to it.

I switch to the other leg, downing the same stretch. He laughs a little this time. And his laughter helps ease the worries that have been bothering me since I found him lying face down in the dirt. "You're going to be just fine, Chou-chan." I say, leaning in and kissing him gently.

"Are you trying to tell me you need your Byakugan to imagine me naked?" I hear Mitarashi-san. I know for a fact she's downstairs, and likely hammered. I'm just not sure I want to know who she's talking to.

"Wow. And I thought the Four Clans parties were wild. Are you sure this is just a regular Tuesday?" Chouji teases.

"I guess?"

"Heh. I can't wait to get up out of this bed and go taste the atmosphere for myself." Hikaru announces, fire in his eyes.

"Oi. You heard me explaining this impatient one that physical therapy starts next week. Do you really want me to explain it to you as well?" I ask, teasing him a little.

"That's his prognosis." He tries, while also trying to sit up on his own. I rush to him, taking his hand to stabilize him and help him up a little. He sits up all the way, out of breath.

"You're doing fine, Hikaru. I just don't want to rush it, because knowing you… you'd just end up trying to run a mile when I tell you to take a step." I tell him gently. I help him to lie down without making things worse. "You guys are still in recovery. That's the most frustrating place to be, I get that. But it's not forever. I won't let it be forever." I say, my tone sincere. Hikaru smiles, worn out but warmly nonetheless.

"Thanks… doc."

"Oi. It's Aya. Just Aya." He grips my arm by the elbow, meeting my gaze with an intensity his eyes sorely lacked since he got here.

"You will… **never** … be… 'just Aya'… to… any of us." He says, obviously meaning it.

"You're such a smooth talker." I tease. "Did you want a drink? I'm sure there's still a bottle left somewhere."

"Thanks… no… tired." He says. I nod, understanding.

"Tomorrow then. Just try to remember that you have to build up from scratch. It's not going to be easy, but I won't let you fall if I can help it." He nods, smiling that little worn out smile again. He falls asleep. I wipe away the beads of sweat off his brow, annoyed that he's pushing himself so hard when he should be resting.

I make my way back over to Chouji, finding a warm and welcoming smile on his face and in his eyes. "He got you there, you know." I narrow my eyes, wondering what he means. "That you will never be 'just Aya'. Not to him, not to me, not to any of us."

"Don't you start, mister. I'm just me. That's all I ever want to be." I tell him.

"Well, miss 'just me'… just keep on being you." He says, his eyes twinkling with an emotion I haven't seen in his eyes before. He reaches out, cupping my cheek with his hand once again. "Be you… we'll love you for it. I promise."

I lean in, smiling as that look in his eyes intensifies. Is… is that what I think it is…?

We kiss, I close my eyes, enjoying his taste, his smell, how warm he feels, how soft he feels. The whole time, his hand cups my cheek. That gentle touch of his, almost sends me over the edge. I lean back, hating that I want to go get him a snack before he goes to sleep – not that he isn't worth it, but I just hate having to not touch him long enough to do so.

As my eyes flutter open once again, I see that look twinkling in his coal eyes. His whole face just seems so soft, gentle. But it's the look in his eyes that's making me melt.

"What are you thinking?" I ask.

"How lucky I am." He says smirking. I gaze into those gorgeous eyes of his for a moment longer, hoping he'll continue. He doesn't make me wait long. "Mom told me about that council thing. How you refused everything they wanted. How the only idea you'd even consider was being with me."

Stupid butterflies. Now is not the time to make me lightheaded. "I never mentioned you by name." I say, blushing deeply.

"No… but that's okay. I know you well enough to fill in the blanks." That knowing smile isn't help me in the least. "That's why… why I can say without a doubt I'm the luckiest guy on the planet."

Kami-sama, that warmth is starting to take over. It's getting a bit hard to breathe, but at the same time silly things like breathing don't seem too important.

"Just do me a favour…?

"N-nn?"

"When my mom starts bugging you about grandkids… tell her to ask auntie Yoshino first."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 52_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Too tired to proof read this tonight. Will go over it in the morning or something. Enjoy anyways ^_^  
_**


	64. Can I unplug? For five minutes?

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 53 – Can I unplug? For five minutes?_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

No, now just isn't the time. I need to focus, to train, to train others. So why are my eyes continuously threatening to shut, and why are the bags under them only getting worse?

"You need to sleep more." I look up from my breakfast, finding mom looking at me. She doesn't like what she sees.

"I like that idea. Let's try that." I drone. I've been up most nights until midnight, tending to stubborn patients that want to try workout before their body is ready. I've also been working in two medic wannabees, who can now brag that they can restart a heart in ten seconds – they've had enough practice. How are my patients even still alive? I mean, are they always like this in recovery?

Whatever. I've also **not** gotten out of the habit of waking up at five in the morning and starting my own training at six. That means, without a doubt, that I get a maximum of five hours of sleep. Not on average, mind you. A MAXIMUM of five hours of sleep. If something happens, like that idiot Chinatsu who fell out of her bed because she wanted to go outside for a smoke. Or Rokurou who has a nasty habit sitting up in bed, getting dizzy because he's not used to it, and slamming his head in the wall.

Anbu Operatives are crazy.

The only ones these days that I don't worry about too much are Chouji and Hikaru – if you could believe it. Hikaru's heart hasn't stopped once since our day out. And even though Chouji is constantly pushing himself, he's at least being smart about it. I've listened to him discussing something he's curious about with Hikaru, just to gather intel, then he'd ask me about it to see if it's sane(ish), and then he'd try it. If the others were half as sane as the two that –at one point– worried me most, then I'd easily get eight hours of sleep a night.

"Princess, really. You're still a growing little girl. You need to take better care of yourself. You have four licensed medics in the house now, and two trainees. It should be-"

"The problem is that only Hana and I seem to be able to control our patients." I interrupt daddy's reasoning. "So even if the others can patch them up, the idiots will just get themselves battered and bruised just as quickly unless Hana or I talk to them. And that's if they'd even let them."

"What about Ino, Hinata, Haku…" Mom tries once again.

"Anbu don't respect non-Anbu." I drone. Kakashi nods, fully agreeing with me. Heck, even Momochi-san shrugs in that 'what did you expect' way only he seems to manage.

"So why not the other two Anbu Medics?" Mom asks, narrowing her eyes.

"They passed out in the thick of the fighting. They don't respect them, because they aren't fighters. Hana and I passed out almost at the end, and even then we passed out only after tending to out patients." I explain seriously.

Hitomi nods seriously. "Yeah, Aya was wobbling on her feet, but still refused to give in until she knew I was taken care of." She says, a lining of respect in her eyes and tone. "In fact, she didn't pass out until I told her it was okay. I think she'd have pushed herself even further otherwise."

Mom nods, clearly impressed with me. "Too boot, the five upstairs know that Aya's the one that saved their hides." Kakashi weighs in. "They'd chew rocks if Aya asked them to."

"So that's why you haven't tried running away." Maki teases. I roll my eyes.

"No. Yasu-nee would be upset if he dared to try it." I point out, getting a sagely nod from her. Everyone laughs at Kakashi, but he doesn't seem to care.

"Think what you want, but if Yasu-chan asked any of you to stay here and rest, you would at least consider it." Kakashi counters. The laughter dies down; he has a point after all.

"Umm… Aya?" Karin begins nervously. We all turn to her, wondering what has her so nervous. "I, uh… really should start heading home to talk to my mom, you know…?" Crap. There's that too.

"I'll start arranging a team to go with us." I say, nodding. "Give me a day?"

"It's alright, I-"

"Karin." I interrupt whatever silliness she was going to say. "You are a member of our pack. You are not travelling halfway across the Land of Fire and the last leg in Grass on your own. Let alone the packing, the negotiations, and whatever other bothersome crap might come up along the way. I am arranging a team to go with you, and either Haku, Naruto or myself is coming along."

"Sounds like a boring mission to me." Momochi-san drawls. "But it's better than just hanging around here and waiting for another invasion. So I'm in." I'm still waiting on the mission that involves my team that goes by the book. It wouldn't surprise me if we end up encountering at least one rogue shinobi.

"Thank you, Aya." Karin says, bowing reverently. I'd managed to knock out the 'Master Aya' and 'Aya-sama' from her vocabulary, but the over the top behaviour hasn't changed in the least.

Whatever.

"Hey, Aya-nee?" Katsuo begins uncertainly.

"What's up, little man?" I ask, smiling warmly.

"I was… hoping to go into town today? I wanted to… buy some small things, but…" He always seems so unsure of himself, always testing to see where he stands, if one of us will look down on his for never having money, or whatever.

"You're not going alone." I tell him plainly. "Minori, Haruki, you two wanted to buy some more sealing equipment, if I remember correctly?"

"Yes, ma'am. He can come with us." Minori assures me, smiling at the newest member of our pack with her megawatt smile – just like Naru-nii would.

"Good. Now, about money… would five thousand Ryou be enough for what you need? Keep in mind that you'll be doing chores around here to work it off, but I'm sure Yasu-nee will go easy on you." I offer with a teasing smile.

Poor Katsuo is in tears, obviously overwhelmed. Minori, being –physically– the closest to him, tugs him into a hug, petting his hair while she's at it.

"M-more th-than e-enough." He manages eventually. I nod, already going through my pouch and offering him a folded-up five-thousand Ryou bill. It ends up having to be passed to daddy, who passes it to Ino, who passes it to Minori, who passes it to Katsuo, but it reaches the intended recipient and that's what matters.

"Oh, Hitomi, we're skipping training today. I need to handle some things, and they need to be dealt with sooner rather than later." I think back on what Sasuke wanted me to do. Hitomi nods, questions in her eyes but she doesn't press. "Mom, daddy, do either of you know where people go when looking for a house to rent? I kind of have a few that need to be managed?"

"Well, mostly people look on the Mission's Desk bulletin board. That's the best place to start, even if you'd only get shinobi renters." Daddy offers.

"Yes, but shinobi would only want apartments, Sasuke wants me to rent out the houses in the Uchiha District." I point out.

"You'd be surprised. Try there anyway. But… there's also that business in the Civilian Sector… 'Home away from home'? They manage things like that regularly, but I've never worked with them." Daddy informs me. I nod, making a mental note of that.

"I thought they mostly dealt with vacationers for longer periods of time? That sounds more like an invitation to spies. I'd suggest Miki's, in the Shinobi Sector. They only deal with Shinobi, but they collect the rent for you, furnish the houses that need furnishing, and charge the renter for any damages. It's far less of a headache. Trust me." Mom, as usual is far more practical. Definitely going there! Forget the bulletin board, I'm going straight there!

"Thanks, mom. I should have known _you'd_ have the answers I need." I say, nudging daddy with an elbow to rub in my point. He doesn't react thought. "Right! Hitomi, let'… wait a minute, Minori, Haruki, do the two of you have enough money for what you need?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Making our way down into the Uchiha hidden library is spooky, and dark, and annoying and… spooky. Really spooky. I constantly wonder why anyone would want to hide anything down here.

Still, it's their thing, so I'm not getting into it. The first opening we encounter is the armoury. I shiver, constantly feeling like someone is right behind me. And not the comforting feeling I get knowing Hitomi's right behind me, I mean like there's someone right behind me that wants to pluck out my eyes and eat them. It's unnerving.

I don't care too much what weapons are here. It's not my concern. I just seal them away, one by one, trying to be mindful that nothing gets left behind. Once everything I can find it sealed, I ask Hitomi to have a look around, and she confirms.

We move on, down deeper into this… place. Next is the non-Uchiha library. Mostly consisting of jutsus they'd copied from enemies and whatnot. I seal the scrolls and books without even sparing them a glance.

After Hitomi's confirmation once again, we move on. This time it's a much smaller alcove. The Uchiha library. Only consisting of jutsus concocted by Uchiha clansmen. I shrug, sealing these in a separate scroll so Sasuke doesn't have to sort through them by memory, or whatever. But I still don't care too much. This isn't my heritage, so even though I try to be mindful of what I'm doing, I don't try to study the details so that Sasuke can keep his secrets to himself.

Just one more room. I shiver, remembering just how creepy this last room is. Nothing but stone carvings and ancient tablets from a time when even scrolls weren't around. But what gets me is the… looming presence in this room. How Sasuke managed to not notice is not something I plan on figuring out. I seal the tablets in a new scroll once again. And I motion for us to get the heck out of here.

I HATE coming down into this place.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

If the archives aren't bad enough, I have to go through each house in the district one by one, to make sure there isn't anything Sasuke overlooked. And there are DOZENS, HUNDREDS of little things he overlooked. That no one looted this place since the Uchiha massacre shows just how much respect their clan commanded at one time.

Scrolls –either originals, or copies– that belong in the hidden library, weapons scattered about in the standard hidden caches. Pictures weathered by time that I simply don't have the heart to allow non-Uchiha to get their hands on. Texts that I have no intention of trying to decipher; they could be cookbooks manuscripts for all I care. I seal everything I can. I have Hitomi scan each and every house to make sure I miss nothing – thank Kami-sama she's a Huuga. A few of the couches have hidden caches, some houses have nonstandard placements of caches, a whole lot of fun stuff like that. I clear it all out.

Then we get to the main house. Sasuke's residence. Asami's here waiting on me, as we agreed. I nod to her, entering the house without a care – it's not the first and it won't be the last time I enter this house. I once again go through everything, making sure to seal everything I believe Sasuke would value. Everything but two pictures. Our team pictures. Kakashi, Sasuke, Naru-nii and me in one. I'm elbowing Naru-nii and he's laughing about some stupid joke he made at the time. The other is with mom instead of Kakashi. Mom is hugging the three of us at once, and we're all a bit freaked out about that. I have these same pictures in my bedroom.

"Here. Hold onto these for him." I hand them to Asami, frame and all.

"Jeez, that boy just always looks so serious." She points out. I shrug, figuring it's an Uchiha thing. "Thank you."

"Running low on seals, so this works out better for me." I shrug, not wanting to make a big deal of it. "Well. I've done my bit. Do you need us out of your hair?"

"I don't mind the company." I nod, so we kind of follow her around as she starts placing little seals on all the windows, and all the walls. The front door and back door get special seals, but I can't tell what they do. And there's another type of seal that gets placed in every room and cache. I recognize this one from our den – air purifiers.

With everything done that needs to be done, we head out and I lock both front and back doors. I seal the keys with the rest of Sasuke's things – and that's the only seal that gets a little note saying 'keys', to make sure he can find them when the time comes. In total, I have twelve scrolls full of his things, each numbered so I'll be able to tell him what comes from where (more or less). I roll my eyes, wondering about that.

"Well, let me just get these into storage." I say, already heading back home to put them into my hidden library for safe keeping.

"Hey, Aya. You didn't even take a look at one of those scrolls did you." Asami sort of asks.

"Why would I? These things might be in my possession, but these aren't my things." Just like the Uzumaki and Namikaze scrolls in my hidden library aren't mine either. "Now come on, I still have more things to arrange!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Luckily, I'd already bugged Naru-nii about adding a shelf in the hidden library. He's the only one allowed in there other than me, and trust me… you don't want me trying to install a shelf. It will NOT end well.

Once that's done, I head into my office and start making phone calls. Miki's really is somewhere I want to deal with, seeing as they seem receptive to the idea of managing the District, managing the D-rank missions to clean the place up and all the fun stuff. They do require a five-hundred-thousand Ryou retainer to make sure all the houses can be inspected and cleaned properly before they can go on the market to be rented out, but I don't care – it's not my money, and Sasuke approved.

So we set up an appointment for five-thirty, and I make a mental note to bring the map Sasuke left me with the jungle of marked keys to show which keys are for which house. I'm still not sure how I managed to get everything done before lun-

The phone's ringing? Whatever, might be Miki's trying to reconfirm something or other. "Namiki residence." I answer.

"Yes, hello. Is Namiki Aya in, please?"

"That depends on who's calling and what this is about." I intone, not recognizing the voice.

"This is about a boy who's calling himself Namiki Katsuo. He's a known troublemaker and pickpocket, so you'll of course understand my-"

"What's he done?" I ask, my tone giving nothing away.

"The usual. Tried pickpocketing someone at the market. Is he really a Namiki? Or records show nothing of the sort." The man sounds sceptical.

"He's a recent addition, but yes he is. Where is he now?"

"He's in a holding cell with his two accomplices."

"Accomplices?" If that brainless idiot is referring to who I think he's referring to… heads are going to roll.

"Two Uzumakis. Minori and Haruki. They claim to be family of the d-"

"Finish that sentence and you'll be in T&I before the day's out." I warn, meaning it too. I'm so FRICKING TIRED of people and their insanity. Luckily the man doesn't continue. "Am I to assume you locked up two genins and a civilian, on the charges of pickpocketing, without contacting their next of kin?"

"That's why I'm calling. I haven't found a contact number for… the Uzumaki residence. You're the first one I've called." He placates.

"How long have they been in your custody?"

"Ten minutes."

"I'll be there in five. And I hope for your sake those three are not going to tell me anything… troubling of their treatment. Seeing as I am their caretaker." I warn. I make a mental note of the time – ten-fifteen. Ten minutes in their custody, makes it an ETA of five past ten. We'll see if that holds true when I talk to them. I hang up without another word, already heading out.

"Where we headed?" Hitomi asks.

"The police station."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

As promised, within five minutes we're at the receptionist of the police station. "Namiki Aya. I was told my clansman Katsuo and two Uzumakis have been arrested?"

"Ah, so the br-" I glare at the woman, daring her to finish that statement. "So the boy was telling the truth." She corrects herself. "Follow me." I'm lead down a hall to the holding cells, finding two redheads and a brunet sitting morosely on a single bench – luckily in a cell by themselves. I'd have killed someone if they were placed with anyone else.

"Aya-nee, this isn-" I raise a hand to tell Katsuo that now isn't the time.

"Officer. I wish to speak with the arresting officer, and these three in a private setting." I say, making sure to glare at the woman when she hesitates.

"Alright. He's talking to the victim right now, you might have to wait a bit."

"That is fine. Unlock this cell in the mean time. I will take full responsibility of them, should they try anything foolish." I assure her. She looks uncertain, but takes one look at Hitomi and knows better than to argue with a woman in jounin attire.

"Fine, but the five of you will wait in front of the interview room." That's a polite name for interrogation room, but whatever. Katsuo tries to explain for a second time, but I shush him once again.

"I'm not mad at you." I say, meeting his gaze easily. He doesn't look away, so I know he's innocent – we've had a… discussion on what I'd do to him if I found out he'd been stealing again.

Once I meet the arresting officer and the… victim… the last pieces fall into place.

"Hitomi, eyes only. The rest of you will come with me. That includes you, ma'am." I say, my tone polite but unbending.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

They're seated on the other side of the table. I noisily drag my chair across the floor, plopping down on the chair and placing my tanto, still in sheath, on the table.

"Mitsuda Hayase. A member of the Konoha Police force since the days the Uchiha were running it." I intone. "Known for his dislike of one Uzumaki Naruto, and has been suspended at least twice for suspected child abuse, on said Uzumaki." Oh yes, I know who you are.

"Nomada Yakimi. Raised an orphan, impoverished for the majority of her youth. Known con artist, petty thief, and not liked in any circle of orphans." I continue. "Why is it that I'm not surprised that you two are involved?"

"Ay-"

"Did I say you could speak?" I cut him off. He looks peeved. "Let me make my stance perfectly clear here. I am conducting an investigation into a situation that I know for a fact is illegal. And as a member of Anbu, I assure you, investigating you with no prior warning is well within my jurisdiction." The man looks shocked, looking to Hitomi, but she doesn't react at all.

"Now. Let's start with what I can tell you before any of the facts reach my ears." I eye the pair of them, no emotion reaching my eyes or tone. "She claims that a known pickpocket tried to rob her, probably because he bumped into her at the market. However, she cannot say what he tried to take, and has yet to produce anything other than words. Seeing as everything that was one her before he touched her, is on her as we speak. Correct?"

"How do I know you're Anbu?" The police officer tries, obviously nervous because I know this woman's MO.

"If I take out my mask and tell you my codename, I'm also required to kill you." I reach into my-

"Nevermind! I can just confirm it with the Tower." He says sweating nervously. He knows I'm telling the truth.

"Now. To add insult to injury in this case. **You** are the arresting officer. Having heard the name Uzumaki, you automatically assumed these two were involved, and arrested all three of them, even though you cannot provide a single shred of proof there was any wrongdoing. Correct?"

No one answers me. Shocking. I unsheathe my tanto, taking out my whetstone and start to sharpen it.

"Now. We're going to play a little game. It's called: don't lie to me. The rules are simple: don't lie to me. During this game I'm going to ask you a lot of fun and thought provoking questions. You will answer these questions. And remember, don't lie. Don't tell me half a truth. And do not think I won't kill you with three witnesses behind that glass watching me. I assure you, I'd be well within legal limitations to do so."

 **Shick. Shick. Shick.**

The sound of sharpening a weapon always does things to people. I like that.

"Let's start now. Katsuo. How much money was in his possession when he was brought in." And so the fun begins.

"F-four-thousand t-t-two-hunderd Ryou." The officer manages.

"Seeing as I gave him five-thousand when he left the house, I can safely assume he'd bought something. Now, let's try another victim." I turn to the woman. "That hairpiece. When did you buy it." I motion towards the pink and violet butterfly set decorating her hair.

"Th-this morning."

"So you bought it this morning?" I actually ask this time.

"… how is this important?" She tries.

"Are you allowed to ask questions, or are you supposed to answer them?" I remind her what situation she found herself in. "Did you or did you not buy that item?"

She doesn't answer me.

"I will give you to the count of five. Then I start chopping off fingers. One. Two."

"N-no, I didn't b-b-buy it…"

"How did you come by it?"

"…"

"Three. Four."

"I t-took it from the b-b-boy." She says, her tone low and weighed down as she looks away.

"So. To clarify. You stole something from the boy you accused of pickpocketing you. And on top of that, you were trying to walk away from this Scot free. Is that correct?"

"…"

"F-"

"Y-yes, y-yes! That's what happened!"

I make a come-here motion to the one-sided mirror, hearing one of the officers behind there come towards us. "Good. Then you will be placed under arrest. The charges will be explained to you in detail, and you will not tell one single lie to your arresting officer. Is that understood?"

The woman nods, swallowing painfully. The door opens without warning and a single uniformed officer walks in. He roughly grabs the woman, escorting her away, already explaining the charges and her rights and all that good stuff.

"Now. That means there are no charges against these three and are free to go, is that right?" I turn my full attention to the 'officer' in front of me.

"Y-yes. But the charges will still be filed." He tries.

"No, they won't. They will be purged from their records, or you will purge their records entirely. False charges are dropped immediately and removed from their records. Failure to do so will result in your immediate introduction to some… _friendly faces_ in **Torture** and Interrogation. Or has this escaped your attention." I know Konoha law, moron! You can't be a con artist and not know the rules of the game!

"To further worsen your case, you show an undue vigour in trying to charge three innocent citizens of Konoha. I daresay you… might just be discriminating them?"

"…"

"Ah, another that believes he has the right to remain silent. That only works with police. I am not the police. I am Konoha's blade. Now we'll start your countdown. One. T-"

"I have nothing against any of these three." Oops. He lied. "AHHH!" My tanto just got stabbed though his hand and the table under it.

"Remember the rule? The only rule? Don't lie to me. You lied." I explain seriously. "Now I will ask you again. Do you have something against these three? Leaving out a part of the answer will once again be considered a lie."

"Against them, no. Against _that other one_? Yes."

"That's better. I remove my blade, wiping off his blood on his uniform's sleeve. "You are of course referring to Uzumaki Naruto. Correct?" He nods. "Verbal answers only."

"Yes."

"And because of their association with him, you found them guilty and arrested them. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"That, my boy, is called discrimination." I explain seriously. "That's a crime for someone in your position." I make another come-here motion to the mirror and another officer makes their way to me. I wait for the officer to enter the room. "I will say this only once. This man will be delivered to T&I before the day is out. All he is allowed to do is undo the damage to three innocent victims' records. Should he, or anyone in this station, not comply, there will be a full-scale investigation into every officer here. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, ma'am." The officer assures me, taking his colleague away. I make one more come-here motion and the final officer –the section head by my guess– makes… her way to us? I can respect any woman that can control fifty-plus men that like to show their dominance.

"Something you need?" She asks me, closing the door behind her.

"Yes. I need the video material copied and sent to Anbu HQ, to be delivered to Dragon herself, with detailed reports of what happens with those two. And I would advise you to inform your subordinates that if any Uzumaki, Namiki, or Yuki be brought in here again, that I should be informed before they even see the inside of a cell."

"Consider it done." She says, nodding seriously. "A question, if I may?"

"Miss…?"

"Itayouri Ami." She bows politely to me, but I just wave it off. "How did you figure that out so quickly?"

"Easy. I know those two. Personally. I've have run ins with them from time to time." I explain seriously. "How long were these three here?"

"Just over two hours. Why?" She looks curious.

"The officer that called me lied. I was told they were here no longer than ten minutes, and I arrived five minutes after the call ended. I would look into that. As I'm sure you can tell, I won't tolerate people bullying my pack."

"I'll look into that personally." She assures me. "A Namiki that works like a Nara… a dangerous combination."

"Let's go. I believe you three had some shopping to do. And I know I have more than enough going on as well."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I make it home just in time to hear a THUD coming from upstairs, and Maki crying out in shock. I rush upstairs, finding Hikaru on the ground in the hallway, bleeding from a gash on his head and a blood smear on the doorpost to his room. I sigh.

It takes almost ten minutes to get his sorry behind back into his bed. I end up bandaging his head to make sure he doesn't go thrashing around again.

"You are the most stubborn man alive, you know that?" I complain, hating the stupid sheepish look on his face. He's been apologizing every chance he can since he saw me – funny how Maki wasn't even allowed to touch him. "You know physical therapy doesn't start until the day after tomorrow. You're body is still recovering from your injuries. And frankly you are just making it worse with adding a head wound."

"Sorry, doc. I was doing good though! I took fifteen steps unaided!" He announces proudly, ignoring the fact that he's pale from another round of blood loss.

"Good enough to stay in bed unless someone is here to walk with you! Hikaru, I don't want to lose you! Don't you understand that?" I remind him what's at stake here. He rubs the back of his head slowly, obviously feeling bad for putting me through this.

"Sorry, doc. I promise, no more walking without someone to catch me." He says, meaning it.

"That's better." I check him over one more time, to make sure I didn't miss anything. Then I offer him (another) blood plasma pill and some water. "Listen. I don't want to do this, but I'm going out on a mission tomorrow." I just need to get away from this for a bit, before I burn out.

"Doc, no… no… not you. Anyone but you. Can't they send someone else?" Hikaru clearly doesn't like the idea.

"It's my mission. I have to handle this myself. Hana will still be here, so I expect you to stand by your word. And I'd better not hear that you gave her or anyone else a hard time. You hear me?"

"Yes, doc."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 53_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: How sad that taking a mission is supposed to ease poor Aya's workload. Well, let's see if she likes what that mission brings her then. ^_^  
_**


	65. Mission? Yes, please

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 54 – Mission? Yes, please._**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Momochi Zabuza. Yuki Haku. Mitarashi Anko. Hyuuga Hitomi. And myself. With a little luck, we should be overkill for this mission. Still, better safe than sorry.

"Oi. Imouto-chan. I'm coming." Shika-nii?

"Wait. You're actually volunteering to tag along for a troublesome mission?" I ask, wondering about him.

"Don't remind me. But the fact is, Chouji asked me to." I roll my eyes. It figures Chouji would ask someone he trusts to bring me home safe.

"Whatever. Just make sure you keep up, Shika-nii." I try to act indifferent, but honestly having him along increases our odds of success, no matter how lazy he is. "Mom, think you can handle things here while I'm gone?"

"We'll be fine sweetie. Asami already added me to the security matrix, so I can come and go as I please." Mom says, smoothing Shika-nii's hair. She's obviously proud that her 'baby boy' is stepping up to the plate to take care of me – it's just something she'd gush about. "Oh, I can't believe my baby's all grown up, demanding missions and trying to take care of his little sister. I'm so proud."

She hugs Shika-nii, completely ignoring the 'troublesome' he's muttering.

"Shika-chan… you sure you can even keep up?" Momochi-san asks, obviously annoyed I didn't shoot him down.

"Only one… Mom, please… only one way to find… troublesome. Mom, my pouch is properly packed. Only one way… Troublesome woman, even if I don't have something Aya's used to you nagging her so she'll have at least three spares." Shika-nii is taking the brunt of mom's… _love_. So I might just get away unscathed this time. He looks to me, eyes begging for some backup.

"Hey mom, wasn't daddy talking about some diplomatic mission to Sand to discuss their surrender?" Mom freezes mid sentence. And without a sign she was even there a second ago, she's gone. "Sorry, daddy. You'll just have to take one for the team."

Everyone gets a laugh out of that.

I go over my equipment one last time. I'm in my Anbu uniform, as is Rabbit, as is Snake. Momochi-san, who's a 'trainee', has been dubbed Pig. He wasn't impressed. He tried bargaining for others too. Bear (already taken), Boar (already taken), Elephant (better than Pig, but still already taken), Polar Bear (not an Anbu sanctioned codename). He was even desperate enough to ask for Skunk (which is also taken). So no, he's stuck, at least for now, as Pig.

Haku's also a trainee, but she rather likes being called Penguin. She's actually applying for Anbu Medic trainee, but Dragon hasn't approved yet.

Shika-nii would stick out like a sore thumb on this team, so I ask the others if they would tolerate him wearing my old mask. They tell me plainly he's not Anbu, but are willing to accept him on my behalf. Snake dubbed him 'Pup', just to remind here what his position on the team is.

Anyway, equipment. I have my kodachis strapped to my forearms, but out of the way of the seals on my gloves. The scroll to summon Sasuke, Naruto and Asami is strapped to my lower back – I might need it, considering Naruto and Asami left an hour ago. I have my new wakizashis on my back, both grips peaking up over my left shoulder. And I hand my tanto to Pup, so he won't stick out too much. Snake asks if she can borrow a few weapons again, but I ask her why she bothered to bring back the last ones – I haven't asked for them and I wouldn't care if she kept them. She grins, going into the cache and selecting whatever toys she thinks might be fun.

"Oi, Wolf. Seriously, I'm grateful. But a pink tanto?" Pup complains. I groan, snatching my tanto back from him. I motion for him to come with me, and I lead him into my bedroom. I open my private cache, placing my tanto where I'll know to find it.

"Take what you need." I tell him. He looks around, finding all kinds of swords of varying lengths, and some interesting smaller blades. I think about it again. No, I like having my tanto on me. So I seal it in my glove for safe keeping.

"What about these?" He asks me, picking up a pair of trench knives with the blade almost as long as his forearm. "I've seen Asuma-sensei use something similar. I should be able to pull this off."

"Suit yourself. I don't really care for them, but they're also from a chakra conducting metal, so I didn't want to leave them lying around." I tell him. He takes his time strapping them to his back in a way he feels comfortable with – lower back, for some reason. I don't care, it's his party.

With nothing else to do, I make a round, telling my patients to be good, telling the kids to train hard (and Katsuo to not let that stupid scene from yesterday bug him), telling Yasu-nee we'll be back soon, and reminding the Anbu Operatives that they should bring their own sake and stop leeching off our stock. And we head out.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the gate quickly enough, I suppose. Pup doesn't have trouble keeping up, but Karin will certainly slow us down. It's universally agreed on that Pig will have to carry her – he's the only 'big, strapping man' on the team, and he's the lowest ranking Anbu Operative. Pup doesn't count. And no one wants to bog poor Penguin down. So yes, on a female dominated team, Pig is the bag boy.

Once we sign out, which Snake takes care of, Pig takes the lead. It makes sense, seeing as he's carrying our 'guide'. We leave at noon, more or less –after having an early lunch of course– and we keep running until long after sunset. Pup isn't wiped out, but he certainly isn't happy either.

Karin, on the other hand, is dead tired. Being carried must be _hard_ on you.

We have a simple dinner and a half hour break. Then we start back up again and run until about midnight. "I'll take first watch." Pig announces, acting like he's in charge. I roll my eyes, signing to Snake and Rabbit to let him have his fun. Rabbit's shoulders are shaking a little, but Pig doesn't seem to notice.

"Oi, Pig. What about Bull? Did you ask about Bull?" I tease, wondering if I can rile him up a bit before falling asleep.

"No, and I don't want it." He drones. I shrug, pretending I don't care. We each pick a sturdy looking branch, but Karin looks like she wants to complain. "Oi, I don't care what you have to say about it. We're not making camp."

 **#Pig suits him.#** I sign to Rabbit, making sure my hand is hidden from his view. Rabbit snickers again, but looks away when Pig looks to her, curious about her reaction.

"Oi, Wolf, you talking about me?" Pig asks.

" _Me_?" I ask, all hurt innocence. "I would **never**."

"Uh huh." He isn't buying it, seeing as Rabbit is fighting to breathe normally.

Having found a comfortable looking branch, I make myself at home. This isn't the first tree I've slept in, and it won't be the last. Pup seems to be having trouble getting comfy though. "Oi, Pup, come up here. That branch will drive you nuts if you try sleeping there." I tell him. He's slow to react, but he eventually agrees with me and joins me. He leans against me, so I wrap my arms around him to make sure he doesn't fall off our branch in his sleep or something. I kind of like this arrangement; he's warm. I'm asleep in no time.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We're up at dawn once again. We wash down quickly, have breakfast, and see to our needs. I end up having to explain to Pup about the procedure of a wash down, which I don't mind. He's smart enough to get it on the first try.

Once we're all set, we're off once again. I smirk, noticing that Pig has to carry Karin bridal style, seeing as his back's a bit… full carrying his blade. I spend the first hour wondering why he would bother with a mask, if the blade immediately identifies who he is, but eventually decide it just isn't worth bringing it up.

We stop around lunch, do the usual routine, and we're off again. We make it to the border by sundown, but this time, Pig suggests we call it a night. Foreign Anbu? Yeah, no. The quicker we get in and out the better I think.

"I say we keep moving. No matter what time we travel, we'll meet resistance if we're spotted. At night we're more likely to go unnoticed." I point out. They think about it for a bit, before nodding. We head out not ten minutes later.

Around midnight we stop again.

"How much further to your village?" I ask, curious and trying to kill time while I look for a comfy branch again.

"Not much further. Maybe four hours? Five?" Karin sounds uncertain. Not that I'd be any better. My sense of direction hovers between bad and horrible, so it's not like I have any right to complain.

I once again call my brotherly blanket to come join me. He doesn't seem to mind this time. "You get some rest, Pig. I'll take watch." Snake offers.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the Village Hidden in the Grass the next, just after nine. At least, I think this is the Hidden Grass… It looks more like a warzone than anything. I groan. Of course a mission I'm on has to go from simple to complex at the drop of a hat. I take a deep breath, trying to locate out target.

"One and a half kilometres that way." I point. We head out immediately. We find a redhead with what looks like civilian clothing tending to the injured in the weirdest way. She let's them bite her.

"Mama! No! There's too many, it'd kill you!" Karin shouts, drawing attention to us. I roll my eyes. Emotions are dangerous in situations like this. In a heartbeat, six shinobi surround us.

"Oi, don't you think you guys have had enough casualties for one day?" I ask, waving the idiots off. I walk over to the woman, hating what I see. "You're in no state to tend to anyone. Let me take over. You rest." The woman looks hesitant, but nods when I activate the Mystic Palm jutsu and start tending to the next patient in line. Penguin is quick to lend a hand as well. She can't use the Mystic Palm, but she's no slouch in her medic training either.

Seeing us tend to their wounded, the shinobi stand down, but don't back off. "What are you doing here? We didn't expect aid form Konoha." One of them says.

"We weren't expecting to offer it. We're here to escort Uzumaki Karin to her mother." Snake answers. Pig wants to, knowing him, but his mask identifies him as lower in status – no one would take him seriously. "What happened here?"

"Sound blindsided us. We didn't know we were under attack until it was too late." The man explains.

"Sound still has enough numbers for this?" Pup asks, wondering about that. "That makes no sense."

"You mean from the invasion from two weeks ago? Well, they didn't seem to notice." The man says, annoyed.

"You misunderstand. We wiped out more than seventy percent of their forces. That means they held back." Pup analyses.

"Or that the thirty percent that survived was the top thirty percent." Snake adds her two cents. "Any intel you're willing to share with us?"

"Yeah. They come in waves, taking anyone they please. We've survived four waves already."

"So this isn't the true village then. Just an outpost." I guess, laying my latest patient on the ground. "Sound isn't stupid enough to attack a hidden village in that way. But if they see your defences as subpar, they'd ravage you time and again."

"Maybe it is." He says vaguely. I shrugs, not caring. This isn't my fight.

"When would you expect the next wave?" Snake asks.

"There's no pattern. So we don't know." The man claims, but I don't buy it. There's something going on here. Something that just doesn't sit right with me.

"We need to get the injured out of here. There's no other option than to retreat." I say, already working on the eighth patient.

"We have reinforcements en route. We just need to hold out for another day." The man explains.

"A day? As in twenty-four hours? Where are your reinforcements coming from? Cloud!?" I shout angrily. They don't know when the next wave will hit. The only medic I've seen is catatonic. And I see only six shinobi. They won't make it to sunset.

"We can only deal with the hand we've been dealt." The man intones.

"Pup. Get those gears oiled up and churning. I'm not going to lose this many of my patients." I demand.

"I need to know about the enemy if I'm to come up with a plan." The Grass shinobi consider it.

"Fine. It's not like we have anything to lose."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Oi, you guys suck." Pig announces after hearing that Sound only ever sends ten shinobi do wreck havoc.

"Not necessarily, Pig. From what they've said there are at least two bloodline limit users. Those are always troublesome to counter. And it doesn't help that they take the injured. That's how they maintain their numbers. Send an elite team to kidnap and coerce them into joining them or dying. It's no wonder their numbers are so impressive for a new village." Pup analyses, his brain working in overdrive.

"…" I can tell Pig wants to lean into the people he sees as pathetic. But, Snake's glaring at him. He'll play nice for now.

"The point is. We can't defend the injured and deal with the attackers. They have a plan. Take out the strongest, take the middle and the promising youths with them." Pup is thinking.

"Oi, listen. This is our village, we're not leaving." The man –the spokesman it seems– announces, sounding annoyed.

"Hnn. We should get going." Pup-nii… you are soo not suggesting what I think you're suggesting!

"Why is that?" Snake asks cautiously.

"Because there are no reinforcements. They're saying that to see if we'll stay to help them survive another day. It might not seem like much, but it's more than they have now. They know the next wave will be their last." Pup explains seriously. The six shinobi look away, not denying it. "So our best option is to take who we can and leave. I mean, think about it. They lied about that, what else are they lying about?"

"So they were going to force Uzumaki-san to heal their forces until she collapsed or died. And use the revived shinobi to fight back during each wave." I sum it up. "Is that it?"

Karin tenses, holding her sleeping mother close to her.

"We are Grass. We live and die as Grass Shinobi." The man says, stubborn as sin. "You are Leaf. This isn't your place to live or die."

"…" I look around, seeing dozens of injured that won't survive another wave of attacks. A year ago, I would have stayed, defended them to my last breath. Now? I can't. I have too much at stake to I die here. I have patients that need my care. I have two sisters to provide for. I have to… have to dance with Chouji on my next birthday.

"Do me a favour? Take whoever you can carry. Take them to Konoha with you. If we survive, we'll come find you." The man says, his tone sincere.

"Daddy, no!" A girl runs up to him. She's about my age. "I know what you're doing! You're going to make me go with them! I can still fight! The village will send reinforcements!"

"I know you can. That's why I want you to go with them. They'll need someone strong to help them defend our wounded." The man says, petting the girl's head.

"I think you're forgetting something important. We can't just waltz into Konoha with another village's wounded. We'd need permission for that." Snake points out.

"Given that there's two Uzumakis amongst them. Yes, you can." The man counters. "Don't lie to me, I know you came here to convince the woman to return to Konoha with you."

"… We can't even carry that many." I add my two cents, hating myself for it. "I'd take them all if I could."

"I know you would. You helped without hesitation, even when we were hostile towards you." He says compassionately. "Please. Take as many as you can."

"I can carry one." I offer, turning to Snake.

"… Wolf which of them are stable enough to transport like that?"

"Snake… no. I'm not choosing." I say, on the verge of tears. "Don't make me feel like I choose who lives or dies."

"I'm not saying that. I'm asking which of them is stable enough to survive travelling like that. I need a medic's professional opinion. And you are our medic. Focus."

"If they're breathing, then I promise you they're safe for travel." I say.

"Good. We move out now. Everyone pick one you know you can carry. And no, Karin, you are not picking your mother. You can't hold her weight. I'll carry her."

"Wait! I have the Prisoners' scroll! I can seal up to ten people that way!" I unseal the scroll from my glove. Asami said I can seal it away again even if it's full, so there's no added weight! I walk up to Karin and her mother, unroll a section of the scroll and seal the elder Uzumaki away. I then walk up to the more dire patients, sealing them away as I go. Then I pick up a little boy – he's maybe six years old. There's no way I'm leaving him here.

"You'll bring back out mommy when we get there, right?" The boy asks.

"Yes. I'll take care of both of you, I promise."

We gather who we can. And I scan the remaining shinobi one more time, before we head out, deciding to take the long way around to avoid the Sound shinobi if we can help it.

"Oi. You idiots better hurry up and come to Konoha to claim these people! I'm not in the mood to take on more patients you know!"

I almost don't hear it, but… I swear the words 'be safe' reach my ears.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's slow going, seeing as Karin was slow before, but now she's also weighed down with a toddler in her arms. Still, we do what we can. We feed them what we can. Haku and I take turns healing what we can.

The wounds on their heart are not so easily healed though.

As we make ourselves comfortable for the night, my ears pick up sniffling and quiet cries… hearts yearning for those we left behind.

Then, the next morning, I smell six Sound shinobi coming to great us, just as we're ready to set off. "Incoming. That way, six scents. Each jounin level."

"You know what?" Pig says. "I'm glad those idiots are coming."

"Pig…"

"We can't outrun them, Snake. Not unless we leave even more behind. And Wolf will be the one to kill you if you suggest it. So, that means fighting is the only option. If one of you has a better plan, I'm all ears."

 **Snap!**

I make two Divine Hands and arm them with kunai. If anyone wonders what my vote is, it's on them.

"Oi, girl. What's your name?" I ask the girl, the daughter of the 'spokesman' from yesterday. Her silver hair is as long as mine, but her grey eyes are a little unnerving with that ripple pattern in them.

"Ryuuzetsu." She says.

"Too long. Tsu, you any good with a blade?" I ask her.

"Nn. Kunais and short swords. Tantos especially." She answers.

"You got a problem with pink?" She looks at me funny. I put the boy down, unseal my pink tanto and toss it to her. "Chakra conducting, but this material doesn't work well with fire or water release. I like that blade, so you better not plan on breaking it." She nods, unsheathing the blade and swinging it to get a feel for it.

"Oh, isn't that cute. They think they can take us." The Sound shinobi announce their arrival.

They're here to talk? They want us to gently hand over our patients, no doubt. Well, they're sorely mistaken if they think I'll allow it.

"Look, we've got no beef with Konoha. We just want them." The big one – looks like he an orange Mohawk sort of hairstyle. Whatever. "If you walk away, we'll let you."

"Wolf, you're on defence. Ryuuzetsu, you're her backup. Pup, you're tactical response." Snake orders. I grin, knowing that I can defend and attack at the same time – aggressive defence. I'm a wall with teeth.

"The one there with the six arms. He's the only bloodline limit user with them, he uses some weird sticky goo. The big one is an earth release user, but focuses on taijutsu. The one with two heads… those are twins that can come apart and act separately. The others are all new, they'll be in top form." Tsu updates us. I nod, grateful she's got a level head on her shoulders.

"You guys pick a corpse already?" Snake asks, unsheathing the dual butcher blades she's taken a liking to.

I motion for all the Grass people to get behind me and stay behind me. I then kneel down and place my right hand on the ground to make sure I can keep track of everyone at once.

Pup and Tsu flank me. And Pig decides we're as ready as we're going to be, so he grabs his blade and vanishes. The next thing I notice is a Sound shinobi on the ground in pieces. Not the ones Tsu mentioned, but that's okay. One less to worry about at any rate.

The one with six arms tries engaging Snake, Pig takes the big one that tried to talk us into abandoning these people, and Penguin acts as Pig's backup. Rabbit takes the twins. And me?

 **Snap!**

I'm sending Sound balls to ruin those Sound shinobis' day. "AHHHHH!" One of them screams, clutching their now bleeding ear, before doubling over to puke up something vital. Rabbit slices him in half before he even notices what's going on.

Before long, it's just the three Tsu warned us about – they're strong, I'll give them that. But, we now outnumber them. And I'm still flinging Sound Balls at them every chance I get.

The big one focuses on something, but I get him right in the ear as he pauses. Pig cleaves him in half before we find out what he wanted to do. The last two see their ally go down, and suddenly a tattoo like thing crawls over their face. They're still moving as that happens, so I miss with my next Sound Ball. Penguin, however, isn't taking any more chances.

"Pig!" She requests, and Pig focuses his Water Release: Wild Water Wave right at the remaining two. Then Penguin grabs at some of the water? Oh CRAP! The water's freezing! She uses some kind of ice based jutsu? Cool! She's mostly only focused on stealth and her senbon with me!

The two Sound shinobi notice as well, and they both substitute, but I feel where they are and I get them both –technically all three of them– with my Sound Ball. The one with six arms drops to his knee, and Snake takes him out just as his skin starts darkening.

The other one(s)? He seems more or less fine. Pig tries to cleave him in half, but he splits instead. The two-headed one is not two halves of a shinobi with some black thing forming the other half.

Oh? That's interesting. Snake doesn't seem to think so though. And Rabbit… she's getting annoyed with this one – she's been poking and stabbing but from the frustration, it looks like the chakra pathways keep moving around or something.

Hmm. I have an idea!

I focus on two jutsus at once. The Substituion and Sound Realease: Acidic Screech. The second Rabbit is in the right position, I substitute with her and unleash the Acidic Screech. Even if those pathways move around, or whatever, if you damage everything then it won't matter. The half a shinobi screeches in pain, so I substitute with Rabbit again, and she cuts him into little bite size pieces. The other one loses his cool, seeing –what seems to be– his twin die. Pig and Snake take advantage and he's in pieces just as quickly.

I place my hand to the ground, wondering if we got them all. "I sense nothing!" I give them the heads up.

Rabbit focuses as well. "Same. We're clear."

"Then let's get moving. I'm not in the mood to wait and see if anyone is coming to check on these idiots." Snake announces. We all nod, gathering our people – and Pig collects the heads of the Sound corpses, just in case.

We move out not ten minutes later.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

When we stop for lunch, Ryuuzetsu plops down next to me. "Here." She hands me my tanto.

"Give it to me when we make it to Konoha." I tell her, offering her a rations bar and a bottle of water. She seems unsure, but doesn't fight me.

"Thank you." She says, an odd emotion playing out in her eyes.

"For what?"

"For trusting me enough to have your back."

I snort. "I trust you to protect your people." I tell her honestly, look up at the clouds. Pup-nii comes and plops down beside me so I hand him his lunch as well.

"You know, Wolf. You're troublesome when you lie." I swat his arm. Why is he calling me out on this now? "Ryuuzetsu is looking for a friend. You're turning her down. Why?"

Because her father will want her back and she won't deny him. I'm not you, Shika-nii, I can't watch people walk away from me and not care. "We all have reasons."

"Ah. In that case, Ryuuzetsu, she doesn't allow just anyone to even touch her weapons. Eh, Snake? She has to care enough to be prepared to lose that weapon if it means seeing you again. And just so you know… that tanto was a birthday present."

I swat him a few times, harder each time. "Couldn't just call it troublesome and be done with it?"

"Not this time, Wolf. Sometimes I have to protect you from you." He says, eating his rations bar without a care.

"Whatever." I take another bite. "You seem to like those blades." I say, hating that I can hardly see with my mask tilted upward slightly. Still, I have my hand on the ground, and I'm sniffing to track around us. We're good.

"Thinking on bugging you to keep them, to be honest." He admits.

"They're yours. But only if you stop bugging me so much!"

"Then I'll just have to ask mom and dad to bug you about giving them to me." He counters.

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh?" I groan.

"Traitor! And after I got her off your case when we were leaving!?"

"You did that to save yourself from being next."

"… Irrelevant."

"No it isn't."

"Oh yeah? See if I don't wait until she's done with you next time then."

Ryuuzetsu giggles, obviously enjoying this meal's complimentary entertainment. "Wolf?"

"What is it?" I ask, annoyed with him.

"… Help me train when we get home?"

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

"I knew you two were siblings!" Ryuuzetsu announces, laughing at us. I ignore her, so does Pup-nii.

"I… don't like how I couldn't help back there."

"Idiot." I swat his arm. "We'd have stayed in Grass if you hadn't caught Tsu's dad in his lie. What then? You think anyone here would be happy to die? To be a burden when splitting up might well have given those left behind a fighting chance?"

"… sorry…" Ryuuzetsu says, fighting back the tears.

"For what? For your dad loving you enough to lie to protect you? To do anything he could to keep you safe? You'd be as big an idiot as this guy here if you think I blame him for that." I swat Pup-nii again, just to prove my point.

"Is that a yes you'll help me?" Pup changes that subject.

"Silly question. Of course I'll help. Be warned though, I won't be gentle." I say, meaning it. "And you're going to need those blades if you want to keep up."

"…" Ryuuzetsu works her mouth, obviously trying to say something, but I don't know what. "Do you think… daddy will…?"

"…I don't know your father." I say, my tone far more serious this time. I look up at the clouds, taking a bite of what is left of my meal. "But I know my… our dad well enough, so I think I can speak for a shinobi who loves his daughter. He won't give up easily. And he'll fight far beyond his limits to make sure he sees you again. If there is any chance at all, he'll find it." I don't sugar coat it –seeing as I don't know what the man is up against– but I don't want to crush her hopes either.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the Konoha without another major incident. If you don't count Pup and me squabbling like we're siblings or something. Penguin had a few… exchanges with Pig as well, but I'm not sure if that's a regular thing with them.

All in all? It was the time off I needed – other than the combat, which really wasn't all that bad all things considered.

So when we get to the gate, and we announce we have Grass refugees that Grass should be coming to claim… what happens? We're forced to make a camp for them just outside of the gate. I roll my eyes, hating people so much right now. At least there are doctors en route to help if they can.

I unseal all ten of the patients in my scroll, helping them all get comfortable. Karin is especially happy to see her mother, and immediately informs the guards that she and her mother wish to join Konoha – to rejoin the Uzumaki clan.

"Oh, and who of the Uzumaki will vouch for you?" She's asked.

"I suggest you back off. I know this girl and her position among the Uzumaki was assured before she even left these gates." I vouch for her. "Her mother's as well."

"Oh? And where was she staying then? I haven't heard about-"

"I will warn you one last time, chuunin Kamizuki. Her place is assured. The Uzumaki, the Uchiha, the Yuki and the Namiki will each vouch for that." I grind out darkly. "Back off."

The silence that follows is deafening. "Oi, I didn't mean it like that. I'm just saying that I didn't know the Uzumaki were a clan."

"Hnn!" I huff turning my back on him. Uzumaki-san stirs, but doesn't wake up.

"Izumo-kun… I think you just got burned." The other gate guard teases.

"Shut it, Kotetsu."

The doctors and hospital personnel arrive, so it's time for our farewells to the Grass party. Ryuuzetsu walks up to me, her eyes a bit watery. She hands me my tanto. "Wolf… Thank you."

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you." She hugs me, out of the blue. It takes me a second to even register what's going on, but I do hug her back. "Be safe, you hear me?"

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 54_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I had considered making this an epic battle, and force Aya well beyond her limits, but frankly she knows her luck and she isn't in a position to take risks, not with Sasuke needing her as his lifeline. Now, I believe Aya had some insanity to get back to?  
_**


	66. A different kind of mission

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 55 – A different kind of mission_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Having gotten back to my usual chaos, my usual insanity, my life… I find myself missing Ryruuzetsu. Still, her father will be back for her.

So imagine my surprise when the elders ring on once again, asking to speak with me. Can I go on another mission, please?

"If you're here to repeat past offences, I promise you that you'll find I grow less welcoming each time." I warn them.

"No, Aya. We're here to beg a favour. The Third had faith that you and Uzumaki-kun could turn enemies into allies. We have need of that talent." The man begins.

"… I'm listening."

"The Kazekage's children. No one that speaks to them can reach them. We would have you try." She explains

Hmm, no harm in trying, but… "What are you suggesting, exactly?"

"We don't know how you work, Aya. All we know is that you and your partner have built up stronger bonds in mere months than most manage in a lifetime. Speak with them. More we do not ask." He explains.

"I'll see what I can do." I say, wondering if that will be all.

"As well… we've received word that Grass is sending shinobi to collect their people. The girl… her father didn't make it." That hits me. Poor Ryuuzetsu… she'll be crushed. "We would have you there by her side when she hears of it. She has, after all, been asking for you."

"When will they be arriving?"

"Tomorrow, we should think. Perhaps the day after." I'm told.

"… Why do you want me there?"

"You know why we want you there. However, that you want to be there is by far more important. We are not heartless."

I'm not sure if I believe that, but it's none of my business. "Was there anything else?"

"Yes… We would like an update on Jiraiya's mission."

"They've found trails, but the target's still eluding them." I answer evenly. They look at me curiously. "I talk to him every day. Even if I don't bother him for mission details, I know he's been complaining about how this person is a slippery one."

"Do you know who they are searching for?" She asks.

"No, I don't. He didn't tell me, I didn't ask. If it was important for me to know, I would know." They share a look, but I don't care why. "Look, if there's nothing else?"

"One last thing… we would like to appoint an Anbu to guard you."

"No. I already have one, and one I trust. Good day." I turn and leave them standing there.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Oi, how's my newest patient doing?" I tease the redhead half asleep on my bed. "You know, we still haven't been introduced? I'm Namiki Aya. Please, just call me Aya."

"Uzumaki Akira. And I'm doing much better now, thank you." She says, smiling. Karin is laying on the bed next to her, cuddled up with her mother. "I… Karin's been telling me how you and your family have taken such good care of her."

I snort. "Even after she tried breaking my flute."

"Oi! I said I was sorry!"

I wave her off, opening my cache. I go through my blades, looking for my old tanto – the pink one that isn't chakra conducting. "Ha! There you are!" I cry, picking it up and cradling it. "You're just the ticket I need."

"Hnn? Aya-chan, are you okay?" Karin asks.

"I'm great. I just… need to do something is all." I say vaguely. I close my cache, sealing the tanto in my glove once again. I'm once again back to having my kodachis on my back and my tanto just above the summoning scroll. "Hey, I'm heading out for a while. Karin, when Akira-san has rested a bit, please don't forget to introduce her. It wouldn't do if a packmate wasn't properly introduced."

"Yes, ma'am." Karin's all smiles.

"And make sure to tell Hina-nee that I want Akira-san to start medical training as well. I don't know what that whole biting thing was about, but… no. Just no. Not in this house. Too Dracula-in-reverse for my liking. I'm not sure if she's had any formal training in sealing, but if you can't work her in, have Hina-nee help. Asami and Naruto won't be back for some time, so we'll have to trudge along as best we can until then. They know she's here though, so don't worry about that."

Both redheads gaze at me, plainly shocked.

"Something on my face?"

"No, no!" Karin answers a little too quickly. "I… wasn't expecting you to accept her so easily."

"It's a medic thing. I'm off."

"Hey, Aya. Where're we going?" Hitomi is on me in an instant.

"I… have a present to deliver."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I make my way out to South Gate, check out of the village, and start nosing around the refugee camp set up. There isn't much to see, it's just one big tent and a lot of vaguely familiar faces mulling about. Doctors I know, patients I'd tended to.

And… a very sullen looking Ryuuzetsu. I unseal the pink tanto from my glove, walking up to her. She eyes me, unsure what to make of me just yet. Then her eyes notice the blade – even if the shade of pink is different, and the blade is somewhat shorter than the one she'd borrowed from me before, she sees similarities.

"Catch." I carefully toss it to her. She catches it, drawing the blade. Her eyes find mine, hope twinkling and mixed with wonder. "A friend told me you don't mind pink. So I figured this one might do some good."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I got a better one for my birthday, so I haven't used this one in some time. I figure you might put it to good use." I tell her, shrugging. "I'm Namiki Aya, by the way." She looks at my neck, noticing the headband there. She no doubt recognizes the shade of my glasses as well. She knows exactly who I am.

"Ryuuzetsu." She bows her head, suddenly not feeling so alone anymore.

"Pleasure to meet you, Tsu." I smirk. "Listen, can I talk to you privately? I've… got some news."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I hold onto the girl, letting her cry and grieve the man that sacrificed everything for her. I smooth her hair, not once uttering a word to her. Words will not help.

It's almost a half hour later when she speaks again. "Do you know how…?"

"No. I'd only heard about this because one of the village elders wishes for me to convince you to stay in Konoha. I doubt they wanted you to know yet." I tell her honestly.

"… Why are you even telling me this?"

"I lost my parents too. I know what it is to hold on to that hope you'll see them again…"

"But…" She's probably thinking back on my talks with Shika-nii during the trip here.

"I found people that care for me as their daughter, but my biological parents are long gone." I explain seriously, my tone downtrodden. "… I needed to be the one to tell you… because I know you don't want to make a fool of yourself when they come to bring you the news."

"… like you did?"

"Nn." I smile sadly, thinking back. "Some people I'd never met came and told me they were bringing me home. No one told me my mother was gone, so I thought…" I trail off, knowing she understands exactly what I thought. "When they brought me to the orphanage instead… when I finally understood what was going on, I… I died, you know?"

"N-nn." She nods, burying her face a little deeper into my neck. She's taller than me. Everyone's taller than me. But at least I'm starting to have half a boob. Stupid thought.

"I know you're not okay. You won't be okay for a long time… but, are you not falling apart right now?" I ask carefully, squeezing her a little.

She pushes me back a little, smiling even though she's still crying. "I will be after I get some chocolate."

"Tsu… you're in good hands." I smirk.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It took some doing. I mean, 'Wolf' has far more leeway than 'Aya', but Hitomi was able to step in and we've arranged a temporary visa to allow Ryuuzetsu into the village. And where do I drag them? To the bakery of course! The one Hina-nee loves. We buy all the chocolate we can stand. Hitomi, it seems, is also a chocolate fanatic, so we end up with at least twenty chocolaty pastries for us to try and compare.

Even with construction and the clean-up still in full swing… Konoha is home. So after we decide we can't even look at another pastry, I drag Tsu along with me showing her the sights.

"That's the Hokage Rock." I point, and Tsu seems authentically impressed by the monument. "From left to right are the Senju Hashirama, he's the First Hokage, Senju Tobirama, he's the Second and the First's little brother. Then Sarutobi Hiruzen, he's the Third. And last is Namikaze Minato, the Fourth. I know it might sound weird, but after the Fourth died, the Third became Hokage again… but he passed on during the invasion… Anyway, I've only ever known the Third. He was almost like a grandfather to everyone in the village, you know?"

"I've heard of the Third. He was hailed as the Professor, wasn't he?"

"Uh huh. One of the smartest men I've ever heard of, and trust me… I hang around Naras, so that's saying something."

"Naras?"

"Oh, sorry. The Nara clan, they've been with Konoha from the start. Naras seem to be the smartest, and often laziest, people around. You can always tell it's a Nara from the ponytail, black hair, beady eyes and constantly muttering 'troublesome'."

Just to prove my point, I notice a Nara – not one I recognize though. He takes one look at me, and mutters 'troublesome' under his breath.

"You know I'm right!" I say, making sure he can hear me, but he just waves it off. "Anyway, enough of that… I need to check on my patients. You mind tagging along?"

"… are you sure it's alright?" Ryuuzetzu asks, obviously nervous.

"They're in my house, if they have a problem with who I bring home then they can leave." I explain, teasing a laugh out of both of them.

"So you say, but you'll be the first to give them hell for trying to leave." Hitomi counters.

"Exactly… so they only have the option of accepting what I want."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once home, I'm immediately ganged up on by a bunch of midgets. Sakiko is bubbling about something, and Udon is backing her up, and Moegi is trying to shout something over the others and Hanabi is trying to tell them to shut up…

"Oi! One at a time! You guys are so loud I can't even hear myself think!" I outshout them all. They calm down, barely but there's a difference. "Sis, let's start with you. What were you saying?"

"Katsuo, he totally got the first kata down that I was showing him, ya know!" Saki announces, obviously feeling proud of him. I pet her hair, telling her how proud I am of her that she's helping him. She, of course, blushes and grins, puffing out her chest to let the others know just how on top of the world she's feeling.

"Ooh! Me next!" Moegi announces. I nod to her. "I made a Sound Ball! It's not very stable yet, and it explodes on contact, but I made one!"

"That's really good, Moegi! And don't worry about it being unstable. Even Hinata needs to work on that. I'm really proud of you!" I praise, happy to see her glowing from the attention.

"I made one too, but it kind of fell apart on its own." Udon admits, rubbing the back of his head embarrassed.

"That's okay. I'll show you a trick that helped me when I first started out. It really helped me. Tonight, after dinner. I expect all of you in the dojo for formal training again, alright?" They all cheer, loving it when I find time for them – more like create time… I soo need to get my chakra reserves up to scratch so I can learn the shadow clone jutsu… there's no way I can keep up with the demands on my time this way.

"Ooh! Me, me! Me next!" Haruki gets in on the action. He's usually so shy and reserved, so if he's this excited, then it must be **major**! "Maki-sensei, she said she's going to try a regular day of training, since she's doing much better now!"

"That's wonderful!" I coo, happy that he really does look up to her. I wonder if I should check her before green lighting that? Hmm, it's for the best. I wasn't too impressed with her last examination, so I doubt her body can cope with a full day of training just yet. We'll see.

"Sakiko kinda spoiled what I wanted to say." Katsuo says, poking Sakiko in her side when she isn't expecting it. The two end up wrestling each other on the ground, tumbling in a jumbled heap over each other. Sakiko's been training for a while with us, so I don't doubt she'll come out on top.

"I think those two are as good as married." Hanabi points out.

" **You tayg that bagk!** " They both try, pinching each other's face so bad that it's deforming their words.

"Anyway. Hina-nee said my chakra control is good enough to start on simple medical jutsus!" Hanabi completely ignores the bickering pair – who are now fighting about the other not talking to Hanabi like that. "She's starting my training tomorrow."

"Oh my Kami, Hanabi, that's major! Congratulations!" I hug the girl, amazed that she's progressing like she is.

"Aww, Aya-nee! Now you're making us feel like our announcements weren't as big a deal!" Moegi complains, crossing her arms and pouting dramatically.

"Fine, fine." I wave it off. "Hugs. Now please!" They don't even hesitate. I'm almost buried in a wave of midgets – who are all now fighting that they want to hug me first. We all end up tumbling in the grass, laughing because Hanabi and Sakiko start a tickle war.

"My, my, you guys are certainly close." Oh no, I completely forgot about Ryuuzetsu!

"Guys?" No one reacts, too busy trying to defend their sides and tickle someone at the same time. "KNOCK IT OFF!" That gets their attention, but Sakiko still gets in one last poke in Katsuo's side – almost restarting the tickle war. "Everyone, this is Ryuuzetsu. Please come introduce yourselves. And if any of you start anything before everyone's been introduced, then I'm going to be banning your favourite foods for a month!"

" **WHAT!?** " They all hate the idea.

"That means no junk food either. And the one that starts it will have to explain the patients about the sudden junk food shortage." All of a sudden, they're angels – halos, white feathered wings, the whole package.

They take turns introducing themselves, bowing politely, even going so far as to welcome our guest into our home. They can be so sweet when they want to be – or when I bribe/threaten them with food or certain death (explaining to Hikaru and Kanon why they can't have junk food IS certain death).

"Alright, you all pass. As you were." And the tickle war is back on, worse than it was before. I just roll my eyes, motioning for Tsu and Hitomi to follow me.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Jeez, we seem to be running into everyone today." I tease. Everyone's in the family sitting room – other than daddy, who's probably en route home from Sand. "Everyone that is as yet unaware, this is Ryuuzetsu. She'll be joining us for lunch and probably for dinner as well." Poor Tsu has to make her rounds introducing herself to everyone and giving them a chance to do the same.

"Maki, I hear you're going to try a full day's training?" I begin, getting an embarrassed grin from her.

"That's not quite how I worded it, but… more or less, yes. I wanted to get it cleared with you first though." She says.

"Good. I was going to suggest the same thing. I have time now?"

"After your rounds is fine, Aya-chan. We both know you dragged poor Ryuuzetsu into the wolf den so you can check on them." I smile, not bothering to deny that.

"Alright. I'll go deal with that now then, you and Minori mind keeping Tsu away from the more… paranoid among us?" My eyes flick to Kakashi and Momochi-san. Those two often forget they're in my house, so they tend to treat newcomers as if they've entered THEIR territory. Men, I swear… if they _go_ in a house, it's automatically theirs.

"I'll keep an eye on them for you as well." Yasu-nee promises.

"Oh, perfect! Then there's nothing for me to worry about. Tsu, I'll be upstairs for a bit. If anyone gets on your nerves, tell a redhead or this woman right here." I link arms with Yasu-nee to show who I mean. "They know how to handle everyone here."

"I think I can manage, but thanks." Tsu rolls her eyes playfully, smiling at me.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Kanon, we've been over this. You may be in therapy now, but that doesn't mean you should be practicing on the stairs. Stop running when I'm asking you to walk!" Kami-sama! Anbu Operatives are just impossible!

"Sorry, doc. I was doing good though!"

"Every time one of you says that, it means I have to put you back together again." I complain. Luckily I caught her just as she missed a stair, so the damage is minimal. "You know what? I think we're going to splurge and get you idiots some proper exercise equipment. I don't think my heart can take scenes like this anymore."

"Aw, doc… don't be like that." Kanon complains, obviously feeling horrible about me having to save her hide AGAIN.

I pick up the Akimichi woman like she weighs nothing –you get used to doing crap like this after all the times I've had to pick her up by now– and bring her back to her room. "Tell me I'm wrong then." She looks away, unable to answer. "Kanon, I get it. I really do. You guys want to get back in the saddle like yesterday. You want to start jumping rooftops and claiming bounties. I get it. But right now, you're just not in any condition to do that."

She wobbles a bit as I put her down on her feet, but I help stabilize her until her sense of balance kicks in. "… I know."

"Hey, look at it this way. You guys have the time to study some pretty awesome scrolls now, so that when you're back at a hundred percent, you can be more awesome than you were before!" I offer. I like telling them things like this because it gives them something to focus on. Something they can control. And it reminds them that I have absolute faith that they'll get back to where they were before; whether they get better than that is on them, not me.

"Doc, you're such a sweet talker." Kanon teases, grinning.

"After hanging around you guys, how can I not be?" I tease right back. Now that Kanon's stable on her feet –for someone that hasn't been able to walk for a few weeks– I check her charts. I go over all the updates, the suggestions and updated protocols with her. She's doing surprisingly well. Probably why she figured she could handle 'silly stairs'. "Yes, I think getting some proper exercise equipment will really help. You're recovery is coming along well." I want to say amazing, but that'll probably tell her to try tree-walking inside the house and mess everything up for her and me. No.

"Of course!" She brags, suddenly lightheaded. I grab her before she falls again – not something someone without my kind of training should ever do, mind you.

I think we need to get these guys outside again, maybe start arranging all meals downstairs. If they're recovery is ahead of schedule, there's no reason not to adapt right along with it. Be careful, of course… but I'm cautiously optimistic about all my patients.

"Alright. Kanon, I need to focus on your stubborn roommate now." I tease, and Chinatsu puffs up proudly.

"Oi, I can promise you that you'll be happy with me! I haven't fallen once, I haven't pushed too far beyond my limits. AND I've been getting more sleep too!" Yeah, we'll see.

"Chinatsu, this is your handwriting." I point out, reading her charts. Her eyes are wide as dinner plates. "Just kidding. I know you would NEVER mess with our charts. Right?" It really is her handwriting, but masked as Hana's. Don't underestimate me!

"N-never!" Liar.

Still, what she wrote agrees with what the other medics have been reporting since I left. I can let this slide. Yes, I think arranging meals downstairs from now on is for the best. It'll be bothersome to get all of them downstairs, but… I can see this working out.

"You're right though. I'm quite happy with your progress."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After dealing with everyone else, I focus on Chouji. He's been going to the bathroom on his own for days, even washing himself unaided. He isn't to the point where stairs are a good idea yet, but… baby steps are still progress.

"I'm starting to think that you guys are trading secrets." I tease. All of the reports are almost identical in progress. There's always one that starts something, the news spreads and everyone needs to try it. Usually on the same day. I sigh, relieved; grateful that they're all doing better.

"Nah, we just know that the better we do, the happier you get." Chouji teases right back. "Besides, a little birdie told me that you're going to be hanging around the village a lot more now."

"Oh?" I haven't even decided that for myself yet! How would someone know, and why would they tell Chouji that?

"Yeah. I'm grateful to be honest. I know you can handle yourself just fine, but… my heart doesn't care." He says, blushing but not looking away. "I need to know you're safe, you know?"

Stupid butterflies. Go away! I'm working! "I am… I am safe." I say, hating the frog in my throat. "Anyway. I'll be holding a meeting later today with the other medics about you guys' progress. There might be some changes in the near future, but I won't tell you what until we all agree."

"Hey." Chouji cups my cheek gently. "You worry about us all the time. Can we worry about you, too?"

He stumbles a bit as he tries coming closer to me. I end up grabbing him to make sure he doesn't fall. So, as I'm holding his sides to make sure he's okay, he wraps his arms around me, to make sure I'm okay. Stubborn as sin. He'd fit right in with Anbu Ops.

Scratch that, he does fit in with the Operatives around here.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Hana, Midori, and Yua. Three licensed Anbu medics, all three females for some reason. Ren, Nana and Haku, three medics in training – Dragon approved Haku, appointing Hana as the one to work her in. Ren's the only guy.

"Alright. I've gone over the progress of all six patients. You guys have done amazing work, with their rehabilitation and keeping them in one piece." I begin. I give them a second to feel proud of their work – they deserve it. "Now, I've come up with a few suggestions. First off, I want to get some exercise equipment so that the patients can avoid stupid things like stairs. I'm thinking some stair masters, maybe a treadmill, weights, simple things like that to allow them to start training in a controlled fashion. What do you think?" I ask, but they know only Hana's opinion could really sway me in this.

"That sounds like an excellent idea!" Hana's excited about that. "This way they can start building back up their endurance, and we can have at least one of us there to make sure we can pick them back up if something happens. I'll even talk to the others, make sure we have some brawns handy that can react at the drop of a hat."

"That sounds ideal. This way we can even include Maki and Kakashi as well. Help them get back to where they were in a controlled environment." I add, thinking about Maki's examination. She's not at a hundred percent, but definitely around the eighty percent mark to let her begin training. "Alright, it's settled. I'll head out in a bit to get the things we'll need. Hana, I want you to start moving the guys into one room, so we'll have a room available for them to work out in. I also want you to discuss your idea with the Operatives that seem to be here all the time anyway. This could be an excellent way to re-forge strong ties with active Ops. I also want Haku, Ren and Nana to start attending Hinata's medic classes. I know you each have experience, but there is always room to learn more. Midori, Yua, the two of you will take turns helping Hinata. This way you can both have a chance to listen in, see if there's something you don't know, and help our trainees at the same time. Do keep in mind that I trust Hinata's skill, so I will not tolerate either of you undermining her authority. Is that understood?"

No one argues with me – they wouldn't dare. Other than Hana, not one of them has tried to contradict me in anything. I'm grateful, to be honest. I like having my way.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Oi! Tsu, we're heading out again, you wanna tag along, or are you good here?" I ask. Ryuuzetsu seems to be in a pretty intense conversation with Minori and Fuu. I don't know what, I don't think I care what.

"Umm… would it be okay if I stay here a bit?" Tsu asks.

"I wouldn't offer otherwise. I'll be back later. Oh, and Minori, please don't let Karin and her mother be too lazy today? I know Akira-san is still going to be groggy and out of it, but we need to try getting her into a healthy rhythm quickly. Don't let her do any chores yet, but I don't want her in bed all day either. Okay?"

"I'm on it!" Minori announces proudly. She dashes for the stairs, already calling out, "Auntie Akira! Time to get up, lazy bones!" I roll my eyes, knowing better than to get between two Uzumakis.

"Fuu, are you enjoying your time here?" I ask, hating that I haven't had too much time with the girl. Not that I have much time for anyone, really, but that's beside the point.

"Of course! You guys are all nuts, but you're a crazy I've come to enjoy." She says, grinning from ear to ear.

I roll my eyes, not bothering to deny the claim. My pack always has been a bit crazy. "Alright, you be sure to tell me if someone's giving you a hard time."

"Psh. Minori'd give 'em hell if they did!" Fuu grins even wider.

"Yeah, she would." I agree, scratching my cheek. Uzumakis. You either love them, or hate them. I'm kind of fond of them myself. "Alright. Hey, you're a decent medic, aren't you?"

"I can make sure people don't die. Why?" She's curious, but she has such a serious look on her face now.

"Talk to Hinata about our medic classes. I think you would benefit from them. Sorry, I really can't stay too long. Always too much to do. Even if you don't take the classes, please at least talk to her. For me?"

"Well, since you put it that way." Fuu grins again, rubbing the back of her head. I nod, waving and telling them I'll see them later.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Out in the village once again. The first thing I do is buy the equipment we need. Eight patients (if I include Kakashi and Maki), so I make sure to buy enough so that they can all eight work out at the same time – even if not doing the same thing.

Once I have it all sealed away, I head to the market and buy myself some chocolate. I've been working so hard, I deserve to spoil myself a bit. Exercise equipment, check. Spoil Aya, check. Okay, Sand trio.

We make our way to the Tower, where I find the elders discussing something with another mummy – this one really is bandaged up pretty badly and has a 'X' shaped scar on his chin.

Hitomi and I make our way over. "Good day. I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction? I wasn't told where the Sand Trio are being held."

They share a look, before the man that doesn't talk down to me speaks up. "T&I holding cells. Ask for Takara, and say you're expected."

"Thank you. Good day." I bow politely, and Hitomi and I h-

"One moment, Namiki-san." The other mummy –I haven't been properly introduced to any of them– grabs my attention. "A word, if I may?"

"Depends on what you have to say, mister…?"

"Shimura Danzo." He bows his head politely. Hmm, I sniff to memorise his scent. Something about this man screams trouble, but not any more so than the scores of shinobi I've been introduced to lately.

"Shimura-san." I bow politely to him – from the waist. "I'm sure you can understand I'm always busy. If you can make this moment worthwhile, you'll have my attention." I tell him honestly.

"You intrigue me, child."

"And you just made this not worth my time. Good day." I bow politely once again, and we head off.

"That girl respects no one and nothing." The woman complains loudly.

"You're wrong. She respects those that earn it." Shimura-san says. I roll my eyes. Anyone that's ever met a Namiki before knows exactly how I am. He called me 'child' just to see how I'd react. I snort. Idiots think I don't know when I'm being tested.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

As expected, after going through standard procedure, I'm allowed an audience with our three political prisoners. So 'Takara' escorts me into an 'interview room', where I'm told to wait. Hitomi and I make ourselves comfortable, standing around and just killing time mostly. There are only two chairs, and frankly I don't want to know what they've had splashed over them. Thanks, standing isn't that bad.

It's almost fifteen minutes later that our guests arrive. They seem shocked to see me, to put it mildly. "Morning!" I greet them, smirking. "I hear the meals here are horrible."

"Heh. Have you tried _her_ cooking?" Kankuro teases thumbing towards his sister. He's rewarded with a handcuffed smack. Political prisoners, maybe, but prisoners in a hidden village. They're cuffed and shackled.

I look to Gaara, noticing a seal on his forehead – I think it's a modified suppression seal, but I'm not too familiar with it.

"A little birdie told me you guys are being brats. I can't say I'm too surprised." I tease.

Temari snorts. "We simply don't bend to idiots we feel are below us. You're no different." She says, eyeing me cautiously. "Why are you here?"

"I was just in the neighbourhood. I figured I'd stop by and chat." I offer with a teasing smile. "After all, like you said, I'm no different than you… other than my heritage. I can't claim to have noble blood or any relation to a Kage."

"Yeah, uh huh. And I'm a fairy princess." Kankuro drones sarcastically. At least, I hope he's being sarcastic.

"Oh? My apologies, your highness. I didn't recognize you without your pink tutu and your magic sparkles." I tease, but the playfulness fades quickly. I'm here on business, not for the sake of annoying people; as much fun as that tends to be. "Look, like it or not, you guys are stuck here. If you play nice with me, I might be able to help. But… I dunno. At least one of you is being a brat, so…"

"And what could you possibly do to help us?" Kankuro is, once again, being a brat.

"You?" I laugh. "Nothing. Gaara… I'm not too sure about. He did try killing my brother."

"What are you even getting at?" Temari demands.

"Look. You three aren't going home. Not for a long time. Sand broke the alliance and now needs to pay reparations. So they're going to use the three of you as bargaining chips, hostages so that Sand does what we say, when we say it. And you know it." The three of them are silent.

"… your point?" Temari asks, looking away. She hates how sound my arguments are.

"Play along, and maybe you three will get prettier cages until then."

"Yeah, like where? You're home I'll bet." Kankuro scoffs, thinking I'm here to play him.

"No. I have more than enough people in my home. Just ask Hitomi here. She's been living with us since the invasion." I thumb towards my guard. "Look. You don't have to believe me. I lose nothing either way. But… can you say the same?" That trips them up. They have nothing to lose, but everything to gain by playing along.

"The seven." Gaara begins.

"Her name is Fuu. Not 'the seven'." I correct him. "And what of her?"

"You guard her." He doesn't ask.

"Who knows. She kind of just fell off the map." I shrug, not interested in getting into this.

"You also guard the nine." Gaara isn't giving up.

"Now, now, Gaara-kun. Who'd be silly enough to put a thirteen year old girl in charge of guarding so many important people?" I smirk, my eyes twinkling.

"You do not see us as others do." Gaara… are you just monologuing?

"What, jinchuurikis?" I snort, amused. "Why is it that me treating you guys with a vague kind of respect I offer everyone seems to impress you? It doesn't speak highly of those closest to you." I glare at the redhead's siblings dully, glad that they're fidgeting nervously. "No, Gaara. I don't see you as anything more, or anything less, than anyone else. If you earn my respect, I respect you. If you do not, I will not."

Gaara nods, then suddenly seems to lose his balance. I body flicker to him, catching him before he falls and hurts himself. The two elder siblings brace themselves, unsure what to expect.

I snort. "Why do I always end up catching idiots when they fall?" I am **not** amused. Gaara's breathing evens out, his muscles relax completely. He just fell asleep. I roll my eyes, picking him up bridal style.

The blonde and brunet stare at me, shock obvious in their eyes. "Hitomi, you mind calling the guards? We need to get Gaara to bed." She nods, heading out the door and leaving it wide open. I can smell that she isn't going too far. "He isn't used to falling asleep, is he?"

"… N-no." Temari answers. "To be honest, I'm not used to seeing him sleep either." The guards come in not a minute later, and we're guided back to the holding cells. I walk in, still carrying Gaara. Hitomi pulls back the sheets and I gently lay him in his bed. I take off his sandals, laying them on the floor, then cover him up like I would Sakiko. Then I sit beside him.

"You two have no idea what your little brother has been though." I say, my tone wistful. "And all he ever wanted was a little love." I lean in, kissing the sleeping boy on his brow. He stirs, but doesn't wake up.

"Sweet dreams, Gaara."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 55_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Oh boy! Looks like Danzo is interested in Aya. But why? What's his angle?  
_**

 ** _The next chapter is going to be mostly politics, I'm afraid._**


	67. Bothersome troubles

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 56 – Bothersome troubles_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I look around the Council Chambers, finding the Shinobi Councilmen, the two elders, the Sand Trio, and some faces I don't recognize bearing Sand headbands.

"You summoned me?" I try being polite. This is not the time or place to be a brat – tempting though it may be.

"Yes, we have." Daddy begins. Everyone remembers from last time that daddy knows how to word things in a way I won't be a brat over. So he seems to have been given the role of 'negotiator'. "As you know, I just came back from Sand about their terms for surrender. Though I'm not at liberty to discuss those terms with you, there is something you've been requested for."

"Yes, daddy? I'll help if I can."

He nods seriously. "One of the suggestions that was made, is an arranged marriage between Temari and a member of one of the more prominent clansmen of Konoha. Temari and her brothers requested that you be here on their behalf."

"Oh?" That catches me of guard, but I shake off my shock and try to focus on the present. "Very well. Has anyone been put forth from Konoha?"

"… Shikamaru." Daddy eyes me carefully, knowing that if anything would get me to act up, it's this.

"… I'm not sure I understand what role I might play in this. Perhaps I just need more information?" I try to dim it down, but I'm sure daddy sees the fire in my eyes nonetheless.

"There are only three viable members of Konoha's more affluent clans. Akimichi Chouji," My breath hitches. "which Chouza refused. Inuzuka Kiba, which Temari refused. And Shikamaru." He's begging me with his eyes to calm down. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. And I think about that.

"You offer me not only half a story, but an illogical one. I will never motion for Shikamaru to be saddled with an arranged marriage, and we both know mom will never accept that." I let the options roll around in my mind, thinking about what the best move to make is. "The only thing I can come up with… is a tentative agreement."

There's some murmuring, but no one seems to want to say anything concrete.

"She hasn't refused him, but I can imagine she doesn't know him well enough to agree to a lifetime commitment. Add to that, Shikamaru's position? She knows that agreeing to this will prevent her from ever moving back to Sand, unless she can convince the Naras, Yamanakas, Akimichis and likely the Sarutobis to move to Sand with them – which isn't going to happen." I think about it some more. "What I propose is this. Put off marriage talks for the time being. Give them a chance to grow close on their own. If you need to give it a name, 'formal courtship' will do."

"I see." Daddy says, thinking about that.

"However, this leads to several critical factors as well." I say, but shrug, acting like I don't care.

"Such as?" Daddy knows, I can tell by the amused glint in his eyes.

"Should they agree to this, it'll be hard to court someone in a holding cell. The only logical option would to arrange something less… death row?" Chouza-san smirks. I think he understands where I'm going with this. "That would mean arranging a welcoming environment in which both parties may find themselves at ease in. Naturally, given the state of things, there cannot be so much freedom as to risk… unwanted incidents?"

"… What would you suggest, Aya?" The he-elder –I really need to be introduced to them– asks.

"Suggest?" I ask, thinking about that. "I could suggest many things. However, without more input from this council, and without binding agreements from Temari, Kankuro and Gaara… then I will suggest nothing."

There's murmuring again, but all I care to notice is the pride in daddy's eyes. "Very well, Aya. What do you need to know?" The she-elder asks.

"Sand delegates. What is your reasoning for demanding this from Temari?"

The three Sand delegates share an uncertain look. "… I should think that is obvious. Temari is the only daughter of our former Kazekage. As such, she is in the unique position to be…" Yeah, he finally notices that I'm glaring him into an early grave.

"I would advise you to never speak of any person in such terms." I warn him, then turn on a dime towards the stoic looking blonde. "Temari, as I've laid the terms out, would you agree to them?"

She thinks about that. "Yes. I would."

"Enough to swear on your personal honour, on your family's honour, that you will not flee from Konoha. That you will do all that you can to help rebuilt our village, to defend her should the need arise?" Everyone stiffens. Honour towards others is a fluid concept in the shinobi world. Honour for oneself and one's family, however, is worth more than life itself.

"… So long as I am given choice. That I may choose to accept or deny any suitor. Yes, I swear it on my family's, on my clan's honour." As she speaks, her shoulders are tucked back, her chest puffed out. Her eyes show the steel in her spine. She would sooner die than to go back on the words she just spoke.

"Is this an agreement this council can live by?" I ask, mostly to daddy, because I **_really_** don't like dealing with most of the idiots in this room.

It takes almost five minutes before the murmuring dies down. "Yes, this is an acceptable proposal." The Sand delegates say.

"Konoha would also agree with this." The she-elder says, her tone severe for some reason. She's too accustomed to having too much power.

"Very well. They I would propose the following. Have her relocated to a safe location. One which both Council and Temari can agree on. And let her and Shikamaru figure this out for themselves." I say, shrugging. I can't believe these idiots can't figure this out for themselves. Why did I need to get involved?

"I have a proposal." Crap. Shimura Danzo. "I would not agree to releasing them from custody, unless they are placed in Anbu care. As such, I would have a team to tend to Temari, and to guard her."

"Unacceptable!" Temari cries out. "I am not going anywhere and leaving my brothers to rot in a cell!" I smile. She said 'brothers'. As in, plural. So she does care for Gaara, she probably just doesn't know how to reach him anymore.

"… Pending which team is assigned to them, that is something I could agree to." Shimura-san says.

"Who would you suggest, Danzo?" Daddy asks, frowning ever so slightly.

"Wolf's team." I don't react. But… for the love of Kami-sama! Why am I always getting dragged into things!? I didn't do anything bad… lately!

There's some murmuring again.

"Dragon would have to approve. And this isn't something that can be arranged on a whim." Daddy points out. "But, it is something we can at least discuss."

"Agreed. I propose we adjourn this meeting so that arrangement can be made. Should Dragon disagree, we will reconvene to discuss further details."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Shockingly, Wolf is called to report to Dragon not an hour later. Only, not in Dragon's office, but the Hokage's office. I show up, Rabbit shadowing me. "You summoned me?"

Dragon, the two elders and Shimura-san are here. "Yes, Wolf. I'm sure you're aware of why."

"I might be. Tell me anyway?"

"The Sand Trio. I would give you and a team of your choosing a long term B-rank mission to guard them, and to facilitate not only their integration into Konoha, but a plausible relationship between Temari and Nara Shikamaru." Dragon explains. "That would mean that you be given free reign on where the trio lives, who they are allowed to interact with, and whether or not they be allowed their armaments."

So many long term missions. How interesting. And I get to pick my own team too? Dragon, you spoil me! "I would need Salamander, Penguin and Rabbit. The location will not be disclosed. And I would appreciate it if there were no… uninvited guests."

"That is agreeable. Assemble your team, collect the Sand Trio and have Salamander report in daily." Dragon demands.

"At once." And we're out.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

 **-Hey, Naru-nii. You got a minute?-**

 **-Yeah, sure. What's up?-**

 **-We need more space. And the couple across the road died during the invasion. Thinking on making a bid.-**

 **-What about the house next door? Wasn't that for sale?-**

 **-Momochi-san** **already** **bought it. He just hasn't moved in, since he likes being close to Maki without having to telegraph that he likes being close to Maki.-**

 **-Ah. Are you sure we can afford it? I mean, mortgages aren't cheap.-**

 **-I'm getting A-rank pay for this thing with you and Sasuke. B-rank pay for managing the Uchiha District. And now again B-rank pay for minding Temari and her brothers.-** I point out. **-Even if I can't afford to outright buy the place, the mortgage won't put a dent in our plans.-**

 **-Hmm. Good point. Well, asking for a quote on the place can't hurt. Run the numbers, see what you come up with.-**

 **-That's the plan. I'll let you know when I know more.-**

 **-Alright. Oh, and if those old ghouls ask again, tell them we have a solid lead. We're heading there now.-**

 **-Will do. Stay safe, Naru-nii.-**

 **-Always.-**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We arrive at T&I's reception desk. That these people have –or need– a receptionist is just sad. "Wolf and team. Here to pick up Temari, Kankuro and Gaara for transportation." I announce. 'Takara' eyes me warily. She's probably wondering why the youngest member of our team is speaking. I don't care.

"Will you need their shackles?" She asks, her tone professional, if nothing else.

"No. So long as that seal is still on the boy, we'll be fine." I say. The woman nods, leading us down into the holding cells. The cell of the Sand Trio is opened. Only I enter.

"Temari. Kankuro. Gaara." I begin. The three of them eye me, wondering what's going on. "You will follow me." I motion them out of the cell. I have them line up against the wall, and 'Takara' undoes their cuffs, shackles, and whatever else these three were locked down with. The Sand Trio look relieved.

After 'Takara' takes that crap with her, I address my charges once again. "I am Wolf. With me are Salamander, Penguin and Rabbit." I thumb towards each of them as I call their codename. "You three are in our care until further notice."

"I understand. I assure you, we will not make your jobs difficult." Temari says, bowing politely – from the hip. I look to Rabbit, finding that she's looking to me as well.

I tilt my head to one side. "Time will tell, right?" Temari stiffens, obviously upset that I doubt her words. "We're heading out. You three will follow me."

I lead them down the hall, Salamander to my right, Penguin and Rabbit taking up the rear. I don't pay too much attention to the Trio, mostly I'm just making sure they aren't thinking something stupid. And making sure they see that. I love messing with people sometimes.

Once we make it to the stairs, I turn to the Trio and smile – not that they can see it. "Sorry that we're taking the slow route." I'd arranged with the team that they'd watch from the shadows and I'd stick with our charges to guide them. They each have a charge to monitor, but it's mostly just for show. I know these three will do nothing bothersome.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We don't stop anywhere, and I take the quietest route, but it still takes a good half hour before we arrive in the quiet little street I live on. Once we're at the gate, our three shadows reappear and I open the gate so we can enter.

The kids are all training in the front yard, but they stop when they see us in uniform leading three unknowns into our den. I close the gate, nod to them and lead our three charges inside.

I lead them into the visitors' sitting room, motioning for them to have a seat. I'm not too surprised that they each seat in seiza, lined up by age. I sit down across from them, Rabbit sitting down with me.

"Welcome. The three of you will be staying here, in my home, in my den, until other arrangements can be made. I don't know when, and frankly it doesn't matter. The point is, you will be among my pack. That means that I need each of you to take three vows. Deny this, and I'll keep you in a hole under the earth until I need you for something." I say, my tone severe, unbending.

Only Gaara doesn't swallow hard.

"The first is that you will not harm anyone without my express permission. We are your guards, so there will be no need for any of you to fight. Do you vow this on your personal and family honour?"

" **I do.** " They answer as one, bowing their heads reverently.

"The second is that you will not reveal any information you gleam here. Not of who comes here, not of who stays here, and certainly not the identities of any Anbu Operative you happen across. Do you vow this on your personal and family honour?"

" **I do.** " They once again answer as one, bowing their heads reverently.

"The last is that you will not fight me, verbally or otherwise. If you disagree on something, you will ask for an audience with me and we will discuss the matter privately and calmly. Do you vow this on your personal and family honour?"

" **I do.** "

I take off my mask, stowing it in my vest like I usually would. The three of them are clearly shocked. "Hi." I tease. "You understand now why the council trusts 'Wolf' to guard you?"

They don't answer for a while. Too shocked. "A-aya?" And that's the only thing Temari can manage, after almost a minute of silence.

"Yes, Temari?" I smirk, enjoying their reaction.

"You're…? Seriously!?"

"Is it really so hard to believe?" I wonder, a teasing smile on my face. "Salamander, Rabbit, Penguin. I'll take watch. You three go inform mom and daddy that we're here waiting for them."

"Aya." Rabbit looks uncertain, but the other two leave without a word.

"Yes, Rabbit?" I turn to her, honestly wonder what the problem is. "I trust that they will honour their word, but if you are really worried, you outrank me."

"… Actually, this is your mission. You're calling the shots."

"I know. But it might make you feel better if I don't care about that." I tease, but I'm quick to focus on more serious matters. "I trust you, Rabbit. If your gut tells you there's something to worry about, then please stay by my side."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's almost an hour later that daddy, mom and Shika-nii join us. Yasu-nee brings in some snacks and some tea, but as she's turning to leave, daddy asks her to call Katsuo and Sakiko so they can join us. We quietly munch on the snacks until Yasu-nee and Sakiko join us.

We line up according to 'importance'. Daddy furthest to the left. Then mom. Shika-nii comes next – because he's the Nara heir. Then Yasu-nee, myself, Katsuo and Sakiko. I do my best to subtly nudge them and use Sound Release: Whispering Winds to tell them what protocol expects of them.

Once everything is set, daddy begins. "I understand that this situation is a little… unorthodox. Please, allow me to introduce everyone. I am Nara Shikaku. This is my wife Yoshino and our son Shikamaru. Then we have the Namikis, Yasu, Aya, Katsuo and Sakiko. Though we are not related by blood, I assure you the Namikis are just as much my children as Shikamaru is."

"I understand, I think. I am Temari. These are my little brothers Kankuro and Gaara." She says, being every bit as polite as daddy.

"An honour to meet all three of you in a more… relaxed environment." Daddy teases lightly. "Please, if you would. I would like to know your family name?"

"Kazekage." Temari says, almost shrugging. I roll my eyes. That must be a hoot to do introductions in Sand. "We tend to not tell people. The questions have gotten… boring."

"I… can only imagine." Daddy says, a smile in his tone. "Now, onto more pressing matters. Temari, as per the agreement, you and Shikamaru will be dat-"

Mom bristles. "I believe the agreement was that they would take time to get to know one another… and THEN _consider_ dating."

"Troublesome. Yoshi-chan, that's what I was trying to say. I just organized my words differently." Daddy placates. I see him rubbing her lower back to help her calm down. "Now, for the time being we will be living in the same house. That means you have to put up with my fiery wife. And trust me, she isn't afraid to let you know exactly what she thinks."

"I hope we can get along well." Temari says, bowing politely to mom. I smirk. Temari, that depends entirely on you.

"I'm sure we'll get along fine, Temari-chan." Mom says, smiling warmly. "While we're on the subject. You three should know that I'm likely to mother each of you."

The Sand Trio stiffen, unsure how to respond to that.

"I'm not trying to take the place of your mother, nor am I saying you should call me mom. I'm just telling you how I am." Mom explains calmly. "I'm sure you'll notice in time just how close-knit we are."

"Nn. It's… actually been pretty obvious, Nara-sama." Temari says, smiling a bit.

"Please, call me Yoshino. Calling me by my family name could refer to practically anyone."

"Nn. That goes for me as well." Daddy agrees. "We might not know how things will develop between you and Shikamaru, but the point stands that we're living under the same roof."

Then the room goes quiet. Everyone obviously expects Shika-nii to say something. "Troublesome. At least it's not an outright engagement."

"Shi. Ka. Nii~iiii…" I drawl in warning.

Shika-nii winces. He knows that mom would get on his case if I didn't do so first. "… Sorry, Imouto-chan." He turns his attention to Temari. "You already know me. Please don't expect me to be all formal or any of that crap. It's too troublesome."

"… Alright. Maybe we should… start by ruining the formal mood?" Temari suggest, easing her backside off her legs and sitting a bit more comfortably. "I mean… it's tiring to have to be so proper all the time." She looks away, a bit embarrassed at admitting that.

Katsuo snorts. "I hear that! Hey, Aya-nee, can we go play? Sitting here and listening to everyone talk is sooo booooooring!"

"Daddy?" I direct the question to the right person.

"That's fine. Make sure you Sakiko don't end up getting into another fight though." I snort. Yeah, like that'll happen.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After a more than bothersome meeting, I drag Gaara with me to introduce him to everyone. He… isn't quite sure how to react to anyone. I don't think I want to know why he gets more and more shy as each new face smiles and introduces themselves.

By daddy's suggestion, the Sand Trio have taken off their headbands and stowed them for now. So, no one that didn't already know who they were think they're anything but guests in our home. Though, to be fair, almost everyone knows who they are and they still smile during the introduction.

"Ooh, Gaara, come upstairs with me. There are still a few people you need to meet!" I say, already dragging him towards the stairs. As to be expected, all eight of my patients are in the 'gym' working out. They stop long enough to introduce themselves to Gaara, but start back as soon as they're done.

"Sorry about them. They're just happy to be training again." I explain, smiling at the idiots that have grown on me. "Chouji-kun, really. You shouldn't try eating while on a treadmill."

"Aw, come on, doc! I'm working out. So I get hungry easily!" He tries. I roll my eyes at him. At least he slowed it down to a relaxed walk.

"Just be sure to be careful, okay?" I try, hoping I don't have to put him back together again. It just… hurts to see him hurt.

"I will be. I promise." He says, smiling at me, even as he takes another bite of his dango – obviously Mitarashi-san bugged Yasu-nee for her favourite today.

I shrug, wondering what there is to add. Nothing, I decide, so I drag Gaara out and towards my bedroom. I knock, knowing this is where I'll end up finding the group I've been missing. My bedroom has the only floor to ceiling mirrors in the house. So I don't doubt this is where Minori dragged her charges.

"Girls? It's me. Is everyone decent?"

"Yeah, come on in Aya!" Minori announces. I open the door, peeking in just in case. Yes, everyone really is decent. "Why are you being so cautious?"

"Because I have Gaara with me, and I wanted to introduce you girls to him." I explain. I grab Gaara, tugging him along. "Gaara, these are Karin, Minori, Fuu and… good Kami… what have you done with Hanabi!"

"… I told you this was stupid!" Hanabi complains, blushing furiously.

"Stupid? Hanabi you look gorgeous!" They got her into one of Minori's furisode kimonos – an Uzumaki red one. "Oh my Kami… I think I'm gonna cry. Someone please tell me you took a picture of our adorable little Hanabi-chan!"

"She's been refusing to pose for us." Karin says, pouting at her.

"Because I look stupid!" Hanabi tries again.

"Hanabi, would I lie to you?" I ask her seriously. She thinks about that before shaking her head, no. "No, I wouldn't. This might not be something you're accustomed to wearing, but you look beautiful." I tell her cupping her cheeks so she's all but forced to look me in the eyes.

"Really?"

"Really." I assure her. "Now come on. Everyone, Gaara. Gaara, everyone."

"Ah, Gaara… I was wondering if I was ever going to meet you." Fuu says, being the first to walk up to him. "Fuu, of the Seven-tails." She sticks out her fist for a fist bump.

Gaara, however, is about ready to pass out from shock. "They know?"

"Huh? Uh, well, yeah? I told them, so I assume they still remember." Fuu teases, smiling brightly.

"G-gaara, of the One-Tail." He manages, bumping fists with her.

"Ehh! Geez, Aya, you got another one in the house? How did you manage that!" Minori's had a… fascination for jinchuurikis ever since she found out about Naru-nii. I'm not sure if it's normal or not, but Asami figures it has something to do with an admiration for the level of Sealing needed to maintain a prison for something as strong as a tailed-beast.

"Well, you know…" I say, making a vague hand gesture. They all roll their eyes. "Gaara's siblings are downstairs as well. Maybe you girls should go introduce yourselves?" They nod, and Fuu takes Gaara by the arm, leading her fellow jinchuuriki downstairs. Hanabi is the still there checking herself out in the mirror.

"Do I really look cute in this?" She asks, likely wondering if my opinion will change now that we're alone.

"You do." I assure her, walking towards and hugging her around her shoulders – to not mess up the fancy knot in her obi. "If you're feeling up to it, why don't you come downstairs and see what everyone thinks?" I scoop out the hairs that are caught in one of the kimono layers, gently tugging them free.

"I dunno… I feel so girly wearing this." I says, still trying to decide if she likes it.

"How about if I put on a kimono and join you? Then you're not the only one wearing one?" I offer.

"Would you? I'd feel like an idiot if I were the only one." She says, gratitude in her eyes.

"Of course. I'll even let you pick out which one." I say, moving to close my door so I can change in peace. "And Rabbit, really, I don't mind you shadowing me while we're home, but can you at least take off the mask?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's almost a half hour later when we make our way downstairs. Not because I take that long to get dressed – usually only my makeup takes that long, but that isn't the reason this time. It takes us so long, because the girls all came back up to see what was taking Hanabi and I so long, and they each decide to put on a kimono as well. Fuu ends up borrowing one of mine – not that I mind. I'm mostly just surprised that it fits her so well.

So, Hanabi, Hinata, Minori, Karin, Fuu, Moegi, Sakiko and I, all of us dolled up like we're ready for a night on the town –if missing makeup– we make our way downstairs. First the gym's occupants stop what they're doing, complimenting us on how beautiful we all look. We thank them, politely excusing ourselves and actually go down the stairs.

"My word! Girls, you look simply adorable!" Akari-san gushes. She just happened to be heading into the kitchen for something, and spots the eight of us slowly making our way down. Akari-san spots Karin, and just melts. "Heavens, daughter, you look…" Words fail her, but the adoration in her eyes says more than words ever could.

"Akari-san, what's…?" Mom comes into the hall to find out why Akari-san's saying these things. "Wow." Mom eyes each of us in turn. "I didn't know Daimyo-sama was coming to dinner! Is there some occasion I forgot about?"

"No, mom." I assure her. "The girls talked Hanabi into trying on a kimono, but she felt a bit self conscious. So I offered to put one on as well, so she sticks out less, and… well…"

"That was very sweet of you, baby." Mom hugs me, kissing me a few times on my brow. "But… no, no, no. This just won't do! We can't have you girls walking around looking this good and not wearing makeup! Come, upstairs! And no, Aya, you're being nearsighted and it taking too long is no excuse! I'll help you."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

So, after all the trouble of getting downstairs –climbing stairs in a constricting kimono that makes you take much smaller steps is NOT fun!– we get to go right back up so mom can feel satisfied we look our very best. Akari-san refuses to be left out this time, so she joins us as well.

It turns out that Yasu-nee heard everything from in the kitchen, so she comes up to join us as well. She decides it would be just adorable to have a dressy evening for no reason, so she grabs one of her kimonos as well. Akari-san and mom end up feeling left out, so they beg Yasu-nee to borrow a kimono from her as well.

We're all in my room, doing our makeup –mom really is helping me with mine, so it won't take forever– when I hear a knock on the door. Minori goes to see who it is.

"Oh, Temari-san! Come on in." She invites the blonde in.

"Why is everyone getting all dressed up?" Temari asks, confused.

"No reason." Minori says, shrugging. "It started out as just getting Hanabi to try one, and… well, we haven't really had a reason to get all dolled up, lately. So…"

"I see. You all look… beautiful." Temari says. I think she's feeling left out.

"Hey, Temari… sorry to bug you with this… but could you maybe go downstairs and bug Haku about joining us? And Maki too? I'd hate to think how they might feel if we don't offer." I say, meaning it. "Then maybe you can borrow one of Haku's kimonos as well?"

"That's a lovely idea, sweetie!" Yasu-nee coos. "Yes, I'm sure my kimonos would fit Maki quite well."

"At this rate, we'll end up going out just for the sake of going out!" Minori teases.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Another forty-five minutes later, and it turns out that we manage to rope Hana, Hitomi and Aomaru into wearing kimonos as well – it's not like it's even the first time I've seen Ao-chan in a girl's kimono after all.

We make our way downstairs, after once again getting a round of compliments from those STILL in the gym working out. Chouji decides he's had enough of a workout, so I help him down the stairs so he can join us. We pile into the family sitting room, just in time for the doorbell to ring.

At the gate is none other than Tsume –no mask, so it's Tsume– and Kuromaru. After I confirm it's her, I let them in… just in time for Hyuuga-sama to stroll up with his usual shadow.

"Good evening, Namiki-san. Would it be alright if I were to visit my daughters?" He actually asks this time. I sniff the air one extra time, just to make sure it's actually him. Yeah, it's him… weird. But fine.

I let hi… JEEZ! Everyone's coming over around the same time! I think our constantly accepting unexpected dinner guests is getting us the wrong sort of attention! Chouza-san and Remi-san, Inoichi-san and Mariko-san and Ino… "I'm starting to think I should tell people we ran out of sake." I tease, letting them all in.

"Wow, Aya-chan! What's the occasion?" Ino asks, seeing how I'm all dolled up.

"Nothing, really. We all just felt like it. You can borrow one of my kimonos if you feel like joining us." I offer. "Mom won't allow you to not put on some makeup though, so be warned."

"That sounds like Yoshi-chan, alright. And Aya, dear, you look lovely." Remi-san compliments me. I blush, pleased.

"Thank you. Chouji's in the family sitting room. I'm sure he'll be thrilled you guys came."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Dinner is turning into an affair, once again. One big, confuffle of talking and teasing and laughing and joy… oh so much joy. Remi-san and Mariko-san refuse to let any of us help them in the kitchen, given that they are basically the only two not wearing kimonos. While they're busy cooking, Katsuo starts teasing Sakiko and I about us looking like geisha.

That gives Shika-nii the idea that maybe we are, so he asks me to play a song on my flute again – it's been forever since he's heard me play, he argues. Hinata disagrees with him though.

"I think Aya-chan should sing. I'll play the flute. Maybe Hanabi-chan can play her guitar?" Hina-nee suggests.

"I'll do the drums!" Saki offers. She's pretty good at keeping a beat, so I know she'll keep up just fine.

"… fine!" I give in, already tired of all the begging eyes and pouty lips. "Which song though?"

"Otsuka Ai – Daisuki Da Yo." Hinata demands. My blush is immediate. My eyes flick towards Chouji, seeing him blushing as well… I sigh.

"Fine." I cave. Mom's gushing already, and I can see every kimono wearing, dolled up (pseudo) female making themselves comfortable for tonight's 'concert'. I can already tell this won't end at just one song. Especially since the sake is already getting poured, and Yua is already helping the remaining patients down the stairs.

Even though the original song is written to go with a piano piece, Hanabi does her best to strum up a slow melody for me that's very similar. Hinata chimes in with an almost lazy, dreamy counterpoint. And Sakiko is tapping the top and side of the table, giving me a decent rhythm to work with. I blush, knowing that it's now or never – and they'll never let me live it down if I opt for 'never'.

 _It seems a waste_  
 _To reminisce about you_  
 _Because I want to make you mine and mine alone._  
 _I don't really wanna remember you_  
 _I mean, it's embarrassing_  
 _Grinning to myself._  
 _Even though you were late coming home_  
 _Tired from a late night_  
 _You picked me up in your arms_  
 _Even in my dreams, I knew it._

 _I miss you so_  
 _I couldn't feel any more helpless_  
 _I miss you so_  
 _I'll always love you._

 _Did you know,_  
 _What I wished for_  
 _That night_  
 _When we went for a drive?_  
 _Did you know,_  
 _That I saw our happiness_  
 _In the sky we looked up at together?_  
 _You took this one 'me' laying there_  
 _Made her beautiful and were always there for me._  
 _I miss you so_  
 _I don't wanna be any further away from you_  
 _I miss you so_  
 _I'll always love you._

 _I miss you so_  
 _I couldn't feel anymore helpless_  
 _I miss you so_  
 _I'll always love you._

 _I will always, always and forever_  
 _I will always love you. La la la._

As I'm humming the last part, my eyes close and really just getting lost in the song, I hear a loud round of applause. Everyone seems to enjoy my singing, not that I'll ever understand why – I always sound so nasal.

My eyes open, and I take in Chouji's dreamy look. Like he feels I was singing just for him. I blush deeply, unsure if I was or not.

"There! I sang for the jury. Can we please-"

"Aw, come on, Aya! You can't just leave us hanging like that! You guys are amazing! And Ino didn't hear you sing!" Minori argues. I roll my eyes, knowing it'd end up like this.

"I'm going to start charging you people an entrance fee or something." I complain. "Fine. What's the next labour of love?"

"I say we go for Butterfly, from Mariah Carey!" Minori tries. I give her a dirty look. "Aw, come on, you love Butterfly! And I've heard you singing it when you think no one's listening!

"And the clue of 'no one listening' wasn't enough?" I complain.

"Aya-cha~aaaaaan, don't be like that. Come on, you know you love me enough to sing this song for me!" Minori just isn't giving up. "Ple~eeeeeeeeeeeeeease." Puppy eyes? Isn't it too early for the puppy eyes?

I sigh. "Fine, but then you're singing the next song!" I'm going to end up being the only one singing. I just know it. And that Yasu-nee's enjoying herself isn't helping! She's going to be the next 'winning argument' that gets me to sing 'just one more song'. I'm such a softie.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 56_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I really hope I didn't overstate the fluff in this. I wanted the last few scenes to be more of a 'coming down from a tense high' for everyone. And to really show just how different, but how similar, Aya is compared to, say, the first ten chapters?  
_**

 ** _I might slow down a bit with updates though. I'm really under the weather right now. I'm getting better, but this stomach ache just won't leave me alone; it's driving me nuts!_**


	68. Three levels of love

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 57 – Three levels of love_**

 ** _A/N: Just in case you don't know. There are three ways to tell someone you like/love them in Japanese, and all three can be romantic and/or familial love, as far as I know. 'Suki desu', 'Daiksuki desu', and 'Aishiteru'. The best translations are 'I like you', 'I really like you' and 'I love you', but in Americanized/Western translations they all usually get lumped together as 'I love you', even when it's a confession from someone that you aren't even dating. This is important for this chapter because of the Japanese mindset behind it. First off, it's uncommon for Japanese people to actually say 'Aishiteru', even to their spouse. Not because they don't feel it, but because they just aren't accustomed to saying or hearing it. To them, 'show, don't tell' is a thing._**

 ** _Just as a reference, Aya has been using the term 'Suki desu' with Chouji, and if she tells Shikaku, Yoshino, Shikamaru, Naruto, or someone REALLY close to her that she loves them, then she uses 'Daisuki desu'. In other words, she's never even used the form 'Aishiteru' in regard to anyone, because it just isn't common for someone to say that._**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Oi! You know this is going to end up in a loss for you, right?" I call out. Shika-nii snorts, but I can't quite tell what he's thinking. Sure, he has me trapped in his Shadow Possession jutsu, but the fact of the matter is that I don't need my hands for a good portion of my jutsus.

"Troublesome." He mutters, obviously realising what I'm talking about. "Your sound release jutsus are just too troublesome to counter sometimes. Can't you just accept a loss?"

"Now, now, Shika-nii. I can't accept a loss when it's not mine." I whistle, creating two Divine Hands with the sound waves. Those hands grab and unsheathe my kodachis and I wave them around. "Now, do you want to accept this calmly, or do I need to put you back together when I'm done?"

"Tch." He focuses, trying to come up with something. Before he can I se-

"Oi! Aya, stop toying with him and get ready. Salamander's on her way, and seeing as she's in a rush, I can only guess something's up." Rabbit informs me, interrupting our spar.

"How troubling. Sorry, Shika-nii. I've got to go." I say, having my Diving Hands resheathe my kodachis. He shrugs, acting like he doesn't care, and he releases me. I grab my mask, and we head to the gate. Penguin is already there waiting for us.

"Good, you're all ready. The Sand delegates wish to have a meeting with Temari. Dragon says only two of us need to go. Wolf, it's your call who goes and who stays." I'm informed.

I open the gate, letting her in. "Salamander, Penguin, you two will stay here. You have more than enough backup if anything should happen, but I doubt anything will. Rabbit and I will take Temari to this meeting. Where is it being held?"

"Meeting room three in the Tower. You have exactly twenty minutes to get there." Salamander informs me.

"Rabbit, let's go get our guest ready. Eyes open at all times. I don't like this one bit." I say, hating the queasy feeling in my tummy.

"Same. Mind if I borrow a few weapons just in case?" Rabbit has never asked for more weapons. That just makes me feel even more uneasy,

"If you think you need them." I lead her into my personal cache. She grabs three katanas and two tantos, sealing them away for safe keeping. This is not going to be fun.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the appointed meeting place with five minutes to spare. The first thing that strikes me as odd, is that only one of the delegates is here. I glance at Rabbit, who nods and sticks to the shadows.

I motion to Temari, who takes a seat opposite the man. I flank her, letting the idiot know that this isn't going to be a private conversation. "Wolf, right?" The man begins, not even greeting us. I shrug. "Please stand down. I mean her no harm."

"Uh huh. Because if I tell you to stand down during a mission, you'll listen to me." I drone sarcastically. He opens his mouth to say something, but quickly finds he has nothing to say. He waves it off instead.

A tapping sound starts almost immediately. I sigh. "Really? You arranged this meeting to try to give her a mission after she vowed to aid us. You know nothing of honour." I say.

"You clearly don't know what I-"

"I don't care. You are communicating in an archaic form of Morse code, probably slightly modified for whatever reason. Seeing as Temari stiffened the moment you began, she understands what you are trying to communicate. And to add insult to injury… I know you're waving a scroll under the table. I might be young… but I'm not an idiot." He winces. "Temari, what was he saying?"

"… The scroll. It contains something for 'us' from 'us'. You interrupted the message before he could clarify." She explains. Hesitantly, but she explains it anyway.

"Weapons in other words. You, as a representative of Sand, are trying to smuggle weapons to political prisoners. And judging by the wording, I'd say you are not working alone. Your council ordered this."

 **Snap!**

Temari's chair is lifted and hovers back about a metre, maybe two.

"Unseal those weapons. Now." He hesitates. "Let me spell this out for you. Either you play by my rules, or I assume the worst, kill you, and explain this to our council. Care to guess what will come of that?"

 **Snap!**

Temari is surrounded by Sound Barriers. If anything that man tries is dangerous, he'll be dead before he can blink. And this way, I won't have to worry about defending Temari from him either.

He very slowly places the scroll on the table. Both of his hands are visible. He unrolls the scroll, revealing six modified storage seals. He activates the first one.

 **Poof!**

A doll. No, a puppet. I can't say much about it, other than that it's dark brown and looks like it has six hands.

 **Poof!**

Another puppet.

 **Poof.**

And another. Three puppets for a puppet user. These are for Kanuro.

 **Poof!**

The three puppets are resealed, and a fan comes out. One similar to Temari's war fan.

 **Poof!**

Another fan, a smaller one. Same metal –I suppose– same paper, same colours. Only this one is tiny. Almost the size of a normal fan women use when it's hot, or whatever.

 **Poof!**

The fans are sealed. He starts rolling up the scroll. "The sixth storage seal, please." I remind him. He starts sweating, obviously nervous. "Now."

He nods, opening the scroll and activating the last seal – why he thought I wouldn't notice it, even if he didn't show it properly, is beyond me. It contains a scroll. I grab it before he can try something stupid. I roll up the other scroll, pocketing it. Then I place this scroll in front of him.

"Open it."

He swallows nervously. He slowly opens the scroll. It's a mission scroll. I grab it from him and start reading.

"An assassination mission. Congratulations, my boy. You've just sealed-"

"It isn't him!" Temari interrupts. Well, tries to. I can still hear her, simply because she's in my jutsu, but no one else can. "Wolf, please, you know I wouldn't dare lie to you. My honour wouldn't allow me to. He's a pacifist. He would never knowingly give me that mission."

"And yet he tried hiding the sixth seal. And yet he grew more nervous as he opened the scroll. He knew something." I counter.

"I knew it was a mission. I was not told what." He tries.

"This is above my pay grade. You can explain your stance to T&I." I tell him coldly. Surprisingly, he nods. I wasn't expecting that. "Stand." He stands, calm(ish) but still clearly nervous. "Are you a danger to me or anyone in this village?"

"I am not."

"Bare your chest. Now." He nods, unzipping and opening his flak jacket, unbuttoning and opening his shirt. No sign of a suicide vest. "Very well. Cooperate and you will not be harmed. Is that understood?" He nods seriously.

I filter through the seals I keep on me. I might only be able to make medical seals, but I do keep some of Asami's seals on me for situations like this. I grab a suppression seal to deny him the use of his chakra and place it on his forehead. He doesn't fight me.

I release the Sound Barriers around Temari, motioning for both of them to follow. "I'm sorry. I tried to convince them not to do this." He says to Temari. I make a mental note of the depth of sorrow in his tone, but I still drag his ass to Ibiki. If he's lying, Ibiki will find out.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Wolf! Grass incoming. Should arrive in ten minutes. You and the team that escorted the Grass refugees are to report to their camp, stat!" Dragon tells me herself, finding me just as I arrive home. I groan. Why is it that I always end up with crap like this?

"Rabbit, gather them for me. Including Pup. This might be that thing we had a bad feeling about. Make sure they are armed to the teeth. Let me know if I'm needed?" Rabbit nods, disappearing into the house.

The first thing I hear is Momochi-san shouting for joy – he loves going on missions with me, seeing as they always end up going wrong.

"Dragon. Have at least one team ready to aid us. I'll signal you if it's needed. Rabbit and I have had a bad feeling all morning, and that Sand delegate trying to give Temari an assassination mission isn't helping me feel very safe." I explain seriously.

"The target?" She asks.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Namiki Aya, Hatake Kakashi."

"That's a suicide mission." She speaks calmly, but I feel her blood pressure skyrocket. She doesn't think very highly of Sand right now. "Be safe, Wolf. That's an order." With that she's gone. Che, yeah. Safe. Like that's a thing with shinobi.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We're at the gate in less than five minutes. I make sure to explain the team about Rabbit and my bad feeling, and I make sure to explain to them about the bad mojo going around right now. They're on high alert.

As we arrive, Ryuuzetsu spots us and is immediately glued to us. She tries to strum up a conversation, but I tell her –as quietly as I can– that we suspect something bad might happen. When I hand her my tanto –the chakra conducting one– she nods seriously. She understands exactly what kind of bad feeling I'm having.

Twenty shinobi appear in the distance, approaching fast. They start to slow down though, not wanting us to think this is an attack. I turn to Rabbit.

"Grass headbands, all of them. Nothing different compared to the Grass shinobi we encountered last time." She says, but she's hesitating. **-Girl's father is among them.-**

"Ryuuzetsu. You're father might be among them. Please, you know him better than any of us ever will. Study him for me?" I ask. She stiffens, remembering me telling her that the reports list him as KIA. She swallows painfully, but nods anyway. "There's a chance he really is alive, Tsu. But only you would know if it's really him. Please."

"I understand." She nods, much more serious –steadier on her feet– than before.

The group approaches us. The man I remember interacting with Tsu steps forward. He smiles at Tsu. I don't trust this though. He smells of death. Not of fresh or even old kills. He smells like a corpse. Tsu isn't facing me though, so I can't warn her. I tense just enough for my team to know something is about to go down.

"Papa? Is that you?" She's testing him. Good. She's not blindly trusting this. For now, all we can do is wait and see how this plays out.

"Of course! You didn't think a few Sound shinobi would keep me from you?" He smirks. I can't find a hole in the acting at all. I don't know him well enough to. Tsu walks up to him, tears in her eyes. She hugs him. That feeling in my gut is almost overwhelming now, and my instincts are screaming nothing but profanities in my ears.

"Aishiteru, daddy." My heart breaks, hearing the tears in her voice.

The next thing I know, she cuts him in half at the waist. Just as the top half is falling, she beheads him. The other shinobi are shocked, but jump into action immediately.

Well, I guess it's time to send the signal then? I focus my favourite jutsu, and Eject three of them. I grin as they fly a good fifty metres in the air. If Dragon needs a better signal than that, it's on her.

Pig grabs his sword and is already unleashing hell. Penguin is quick to back him up, even though she prefers not to kill. Snake starts cackling, obviously having as much fun as Pig. Pup and I hang back, only attacking if we see an opening, or if one of our comrades needs assistance – which they don't.

It takes less than a minute to clear out the shinobi.

Dragon and the team she assembled show up just as the last corpse falls to the ground. "Wolf, report!"

"I'm not sure on the details myself. Rabbit spotted Ryuuzetsu's father among them, even though the reports listed him as dead. I warned Ryuuzetsu, asked her to identify him. She clearly thought it was an imposter, seeing as she beheaded him. After that, it was a turkey shoot." I explain. "However, the imposter… he smells of death. Rigor mortis, perhaps… half a day in. He still had a heartbeat though."

"Old blood." Dragon murmurs, sniffing the air again. "And these men don't smell like Grass shinobi. More like Sound." I hadn't thought to check that. I was too focused on the walking corpse – quite literally this time.

"I want these refugees guarded around the clock. Sound wants these people for a reason."

"Dragon… I might have a suggestion for you?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Three hours later. Three hours. That's how long it takes to set up an emergency meeting with the council, get things arranged, and have the refugees disappear and into an unmarked safe house. Three fricking hours!

I offered Dragon the house I just bought – technically it's still forty percent the bank's, but I'll have it paid off in three or four years if the missions keep rolling in like this! So, all the refugees, the doctors, and two Anbu teams, are all across the street from us. Dragon really doesn't like how this is going, so she arranged with daddy to have six jounins posted there around the clock as well. Herself included. She isn't taking any chances.

Luckily we didn't lose too many shinobi during the invasion, so we're not exactly hurting for numbers. It's still horrible that we lost any at all, but we got off pretty well. Anyway, the point is that two potential disasters have now officially been averted.

I, and those involved, get a nice fat check as a thank you, too. It's too bad that money won't give Tsu her daddy back. I flatly refused to let her sleep with the other refugees. She's staying with us, in my room, in my bed. She's so messed up that she's still crying, even now.

"Tsu… I'm here for you." I murmur, feeling the poor girl dissolving in her own tears. She clutches my shirt, refusing to let me go… like I'll disappear forever if I'm out of her sight for a second.

Kami-sama… the most horrible things seem to happen to the best people.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

That's pretty much how the day, and most of the night, went. We're on high alert, so Mitarashi and Momochi take turns standing watch near the gate. Haku and Hana take turns watching the Sand Trio – with a bit more vigour then before, seeing as we're just not in the mood for surprises.

And Ryuuzetsu?

I have Minori, Fuu, Karin and Akari-san helping me with her. Mom's mostly keeping the troops in line, and is doing her best to keep things friendly with Temari and company. Mariko-san and Remi-san have pretty much refused any suggestion that we're fine, so they decided to move in –whether we like it or not– and drag their husbands with them, and Ino, in Mariko-san's case.

Truth be told? We have enough manpower to level a small country. And if that isn't enough? No, never enough. Hyuuga-sama called, asking about Hinata-nee. He'd heard about a disturbance and wanted to make sure his daughters were safe. The scent of unfamiliar Hyuugas have lined the air ever since. Suffice to say, we're good. Unless the moon comes crashing down, I think we'll survive.

"Aya-chan?" I turn, finding Ryuuzetsu standing near the door of the family sitting room. I've been here, sitting with my back to the sliding paper screens so that I can keep track of who is where, but I won't lie and say I feel at ease just yet.

"Hey, Tsu. Trouble sleeping?" It's going on two in the morning, so it's pretty obvious that's the case.

"Nn." She says. I sniff the air, locating everyone in the house, making sure there's no unwanted surprises. Other than Yasu-nee's arousal –again– there's nothing that wasn't there ten minutes ago. I seriously think she and Kakashi need to hurry up and get married, because she's going to get pregnant any day with all the… _fun_ they're having.

Tsu comes over and plops down next to me. "Mom's making some more coffee, if you want? Not sure it'll do you any good, but frankly it couldn't hurt."

"Thanks, no. Coffee makes me act weird." She says, sort of smiling. "Thank you, by the way."

"Nn?"

"For trusting me. You didn't have to tell me, but if you didn't I'd have…" Tears threaten to break free once again.

I don't speak. I just wrap an arm around her shoulder, tugging her closer to me to let her know I'm here for her.

"Aya?"

"Nn?"

"Can I stay here, with you guys?"

"If that's what you want, yes. But I don't want you to decide now." I tell her honestly.

"… why's that?"

"Because right now you're hurting. You're heart is shattered and you are trying to hold onto anything that makes you feel less broken." I explain seriously, hating how much my words hurt her. "I don't want you to decide something so major when you're this hurt. Stay with us, heal a little, then think about it with a clear head."

"Aya… suki desu." Tsu murmurs, wrapping herself around me.

"Aww, honey. I love you too, but you know my heart belongs to another." I tease. She laughs, swatting me playfully. Even though she's sitting in my lap, arms wrapped around me, legs curled up at my sides, I don't feel worried, or threatened – which is a surprise to be honest.

I feel… comfortable with her.

"Thank you… for everything…"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Morning comes. Ryuuzetsu is still sleeping next to me – mom brought a futon for her, after one of my coffee rounds. Nothing happened yet, but no one seems any less tense.

The good news in all this? Kakashi refuses to get sidelined. He's agreed to only play the supporting roll, but he's back in the saddle. Maki's much the same. Hell, all of my patients have demanded they be allowed to at least sit in the family sitting room with the screens wide open and an bucket load of kunai, shuriken and anything else sharp or pointy.

We all settle in for breakfast, taking turns so that there's always someone on watch. The kids are allowed to eat first, but aren't allowed in the front yard today. They… don't feel comfortable playing and training in the back yard. Eventually I just tell them to play in the dojo – which sets them at ease, because they decide they want to play music so they can pretend it's just a normal day.

I sigh, hating how much stress our kids are put under. They shouldn't have to live like this. But… at the same time, I'm really glad they can see that becoming a shinobi isn't a game. It's a life –and all to often, a death– sentence.

"Oi! Wolf! Dragon's here!" Snake calls. I smelled her, of course, but she could just as easily wanted to talk to someone else.

I body flicker to the gate, wanting to get this over with. "Grass delegates are here. They're asking to see the team that rescued their people."

"We're sure it's the right village this time?" I ask seriously.

"I checked. I recognize three of them from previous dealings with Grass, and all of them smell like Grass shinobi." She explains, understanding my paranoia.

"Alright. I'll gather the team. Where?"

"Tower. Meeting room one. I told them you already had a bad taste of meeting room three." That's a relief. "Ten minutes."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Thank you for coming so swiftly." We're greeted as we enter. "Forgive me, but… two Anbu Ops and three trainees? I'm having a hard time believing you five saved my people."

"I'm having a hard time believing you're from Grass, considering the last group was straight out of a zombie movie." I counter, earning a chuckle from my teammates. The man –tall, green hair and eyes, and an eye patch over his right eye– isn't sure how to respond.

"It's alright, Wolf." Ryuuzetzu assures me. "This is Katamara-san, he's the village leader's right hand man." I wince, hating that I let her talk me into letting her come. Her tone isn't just cold, it's dark and to the point of ripping the man's guts out and barbecuing them.

"Ah, Ryuuzetsu-chan. I'm glad to see you're alright." She bristles at his easy tone. I place my hand on her shoulder, trying to help her calm down a bit.

"Am I though?" She asks.

"Hnn?"

"Am I alright?" She clarifies. "I know my father is dead. He was here, sort of. His body was at least. Only, it wasn't him at all. The shinobi YOU wouldn't send him reinforcements to defeat killed him… did something with his body… and sent him here to either kidnap me, or kill me. Or both, for all I know. And you think I'm… 'alright'?" She isn't crying, but I can tell she wants to.

"Now, Ryuu, there's no-"

"Were there any survivors?" She interrupts him.

"… Four."

"A village of five-hundred and eighty-seven people. Not including the twenty shinobi sent when we discovered Sound's plans to raze it. And there are four survivors." I grab her by both shoulders this time. I seriously think she's ready to break this guy in half.

The man's gaze doesn't waver from her, but he doesn't speak either.

"So in other words, had Konoha, had this team, not been there by chance, we'd likely be dead too." Tsu isn't taking this well. "Wolf, I know you told me to decide when I've healed a bit… but Grass is dead to me." No emotion in her voice, no tension in her muscles. She's just saying it like it is, not caring what anyone thinks.

"I understand." I murmur, wanting to hug her so bad – to keep the last bits and pieces of her from breaking right along with her heart.

"Hold on! You can't-"

"Finish that sentence. I dare you." Pig challenges, his Executioner's Blade held right against the man's throat. "If the girl chooses for herself, there is nothing you can do. She chose. Accept your losses gracefully."

"That's a bitter pill to swallow, coming from an ex-Mist and ex-rogue." The man grinds out. "Do you think people won't identify you by that blade?"

"I didn't care in Mist, I don't care now." Pig counters easily. "Wolf, Rabbit, you two head out. I don't think the girl wants to near this… _person_ anymore. Pup, you best go with them. Me and Snake can wrap this meeting up."

"Thank you, Pig." Tsu bows to him, not sparing her one time compatriot a second glance.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We don't head straight home. I think Tsu needs to stretch her legs a bit. So Hitomi, Shika-nii and I walk with her through the village – after stowing our masks and sealing our Anbu gear to not stand out too much.

We take her to get some chocolate, to a discount store to ogle the wares, to the market so we can pick up something she wants to eat for lunch. We just take her wherever she says she feels like going – she could use the distraction.

Then, a thought hits me. "Oi, Shika-nii… we had fun the other night, didn't we? Everyone all dressed up for no reason?"

"Yeah." He says, smiling. "You spent most of the night singing. Sorry about that."

"Meh, I saw it coming." I shrug. I think about that some more, wondering if some fun and cheer would help Tsu any.

"If that look means what I think it means, I'm in." He tells me, putting a hand on Tsu's shoulder to show support.

"Nn. Tsu. We're getting you a kimono." I demand. She looks to me, confused. "We're holding a concert/party tonight. To welcome the newest member of our pack. It won't do if said member wasn't fancied up to suit the occasion."

"Aya… it's fine… I…" She's shaking her head, no.

"Tsu." I say, hugging the –emotionally– fragile girl. "You're not in the mood, I get that. But… this is something we can do for you. Something that will help you to heal, even if only a little. Will you try this? For me?"

"… fine, but I reserve the right to complain about it." She says, burying her face in my neck once again.

"That's okay. I'm used to Shika-nii complaining about everything."

"Troublesome."

"See what I mean. You wouldn't even stand out if you started complaining about everything." I say, holding her tight. I'd hoped to get her to laugh, giggle, or at least chuckle… but I'm not too surprised when she just nods and sighs. I don't even want to know what she's been through emotionally. It's just… too horrible to think about. All I can do… is… is be there for her. Try to catch her when she falls… and I'm afraid she's falling as we speak.

Kami-sama, I'm such a softie.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 57_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Well... that was certainly not a fun chapter. Sorry, but life's just fun like that. The coming chapters are going to be a bit more... organizational. Some interesting things will happen, and some not so interesting things; vague much? I'm afraid the chapters might be a good deal longer than usual, but there's still the chance they might now be. We'll just have to wait and see.  
_**


	69. Troublesome B(r)others

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 58 – Troublesome B(r)others_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Back killing me, check. Bloated to the point of wanting to explode, check. Irritable, check. Okay, today's going to be _fun_. I untangle myself from Tsu and Haku –who've been sleeping in my bed for the past week, for some reason– and make my way to the bathroom. Yup, Shinigami's waterfall. It's a good thing we have nothing planned for today.

After flushing away the worst of that Kami-awful scent, I start washing up for the morning. Half way through washing up, Tsu and Haku join me. Haku's looking really annoyed, and halfway to snapping. Yup, we've synced. This is NOT going to be fun for anyone.

"Morning, Haku. I got mine too." I tell her. Ryuuzetsu winces and offers a sympathetic look, obviously knowing what I'm talking about. Hitomi joins us not a minute later. She's chipper, humming and generally glad to be alive. Then Haku and I glare at her. "Can it, 'Tomi."

"Ouch. That time again?" She asks, making a face to show she understands.

"Being a girl **sucks**!" I complain. Washing the last of the conditioner out of my hair.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

There's a general consensus at breakfast – don't breathe too hard. The fun thing about living with a bunch of other females? Our cycles eventually sync. So, yeah. Yasu-nee, Maki, Haku, Minori, Hina-nee and I are **_this_** close to freaking out on anything – or just bursting out in tears for no reason. Whichever comes first at this point.

After breakfast, Yasu-nee calls all of us (just the bleeders) into the kitchen, making us some of that special tea and telling us a sad story so we can cry in peace.

It sounds too stupid to be true, but I'm glad I'm not alone in this.

 **-Oi, sis. We should make it to Konoha today. You mind meeting us at the gate? There's someone I want you to meet.-** I groan. Naruto-nii, of all the days…

 **-Fine, but fair warning, I'm going to be a major brat today.-** And so, life goes on. Blood or no, life goes on.

 **-That's alright. I'll treat you to some hot chocolate on the way to the Tower.-**

 **-Kami-sama, I love you so bad sometimes.-**

 **-Hmm, not bad. Let's go with that. From now on, I'll introduce myself as Kami-sama.-** I find a goofy, lopsided grin on my face. I'm not sure how that even got there.

"What's with you?" Minori asks, curious why I'm like this when she knows how I usually am.

"Naru-nii's being an idiot. Nothing new." I say. Everyone rolls their eyes, knowing better than to get between me and Naru-nii – whether or not they can even follow the conversation. "He's en route home. Might arrive today."

"Well, he's in for a _warm_ welcome." Minori teases, smirking a little. I try not to laugh. Ever deal with an Uzumaki on her period? Horror stories have been based on such events. Thank Kami-sama Karin, Akari-san and Asami haven't synced with us… yet. That would be…

I shiver. No. Let's **not** think about that, shall we.

"Anyway. I've got like a million things to deal with today." I say, thanking Yasu-nee for the tea and hugging her. Hugs for no reason are a reward in and of themselves.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I seem to be collecting shadows. Hitomi and Tsu have basically not let me leave the house alone once since they started shadowing me. Still, they're good company, so I don't mind too much. I told Hana that I'd report to Dragon today, since I have to head out anyway.

"Oi, non-Anbu aren't allowed in here!" Parrot tries. I glare at him.

"She's with me. She's good." I tell him, warning him only once not to test me today. I see Hitomi waving him off as well. No one else makes a stupid comment.

We report to Dragon's office, I make the report on Kakashi and the others, as well as update her on the situation with the Sand Trio – no change. "I'm glad you came." Dragon says, after I finish with the report. "The council finally cleared a check for the safe house." I'm handed a slip of paper, but I don't check the amount.

"Thanks." I nod, asking with my eyes if there'll be anything else.

"Dismissed." Dragon says. "And try to remember that not everyone cares what a girl goes through."

"If they don't care, then why should I care about how I react to them?" I counter, walking off and offering a lazy wave.

"Oh, Aya." I turn to her, wondering what she forgot to tell me. "Ryuuzetsu still hasn't registered as a kunoichi. Don't tell me you forgot?"

"No. I'm just not pushing for it. She's registered as a citizen. If she wants to apply as a kunoichi, all she has to do is ask."

"I understand. Ryuuzetsu. If you are interested, I've seen how well you keep up with these two. There might be an opening for you."

"Oh?" Tsu seems shocked. "But you haven't seen me do anything?"

"Che. That's what you think." Dragon takes off her mask.

"Ah. That makes sense." Tsu says, more than a little surprised. Yeah, Tsume's been by the house watching us spar. And really, Tsu isn't half bad. Neither is Shika-nii, but I can't imagine him ever joining Anbu – or even wanting to.

"Like I said." Dragon dons her mask once again. "There might be an opening. And I happen to know that Wolf doesn't have a trainee. You might get lucky enough to get into the only all-girl team Anbu's ever had."

"Medics?" I remind her of what I'm already dealing with.

"Doesn't count." Dragon counters. "Are you saying you wouldn't take her?"

"Of course I'm not saying that. I'm just a little surprised is all. It's not like I've been a member very long."

"And yet you've gotten the attention of some very influential people." Dragon counters. "Think about it, Ryuuzetsu. The offer stands."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Having dealt with that curveball, we head to the hospital. Sure, there are other places to restock on medical supplies, but nowhere that I trust the quality as much as Konoha General. And considering just how many medic wannabees I deal with, we end up burning through a LOT of supplies.

"Oi, Tsu, you never did tell me if you wanted to try your hand at medical jutsu." I say offhandedly. We mostly just pick up things by the box, so it's not like this is a very mentally draining task.

"Nn?" She thinks about that. "I dunno. I mean, I already have so much to work on, you know?"

"I know the feeling. Sometimes I wonder why my head doesn't just explode from all the stuff in jam in there." I say, going cross-eyed and making a face. They giggle.

"I dunno, though. I mean, would I even be any good at it?" She sounds uncertain.

"We won't know if you don't try. Back when I just became a genin, mom told me that it's better to be good at many little things, than great at one big thing." I say, smiling a bit at the memory. "Having tried it myself, I'd have to agree."

She thinks about that, taking a box from me and placing it on the counter where the nurse is already itemizing it. Picking up one last box –the eighth– we head over to the counter and strum up the usual this and that chitchat.

"What do you think? Should I try learning medical ninjutsu?" Tsu asks the man, a bit out of the blue.

"Hnn? Well, it can't hurt, if you ask me. I mean, even if you're no good at it, the chakra control exercises would benefit everyone. I'm actually surprised they don't teach simplified medical jutsus in the academy!"

"Yeah, uh huh. And who'd teach a bunch of snot nosed brats? You?" I remind him. It's not as if they haven't been _trying_ to teach it, but no medic would be caught dead trying to teach something THAT delicate to a bunch of kid's with the attention span of a gerbil.

Our kids don't count. They know what's at stake when they try something – we **make them** aware of it.

"But what about my kenjutsu training? I mean, how many… wait. Nevermind. Practically everyone in the house that's a medic is also a badass kunoichi." Thank you! "Alright. I'll give it my all. We'll see where we end up." Hitomi and I smile at her, telling her she won't regret it.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After the hospital, we head into town to pick up the sealing supplies Minori demanded we get. Seeing as she and Haruki are still in charge of bringing the kids to school and back, she claims she doesn't have time to do it herself; she's just being lazy, but whatever. Still, she does give guest lectures on the Sealing Arts in the academy, to see if anyone there is interested in learning it. She comes back complaining each and every time.

Whatever. We go over the list she gave us, and I go over my own supplies, seeing if there was something I needed as well.

"I still can't believe how many specialties you guys focus on at once." Tsu says, awe in her voice. "I mean, I have enough trouble with what little I try to master."

"Meh." I shrug. "You get used to it after a while, I guess. And keep in mind, this doesn't even include any clan training we go through."

Tsu shakes her head, wondering how we manage. I shrug, it's not like I know either. We just… do.

After that we head into the outfitters. I pick up a box of kunai, a box of standard shuriken, and a box of caltrops. I go over my list again, wondering if I forgot anything… Ooh! Scimitars! Akari-san and Karin will need their own to start practicing. Especially since Naru-nii is coming home today! But… do Minori and Haruki have? I shrug, better too many than not enough. Besides, they're just beginners pieces, so they aren't too expensive.

"You know. I still feel horrible that you gave me your birthday present." Tsu tells me.

"I didn't give it to you. I borrowed it to you until you get your own." I correct, picking up four pairs of twin scimitars.

"Oh? So if I go order a custom blade right now…?" She narrows her eyes at me.

"You could. But wouldn't it make more sense to check the caches at home for something you like? I mean, we have more than enough tantos in there. If you can't find one, then… yeah. No reason not to custom order one."

"Yeah, but I already checked those caches."

"I know, I was there. But were you looking for a blade you like, or were you looking for a blade I would like for you?" I ask, eyeing her carefully.

"Well… both? Yes, I was constantly wondering if you'd like it too, but…" She admits sheepishly.

"Well, then you should custom order something. Go on, I come here all the time so I can tell you for a fact that this blacksmith offers quality every time." I shoo her, handing the scimitars to Hitomi, who's failing miserably at hiding her grin. "What?"

"Nothing." She tries, still grinning. "I… just love how you are with people." I shrug.

Having found everything I need, we make our way back to the counter, setting down everything we picked up.

"About that? Do you have any chakra conducting material that works well with fire release chakra?" Tsu asks.

"Sure. An alloy called dragon's blood. Comes out blood red most of the time, but I can temper it with something to change the colour. It's not cheap mind you, but… I'm sure it would serve you well."

"What other elements does that work well with?" I ask, hoping to help Tsu get all the information she can.

"Fire, lightning and wind. Most alloys work well with three elements, and almost every one of them works well with wind and lightning." He explains. I nod, understanding.

"Very well. I'd like twin tantos please. Double edged. About the length of my forearms. And another blade, the length of my arm. Could you make it the same style as the tantos?"

"No can do. That would weaken it. I can make it similar enough though. A blade called a chokutou. Straight blade, single edge." He offers.

"Hmm… do you have a sample blade I can compare it to?" He takes her deeper into the store, showing her what he's talking about. They even talk about lengths and how the alloy would compare weight wise. "Yes, this sheath is gorgeous! Do you think you could make something like this for me as well? For all three blades? Only, I'd want it to be green with white overtones."

"What shade of green?" He asks, nodding.

"The same shade as a flak jacket, if you can manage it."

"No problem. I've used that colour often enough. Did you want them with or without the hilt?"

"Without please. Those things only seem good for getting in my way." She says, shrugging with a smirk. I can't say I blame her. I have no idea why anyone wants a blade with a hilt. "Ooh! And can you make the grip fade into the sheath? Like their one piece when the blade is sheathed?"

"Not a problem. How do you want me to work in that white overtone though? Camouflage style?"

"Hmm… no." She shakes her head to accentuate her no. "Could you work it in like a spiral going around the grip and sheath? Spiralling downwards to the tip?"

"… Grass style blade huh? Sure. I've worked with that before. Did you want the tip of the sheath to twist off too?"

"On the chokutou, yes. It wouldn't make much sense on the tantos. Thank you so much!" Tsu bows to the man. I'm not sure if it's because he knows she's from Grass and doesn't care, or if it's because he's so agreeable. Either way is fine. This man has always produced awesome pieces.

"Under what name?"

"Ryuuzetsu." She answers, smiling.

"I only work with family names." He points out. "Too much hassle if someone with a similar name comes in."

"I see." She deflates, for some reason.

"Under Namiki." I answer. The man nods, jotting that down on his notepad. Tsu looks at me, questions in her eyes. "No, you haven't been adopted, Tsu." She giggles at that. "But for simple things like ordering a blade, I won't make a big deal out of it."

"Thank you." She smiles. The blacksmith tallies up our purchases, tells me the total, and I pay.

Just in time, too. **-Oi. We should be at the gate in like ten minutes. Trust me, you want to be there, sis.-**

 **-Yeah, yeah. I'm coming.-**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Hitomi, Tsu and I are at the gate in five minutes. That means we, once again, have time to spare. Oh well.

"Why didn't you want to tell him your family name?" I ask.

"I don't have one. My… parents were orphans. So…" Her eyes are watery again, and hold great pain. Thinking about her father still hurts. It's barely been more than a week, so I can't say I blame her. Frankly, I think she's holding it together pretty good, all things considered.

"Ah… sorry. We'll work something out." She looks at me funny, almost forgetting she's on the verge of tears. "What? I'm not promising anything, but I don't like people not having a sense of family. And not having a family name counts."

"Th-thanks." She says, trying to covertly wipe the tears from her eyes. I pretend like I don't notice, but I do offer her my brightest smile.

Hitomi and I start talking about bird feathers after that – for some reason. I have no idea why. At all. I don't really know a whole lot about birds, let alone their feathers. When I tell her so, she glares at me and is clearly wondering what's wrong with me.

"What? I don't have enough to study? I need to learn the ins and outs of birds too?" I ask, huffing indignantly. She just shakes her head, clearly put out.

"Pay attention. Birds can tell us more than you think." And so, she literally begins lecturing Tsu and I on birds. Just birds. Not symbolically, not as a euphemism, not as kind of hidden message. Just birds. Some people have the weirdest hobbies.

 **-I smell you. Please hurry, Hitmoi here is talking my ear off about birds!-**

 **-You mean the birds and the bees?-**

 **-Nope. No bees. Just birds.-**

 **-O…kay? Who's Hitomi?-**

 **-You're not the only one making new friends, you know. Hurry the heck up! My brain can only take in so much useless information per day.-** Today especially.

 **-Alright, alright! Hold your birdies.-** He teases. I groan.

"Naruto again?" Tsu asks, her eyes narrowing.

"Yup." I chi…rp… sigh. Too much useless information. It's not helping me. At all. "I always attract idiots. Thank Kami-sama you two didn't follow that pattern."

"I was about to ask." Hitomi says, annoyed. "And are you even listening to me?"

"Hawks are birds of prey?"

"I was talking about falcons!"

"Also birds of prey?" Hey, I wasn't far off! She glares, before resuming her lecture on falcons – apparently.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's another ten minutes –ten minutes out, my foot!– before I see Naru-nii and co in the distance. Since Hitomi figured out that I was zoning out, she started asking me –ME!– questions to test if I'm paying attention.

Of course, that means that I, being a proud nerd and overall intellectual, have been absorbing information I will NEVER, EVER, E~EEEEEEEEEEEEVER need ever again during the course of my life. It's better than focusing on gross things, don't get me wrong. But, facts don't change because the contrast is less unappealing.

After spotting them, it's still a good fifteen minutes before they make it to the gate. I recognize Naruto-nii and Asami-nee immediately, of course. Jiraiya I'm less familiar with, but I've seen him once or twice so I recognize him easily enough. The tall blonde with them and the short(ish) brunette? Meh.

Why is the brunette carrying a pig? And why is that pig wearing a necklace? A PEARL necklace! Okay, I'm obviously not the only one finding weird new friends.

"That's…!" Hitomi FINALLY shuts up about her birds. "That's Senju Tsunade!" Oh? Is that so? Okay.

"They better hurry up! Naru-nii promised me hot chocolate!" I complain. I really need some chocolate right now!

"Wow. Only you could be so casual about meeting a legend."

I've met Jiraiya. I wasn't impressed. Legends never seem to prove all they're cracked up to be. "She's a medic, she's skilled. She's also very human. Try to remember that when everyone grovels at her feet." I say, not caring.

The group walks up to the gate, waves at the two chuunin, and walks through. Well, that's a relief. "Naru-nii. Hugs. Chocolate. In that order please." I demand. He grins, obviously happy to see me too. He's quick to wrap his arms around me, telling me how good it is to see me again. "I missed you too. Kami-sama, you have no idea how much crap you missed around here. I didn't want to bog you down on a mission, but… jeez! Anyway, Uzumaki Naruto, Sarutobi Asami… please meet Hyuuga Hitomi and Ryuuzetsu. 'Tomi, Tsu, the blond idiot is the infamous Naru-nii you've heard me griping about. The redhead is Sasa-nee."

"Oi! What about me! You know who I am!" Jiraiya complains.

"Yeah. Are you sure you want to be introduced to two MORE females by Naru-nii's nickname for you?" I remind him.

"… Name's Jiraiya the gallant." He tries starting up his stupid little jig. I completely ignore him.

"Anyway. Senju Tsunade-san I know. You are likely to be… Katou Shizune-san. Am I right?"

"…Why, yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, miss…?" Katou-san asks, pleased that I know her name and not just Senju-san's.

"Namiki Aya. Well, now that everyone's introduced. Chocolate. Let's go, blondie. No more excuses." I tug him along, whether he wants me to or not.

"O-oi! Sis! You're missing the biggest part. Granny's the Fifth Hokage!" He announces. I look to the elder blonde that looks amused and annoyed – mostly annoyed. I shrug.

"Okay. But that doesn't get chocolate in my stomach. Let's go!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Jeez. You really needed that, huh." Naru-nii pets my hair. I don't care. Hot chocolate and a brownie always do an Aya good.

"Hey, Aya-chan, these are really good." Tsu announces, happily munching on a brownie of her own. I couldn't agree more. In fact, they're so good that Hitomi isn't talking about birds!

"So anyway, like I was telling you. Granny Tsunade is the Fifth! We were sent on a mission to retrieve the Fifth Hokage!" Naru-nii brags.

"I'm amazed you didn't brag about that the whole time you were on your mission." I tease.

"You think they even know we're here?" Senju-san wonders out loud.

"They know. Aya just doesn't care, and everyone tends to follow her lead." Jiraiya says, obviously feeling the need to add his two Ryou.

"And Aya's hearing is in perfect working order." I point out, then drown them out by sipping my hot chocolate. "Hey, Tsu, you make up your mind on the whole kunoichi thing? I mean, we're going to the tower anyway."

"Hmm… Well, I see no reason not to, really. Everyone other than Yasu-san is a shinobi."

"That's a horrible reason, you know." I point out.

"Aw, don't be like that, Aya. You know my reasons are better than that. I just don't want to talk about it in front of unknowns." Tsu points out.

"I can respect that. Alright. We'll get the paperwork done. They're probably going to want to run you through some overly basic tests, but let me do the talking. And whatever you do, **don't** ask about that guy's left eye. He's _really_ touchy about it." I tease. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the man's left eye, of course. But now she's going to be staring at it to figure that out for herself.

"His left eye?" Tsu looks curious. That's called bait. And now, you've taken it. Yea, me!

"Yup. Oh, and don't stare at it either, okay? Seriously. He'll notice." I bait her further.

"Shizune, why don't you go with them? I get the feeling you'll be far more entertained with them than the boring meetings they'll want me in." Senju-san suggests.

I turn, eyeing the brunette carefully. "Aya, it's fine. It's not like a fellow medic would ever hurt you." Hitmoi points out.

"Really. So I wouldn't hurt anyone because I'm a medic." I drone.

"… I mean OTHER medics. You and Hana are kind of in a class of your own there." 'Tomi tries. I just roll my eyes. A medic that can't fight? Psh, yeah right!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Unfortunately for the man behind the counter, Tsu is… **really** subtle about trying to see his left eye. I see her look at the back of her hands a few times, trying to figure out if she's just mixing up right and left, or something. Still, he continues asking questions about this –why register as a shinobi a week after writing in as a citizen (obviously because she needed time to see if the village was worth dying for)– and about that, and the other, just to be sure.

The only problem is, he's a chuunin. He knows she's trying to look at something, but he just can't figure out what – and it's obviously getting under his skin. Once he's satisfied that she is indeed genin material –I'd threatened to call Dragon in here if he doubts her, he wisely declines– he offers her the forms she needs to fill in. And I'm handed forms as well – to vouch for her loyalty to Konoha. It's kind of a catch twenty-two. Loyalty on paper is worthless, but by having me sign that she's loyal, I can be held accountable if she proves otherwise – thereby indirectly keeping her loyal as to not make me suffer for it. It's shinobi logic; or so I'm told.

Once the forms are filled in, the man goes over them. Tsu is once again trying to figure out what the heck is up with his left eye. She figures he won't notice because he's busy – the perfect opportunity. He notices. And it is, once again, **really** unnerving him.

"Something on my face?" He asks.

"No!" Tsu answers a little too quickly. "Nothing on your face at all!" I'm dying to laugh, but I can't! He glances at me, but I'm quick to look away. Hitomi's learned not to get between me and my fun, so she's not getting involved – she lives with Uzumakis now too!

"Hnn." He goes back to the forms, she goes back to trying to figure out what's with the eye.

Then Naruto-nii decides he wants in on the fun. "You know, sis. I've been thinking about that song you told me about? Eye of the tiger?"

I choke – not quite catching the laugh in time. Poor Tsu looks embarrassed for the man.

"Naruto-san! That isn't very nice! There's nothing wrong with his eye!" She chastises him. That almost sends me to my knees with laughter.

It clicks for him, unfortunately. "My eye? What's wrong with my eye?" The man asks, clearly worrying.

"Nothing!" Tsu, again, answers him too quickly. "There's nothing wrong with it."

"Oi, kid. Something wrong with my eye?" He turns to Naruto, but he's too busy wheezing with laughter. "I'll take that as a yes. Oi, Shinji! What's wrong with my eye?" The man heads into the back, confused – he clearly doesn't feel anything wrong, but there must be! Two kids are laughing about it, and the more sensitive one is defending him!

"Aya-chan. What **is** wrong with his eye? I really couldn't tell at all." Tsu asks, distressed. Naru-nii peels with laughter, and I'm clutching my poor belly – cramps, bloating and now laughing my ass off too boot! Seriously, OWWWWWW!

"Hey, hey. Seriously. What's wrong with my eye? My colleague says she can't see anything and she refuses to take a closer look." The man is back. He's sooo going to develop a complex about this. I can't take it… I can't take anymore! I stumble out of the room, holding my poor tummy as go.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Sis. That. Was. EPIC!" Naru-nii is on me the second I get outside. He's still cackling with laughter, patting poor Tsu on the back, who can't make sense of any of this.

Katou-san joins us outside a minute or two later. "Well, I have to thank you two for that. I have a date with him tonight. First day back, already raking in the guys." She says, blushing happily. I shrug. That wasn't the intention, but if she's happy with it? I say, go for it.

"… You tricked me." Tsu catches on. "You set me up. You totally set me up!" She's shocked, but laughing about it now that she understands the whole story. "Oh my Kami-sama, you are such a bad influence on her, Naruto-san!"

"Me!? I just got here!" Nii-san points out, all hurt innocence.

"Anyway. I really have to ask. You guys are Anbu. Aren't you." Katou-san makes a mess of things. The laughter dies instantly, our faces are as if set in stone. "I thought so. I'll be Tsunade-sama's assistant, I'm going to know all of your files regardless."

"Ah. That makes sense." I say, shrugging. "Why are you asking though? I mean, I'm sure you'll find out quick enough."

"Well, I kind of need someone to help me arrange things in the coming days. And I happen to know that Anbu Operatives tend to know how things work better than most." She explains seriously.

"Sasa-nee?"

"Oh, no! I just got back! Forget it!" She begs off immediately. "Next week maybe, but now? Not a chance!" Wow, she's REALLY vocal about this. It must be too much exposure to Jiraiya.

"I'm already busy." I say flatly. "So is Hitomi. Your only bet is Naru-nii, but…"

"I don't mind. I can always catch up with everyone at dinner." Naru-nii says. "But, sis… we could _really_ use your help, you know?"

"And I could use a winning lottery ticket. We can't all…" He's begging me with his eyes again. "That's low." The begging intensifies. "Naru-nii~iiiiii! Cut that out will you! I've still got like a million things to do!"

"Sis, you find things to do. That isn't something new."

I huff. "Fine! But you're sending a clone to the den to ask mom to come to wherever we are to collect the things I bought! I have some food stuff, so you better be quick about it too!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

And so. Here we are. In the Hokage's office. Why? Because that's where we need to be. Naruto-nii explains Katou-san the simpler things like which drawers have hidden compartments, and which window is the most commonly open – due to security measures and whatnot. Of course, he has no idea how things are actually run, just how the seem to be done.

"Katou-san. There's usually a secretary stationed at the desk outside. All paperwork meant to reach the Hokage must pass through that person. The current secretary is a Honda Hiromi. She's a bit lazy and doesn't really do her job right – seeing as she's supposed to stop any and all persons from coming inside without an appointment or special permission. Still, she does the paperwork right, so she's lasted far longer than the others – usually you see a new secretary every three to four months." I explain.

"The paperwork is ninety percent junk that can be thrown away, if you keep your ears to the rumour mill. The trouble is that people don't like tell the Hokage or anyone that works for… well, her in this case, anything about the rumours unless it's vital to something they value. In which case, they file a report and wait for the result. That means that you, the assistant, will have your work cut out for you. You'll have to build strong ties to the jounins especially, seeing as they pick up rumours like I pick up chocolate. This is also important because if the jounins feel a close bond with the Hokage's assistant, they have this weird tendency to feel closer to the Hokage herself."

"… I see." Katou-san murmurs, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"How do you know all of that?" Naru-nii asks me.

"Easy. Get a jounin stumbling drunk in a setting they trust and they'll tell you their mother's bank access codes. It helps if they trust you though, or feel like they owe you." I grin evilly. Mitarashi-san is sooooooo helpful when it comes to the latest news.

"You… are the Shinigami incarnate." Naru-nii intones. I shrug, not denying it. Being evil has its perks. Then his face almost splits in two from a grin. "Geez, I've missed being home!"

"Hmm? Say, Aya-chan… you wouldn't happen to want the position, do you? As secretary?" Katou-san tries.

"No. Not even remotely." I shoot her down. "And like I said, I'm already too busy. I have a mission I need to focus on. And that's completely ignoring the Anbu medics I'm helping to train, Tsu here that will end up being my trainee, my pack I'm helping to train, the wolves I train with, my own training, and the eight patients holed up in my house I'm helping to rehabilitate. Frankly, I don't need more to do. Oh! That does remind me that we need to talk to Dragon either later today or tomorrow about making your traineeship official. You see what I mean! I'm already too busy for this crap!"

The door opens without warning and in comes Dragon, Senju-san, Jiraiya, and the two ghouls.

"Oi, Dragon. Glad you're here. I was just talking about you. Remember that traineeship you offered? Well, they're in!" I offer.

"Good. Give them your old mask. It's a right of passage, after all. And be sure you start work them into the ground day in, day out. Any mission you get automatically includes them. And do not, under any circumstances, tell them the secret code. That's only after you're full Anbu." I nod, smirking. There is no secret code. At least, not one that I know. I don't care either way though.

"You got it. Oh, and do me a favour. Explain to Katou-san here that I'm not ever taking that secretary position." Seriously! Putting a wolf to guard a door? What's the world coming to!?

"Hnn? Why would she ask you about that? You've already got a B-rank going on!" Dragon gets on Katou-san's case.

"That's what I said. Not to mention the patients, the medics, trying to pretend I have a social life. Psh. Sorry, but until I can perform the shadow clone, there's no way I'm going to be able to handle an intensive job like that on top of everything else!" I complain.

"You have a social life?" Dragon teases.

"Someone's in a good mood." I snipe.

"You train medics?" Senju-san asks, curious.

"Not in the way you think. I'm trying to round them out so they'll survive. We have far too few!" I complain. "I mean, it was just ridiculous during the invasion! Four medics to what… forty Anbu? That's insane! Thank Kami-sama I've been working on the stamina of the _other two_ , and we have three trainees now that are all up to scratch. Oh, Dragon, before I forget. That trainee might be interested in medical jutsu. I know you hate not knowing details like that. I haven't tested them in that, but I'll let you know. There's no formal training as yet, but I think there's potential. And while we're on the subject. Senju-san, as a medic, I'm sure you can understand the added value of introducing extra chakra control exercises while still in the academy. It's not impossible for academy students to start on medical jutsu. In fact, I have two students already working their way up to Rank Two medics, and another three on Rank One. That's ignoring their other trainings, which have only benefitted from that training. And why haven't we introduced weapons training? I mean, I have a five year old that's already holding her own against full genin! You need to look into that."

"And that's ignoring inadequate sealing classes in the academy, and the utter disrespect shown by not teaching about the Uzumaki clan. I mean, really? How would you feel if they left out the Senju clan in the academy?" I babble on like a headless chicken. But I'm making good points, so I don't mind. "And don't get me started on the complete lack of proper education for girls. I mean, flower arranging? Do you know how many times I've had to care about flower arrangements since I graduated? Not once. Why not switch a completely useless class out for mandatory basic first aid? Even if the girls don't become kunoichi, knowing first aid is ALWAYS a boon. And having someone make sure that it really is a woman talking to the girls about Sex Ed? Do you know how weird it was to have a guy start talking about _there_? I'm pretty sure I'm not the only girl that snuck out."

Ooh! I've made enough good points to earn myself some chocolate. I unseal a bar, and start happily munching away.

"… I'm starting to understand why Shizune wants you to be the secretary." Senju-san murmurs, rubbing the side of her face for some reason.

"Mm. Tempting, but like Dragon already fully agreed with me on, I have too much going on. So, unless you know some kind of weird magic that lets me be in six places at once, that just won't work. And that's ignoring the fact that I don't want the position."

There's a knock on the door and someone just strolls in. Some random chuunin. "Oi! You notice something wrong with this picture!? This is called a meeting! OUT!" I chase him out. Poor guy stutters out an apology and slams the door as he leaves.

"So anyway, Dragon. I'm thinking of asking you to set up a survival test for those two medics. Give them a person they need to protect and like three or four days against Snake in Tee Gee Forty-four. There's no way I'm going through that crap again like what happened during the invasion."

"Hmm. I'll make the arrangements." Dragon says, nodding. "What about if we give them a puppy? Something they can grow emotionally attached to that they absolutely HAVE to take care of while in there?"

"That would work. Medics have an ingrained need to protect the defenceless. Just bear in mind that even if the puppy survives, the emotional bond will become too strong for them to willingly give it up afterwards. And limit Snake to a max of B-ranks. I can tell you right now that those two won't last that long if Snake gets even half serious." I say.

"That's… troubling. Yes, Snake is good, but… they need to survive in the worst conditions." Dragon says, not liking that assessment.

"I understand, but I'm not a miracle worker. That's why I want that trainee in medical jutsu. Between them and Penguin? We can train better medics that have a much better chance of survival. I don't want or like that crap about how the weaker Anbu need to become medics, that's why we have so few to begin with. It's seen as a sign of weakness, and Anbu respect nothing weak. To boot, because it's actually true, the only two current licensed medics that I could trust to hold out against Snake are me and Salamander. That's complete crap! Medics should be able to survive against the worst of them. I mean, if we fall? Who they heck is going to keep the rest of the team alive?"

"What about Penguin and this new trainee's mental stability? Medics aren't know to thrive in Anbu." Senju-san asks.

"Well, Anbu medics run on a different wavelength than standard medics. So you can't compare the two. They need to be permitted into Anbu first, and sometimes only after that do they start their medical training. But because of that, we're put in a position where we can't follow the usual training regimen and the medic training regimen at the same time. That's why they're either subpar as medics and get their patients killed, or are subpar combatants and get themselves killed." I explain.

"How do you know that?" Dragon asks.

"Salamander is nothing if not thorough. I've been bugging her about what's been going wrong so that we'll know how to fix it." I explain seriously. "The lessons we've learned from past mistakes are being integrated into the training regimen we have those two medics on, and the trainees. This way the problem will sort itself out. I would also advise that at the very least self-healing jutsus be added to the mainstream training regimen, because frankly if it's simple cuts and bruises, it's a waste of chakra for a medic when there are spinal injuries and traumatic blood loss patients present. It could save time, blood, and give the Ops on solo missions a greater chance of survival."

"Self-healing jutsus?" Dragon asks, looking to Senju-san.

"Don't worry, Dragon. I'll hook you up. You can expect two scrolls detailing some simpler ones when Salamander reports in tomorrow. Seriously, it would turn already badass Ops into forces to be reckoned with." I tease, just a little. "But I'll warn you right now, if your chakra control isn't razor sharp, you won't be able to cast those jutsus. That's why I'm pushing for those chakra control exercises to start in the academy. If left up to the jounin-sensei, you'll end up with Kakashi-syndrome cases, and it just won't ever get done."

The elders frown at that, obviously not liking that particular habit. "We can't risk those exercises becoming public knowledge." Senju-san reasons.

"Why not? Did you know that the reason Cloud is still on top, is because they train each of their academy students like we train fresh genin? Even if they don't make the cut, they'll have developed wonderfully. That means that even if they are civilian, and they have civilian babies, those supposed civilian babies would be shinobi level at birth. By babying our civilians, we weaken the next generation. And on top of that, they simply do not understand what we as shinobi go through. That's why shinobi-civilian relationships are nearly unheard of, let alone the lack of research into stillborns from such unions… usually only occurring when the woman is civilian born, might I add. There's something interesting in that statistic."

"Just what rank are you?" Senju-san asks.

"Medic Rank Six, bordering on Seven. If that's what you mean." I offer, taking a nibble from my chocolate. I love me some chocolate.

"And your other ranks?" She is doubly curious about this, it seems.

"Sealing Rank Four, mostly in medical seals, but I have some knowledge of trap, suppression and storage seals. Sound release doesn't have a regulated rank system, but I'm about… low jounin level, I guess?" I look to Naru-nii, but he just shrugs and obviously has no idea how to rank me. "About there. Earth release I'm certainly low jounin. Interrogation… I think Ibiki said I'm Rank five? I'm not sure I believe him, but… Genjutsu I'm mid jounin, and anything below B rank I can do seallessly. Taijutsu… I'm not sure about. I should be high chuunin, but I use it so little these days that it's hard for me to pinpoint. Kenjutsu I'm most definitely high chuunin, but mid jounin if I throw in my sound release. And let's see… Sensory jutsu… I want to say low jounin, but… frankly I train against Pig and Snake. That wrecks havoc on my confidence."

"… And your martial rank?"

"Oh. Sorry, still a genin."

"WHAT!?"

"Hey, don't look at me! I participated in the last chuunin exams. I'm just waiting on you for a pass." I point out.

"How… when did you graduate from the academy?" Senju-san asks. Oh she'll get a kick out of this.

"This last chuunin exams was the first one I was eligible for." I smirk, enjoying that she's trying to pick her chin up off the floor. "If it makes you feel better, Naru-nii is better than I am, and he was dead last of our graduating class."

"Oi! Keep me out of this!"

"You guys do it to me all the time! Now keep quiet, we're discussing important matters." I order. He rolls his eyes, but pipes down. "… Was there anything else I needed to say…?"

"While you're thinking about that. What is this mission you keep telling me about?" Senju-san asks.

"Oh that? Well, I'm to guard the Sand Trio. The previous Kazekage's children. One of which is supposed to be engaged to Nara Shikamaru, but I'm glad that got tossed out on its ear. Another is a puppeteer. And the last is the jinchuuriki to the One-tail… Shukaku, I think he called it."

"…And why aren't you guarding them?" She asks, an eyebrow suspiciously high.

"Because the best way to guard someone is to make them understand that you are in the position of power. They understand the situation, and they've vowed not to be brats about it and some other things I don't feel like telling you." I explain vaguely. "The problem isn't guarding them, it's rehabilitating them. Temari is too proud to get out of her own way. So I have to break her down slowly and help build her up properly. Kankuro thinks he's the daimyo of Wind, but he's mellowing out bit by bit. And Gaara… the jinchuuriki… he's… he's the on that needs the most work. He's still trying to learn to fall asleep, because his seal was faulty and couldn't sleep without unleashing the One-tail. He was shunned and hated because of that. That means he's socially stunted, shy and unsure how to even deal with the world. They trust me enough to let me help them – even if they don't realise it. Which is why the council allowed for me to take them to begin with."

"Why do you leave out the other one?" The she-elder asks.

"Oh, right. Fuu of the Seven-tails. Yeah. She's mostly good on her own. She's right at home with us. So there's little for me to say about that. She's already been introduced to Konoha proper. The stall-workers at the market know her by name. She feels right at home in Konoha. Honestly, if you could smooth the deal with Waterfall, you could slap a Leaf headband on her. She's a half decent medic too. Could use some work on the basics, but definitely won't let her comrades die on a mission. I've been introducing her to the Aburame clansmen too, seeing as they have a common fascination with insects. The clan heir, Aburame Shino, and her get along quite well."

"She would die for Konoha?" The she-elder asks, not buying it.

"No. But she would die for my pack. We all know who and what she is. And not one of us cares." I explain seriously. "A respect you might learn for jinchuurikis, might I add."

"Hmm, what about the Uzumakis in your care then?" The he-elder asks.

"Uzumakis?" Senju-san asks, shocked.

"Nn. Not in my care per se. But yeah. Akari, Karin, Minori, Haruki, and the two adopted Uzumakis Udon and Moegi. Akari-san is barely with us a week. I can't say much about her. Karin is turning into a decent medic, easily Rank Four. Minori is… amazing. She's not worth her salt as a medic, but in sealing and what she's been picking up from me in sound release? I'd trust her to watch my back in a fight. Haruki is more the medic. He's only a Rank Two for now, but he's gaining ground all the time. He also has the mindset of a medic, and that counts for a lot. Udon is… harder for me to gauge. He's better at sealing, but more offensive sealing and that's just not something I know anything about. He's good with his twin scimitars though. Good enough that I enjoy sparring with him. Moegi is exactly the opposite. She's the better medic, but she isn't half bad in sealing. I think she's a Rank Three medic and a Rank Two in seals. She's also decent with her twin scimitars, but… she's still a bit stiff. Both Moegi and Udon are academy students, by the way."

Why is this about my pack? Why did I let this go this route? "I see. And the Yukis?"

"I couldn't say. I only train them in medical jutsu. Haku's Rank Four, at least. Aomaru's… Rank Two, I think?" I offer, half hoping to get off this topic.

"You're a genin, and you're entrusted with so much? Sensei had faith in you." Senju-san says. Oh, you have _no_ idea.

"And what of the last three? The Namikis?" The she-elder presses.

I glare this time. Taking a bit of my chocolate. "Irrelevant. You're now asking for me to reveal secret jutsu information that I will not reveal."

"Wait, hold on! Namikis? Miwako was the last, and you're her only child." Senju-san is confused.

"I adopted. Yasu, who is and will remain a civilian. Katsuo, who's in the academy. He's been with us since the invasion, so there has been little progress. And Sakiko. She's joining the academy next fall."

"I see. Would you trust me with that information if we were to discuss it privately?" Senju-san asks.

"That information is irrelevant until they become genin. I only revealed Udon and Moegi because they are ready to take the exams now if they so choose." I explain seriously.

 **-Aya. I need you to start looking into something, stat. Extraction of a person not currently on the summoning roster.-**

 **-I'll talk to Asami asap. We'll come up with something.-** I glance at Naruto-nii, who makes a shadow clone.

"Ladies, guy, and Jiraiya. If that's all the dancing and entertaining you need, we really must be off. Much to do, much to do. And by the way… why isn't daddy in this meeting? Wouldn't it make much more sense for your Jounin Commander to be here as well?"

There's a knock on the door. "I was waiting for you to stop yapping without a privacy jutsu in place. Really, princess. Don't you know how to cast one?" I blush furiously. "Figures. I'll teach you one tonight. Now run along."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 58_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Anyone notice how the Hyuuga sisters weren't discussed? Heh. Mess with Hiashi's daughters? I think not!  
_**


	70. Just another day

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 59 – Just another day_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I don't want to hear it, Minori." I warn, my tone severe. "I've got enough going on, so unless you plan on helping me, I don't plan on helping you right now."

"What are you working on then?" She asks, wondering at my foul mood. I have Asami, Naruto, Hitomi and Tsu surrounding my desk – the last two mostly out of habit. And we are trying to figure out how we're going to do this thing for Sasuke. We don't know who he wants out of Orochimaru's lair, but we know that he wants it done yesterday.

"This is a summoning contract of sorts. We're trying to figure out a way to summon someone through it that isn't currently on the roster." I explain, thinking about it some more. "This is based on blood seals though, and I simply don't know enough about that to be of any help."

"You see, that's just the thing." Sasa-nee says, rubbing her temples. "Unless their blood is registered along with their chakra signature, there's just no way."

"What if Sasuke marks this person with his blood?" Minori suggests.

"That would only work if their blood is similar enough. That means it'd have to be family." Naruto-nii offers. Then a thought hits him.

 **-Oi, Broody. This person you need extracted. It wouldn't happen to be a blood relative, would it?-** Naru-nii asks.

 **-She has the Sharingan, so I assume so.-** Sasuke says.

"Well, that certainly simplifies things. Now we just need to teach Aya how to manipulate the summoning enough to do it." Sasa-nee thinks about that. "Minori, it's a good thing you're here." Sasa-nee bites her thumbs and smears some of her blood on Minori.

"Okay, ew!" Minori complains.

"Hush, you. Aya, try to sense her through the seal. If you can't sense her, then you can't summon her." I'm explained.

I nod, placing my right index finger on Asami's marker. "Cool! I can tell that you're tired, Sasa-nee. You should try to get some rest."

"Thank you, professor." She drones, obviously not in the mood. At least now I know why. I focus harder, trying to follow her blood.

"Nothing." I admit, sorrow in my tone.

"What about if we for a simple tracking seal on Minori in blood? Sasuke isn't very good with seals, but if that's the only way?" Naruto-nii offers. He bites his thumb, painting a simple tracking seal on Minori's cheek.

"Next time I'll just stay out of your hair when you start planning!" Minori isn't enjoying her _buddy time_ with us. It takes ten seconds before Naru-nii nods to me to try again.

I nod, focusing on his marker this time. "Oh yeah! I've got her!" I announce, feeling her instantly. "I'll trying summoning her."

Forming the needed –and modified– handsigns, I poke Naruto-nii's marker. Minori poofs from one position to right on top my desk.

Great… that means we'll have to teach Sasuke how to make a tracking seal using blood seals, when he can't even SEE what we're talking about. "Okay, now we just need to figure out how to get Sasuke to apply that seal."

They all groan. "He hasn't had any formal training in sealing, has he." Minori asks, sweating a little.

"Nope. Not even a little." Naruto-nii is just as worried.

"He has the Sharingan. So if he were to see someone making the seal?" I point out. But that's still easier said than done. "If I summon him here, would I be able to send him back?" I wonder.

"No. There'd be no marker for you to send him back." Asami shoots that thought down. "I might be able to break down the steps for creating it and write that on a scroll. But… you'd have to practice sending scrolls through the summoning. Which isn't going to be easy."

"If that's the only option we have?" I remind her. She and Naru-nii shrug. "Well, tell me what to do and I'll start training now."

"Alright…" Asami-nee nods, thinking about that for a second. "What you could do is start with a calligraphy brush, and work your way up to scrolls. What you need to focus on is…"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I obviously don't have enough going on. At all. So, at seven AM, Cat comes ringing on, saying how Wolf, Fox, Rabbit, Dog and 'Wolf's trainee', are to report to the Hokage's office, stat.

I groan, hating this situation. Still, duty calls. So I gather the troops –who were all training in the backyard when Cat came calling anyway– and we head out immediately.

In Senju-san's office –she still isn't sworn in as Hokage, so I'm not calling her that– we find Senju-san, Katou-san, Jiraiya and Dragon. "You rang?" Dog teases. He's the highest ranking Operative, so he has automatic spokesman rights.

"Yes." Senju-san begins. "I need to start switching things up. Immediately. Dog, I understand that you are not yet fully recovered. However, I will need you to take over Wolf's mission to guard the Sand Trio. Wolf will be given another duty effective immediately."

"I don't understand." Dog says, his shoulders tensing slightly.

"I will explain in a moment. Wolf, what codename has your trainee been given?"

"Koala." I say, hating where this is going.

"Good. Wolf. You will be given the position of secretary, but with several intermingled duties. You would have Rabbit and Koala aiding you in this. Not only filtering out the crap paperwork, but also doubling as-"

"Senju-san. I think you are forgetting several important factors here." I remind her. Her eyebrow rises, but she doesn't ask. "First of all. It is within my rights to turn down any assignment. Second of all, I have repeatedly turned down this assignment. Third of all, you ignore my other duties. Even if you were to take me off of my current mission, that doesn't excuse me from my other duties. Let alone… situations you are as yet unaware of. Just because you are slated as the Fifth, does not mean I will bow down to your every whim."

"I understand. Which is why I am offering Rabbit and Koala the same, so that you can rotate duties between you." She tries.

"Then you do not understand our how we operate. Where I go, they go. Rotating duties counters this." I say, my tone just as crisp as ever.

"Then what would you suggest, Wolf? I need someone I can trust to not only deal with confidential paperwork, but also control the shinobi coming in and out of my office. Not to mention plausible assassination attempts that someone would also need to thwart. And that's not including possible aid in the hospital when there is need of it, and someone that has access to Anbu HQ should I ever need something or someone there. Can you name another that meets these requirements?"

"Salamander and Penguin of Anbu. Haruno Sakura, from the hospital, if you negate the Anbu bit, simply because you can call those Anbu to you." I answer evenly. "And that's ignoring the option of simply training someone to meet the unrealistic standards you set forth."

Senju-san thinks about that. "Let's try it this way then. I want you."

"What you want is irrelevant." I counter.

"Wolf. Explain your stance." Dragon demands.

"I do not bow to the demands of those I do not trust. You know that." I answer evenly.

"I understand." Senju-san thinks about that.

"You just don't care." I challenge.

"You're quite right about that. So tell me, what would it take to get you to accept the position?" Senju-san is honest, if nothing else. I think about that.

Well, when in a bargaining position, go for broke. "At least B-rank pay, access to the Hokage Library and permission to learn any jutsu I desire, the authority to kick anyone out of your office should I decide it's needed, permission to interrupt any meeting not of S-rank importance and/or secrecy, and leeway to still continue with my other duties should I be able to balance them – which includes but is not limited to: training Koala, rehabilitating my patients and tending to the Sand Trio and Fuu."

There's simply _no way_ she'd agree to all of that.

"Done. You start tomorrow. Eight AM sharp. So don't be late." I groan. "And I'm coming over to your house tonight to discuss your new duties."

I growl this time.

"Wolf…" Dragon warns.

"Forget it, Dragon. **No one** invites themselves into my den." I warn, my tone dark. There's a reason everyone feels so at home there. And knowing that just anyone cannot come in is a HUGE part of that.

"Let me rephrase. Wolf, would it be acceptable if Shizune, Tonton, and I were to come over for dinner so that we may discuss matters of importance?" Senju-san tries.

"Sis, it's alright." Fox-nii says, rubbing my lower back. "I can vouch for them."

…

 **-Sis, really. Now you're just being difficult.-**

 **-And I'm well within my rights to be.-**

 **-Maybe, but that doesn't mean you _have_ to be. She's trying to open a friendly channel of communication with her new secretary. Can you blame her for that?-**

 **-This has nothing to do with that. If it was merely opening a channel, she'd invite me to dinner at a restaurant or a café or something. She only wants to come over to see with her own eyes what goes on in our den.-** I counter.

 **-Maybe. But I don't blame her for that either. I mean, seriously. The work you do is totally awesome! And you tend to only talk about it when you're sucking on chocolate.-**

 **-I agree with the idiot.-** Sasuke adds his two Ryou. I growl through the seal. **-I'm not saying to give in, Aya. I'm saying that you have a tendency to be too closed off, and that makes people want to see what you're hiding. I've suffered idiots like that for years.-**

"Dinner is at six-thirty. Show up early, because we **will** skip introductions otherwise. And you don't get second chances." I intone, hating that I'm giving in. "And keep in mind that only the three requested individuals are being let in. If Jiraiya, the elders, or anyone not already given access to our den shows up, or sneaks in… I promise you, there will be **hell** to pay." I glare at Jiraiya, warning him that I'm deadly serious.

"Oi, what'd I do?" Jiraiya tries. "And besides, what if we need to hold a private meeting?"

"Then hold it at _your house_." I counter. "Will there be anything else?"

"Yes. I need updates on your patients. I need each of your takes on what you encountered during the third exam, and what happened during the invasion. I'll also need to hear what the current medical status is of Dog's rehabilitation and if you'd declare him fit for active duty."

This is just all going downhill from here, isn't it.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

That only took forever.

We make it home in time for lunch, but everyone is noticing my foul mood. "Sorry, Yasu-nee. I think I'd better eat in my office. I'm not in a people mood right now." I excuse myself, taking my plate and my tea with me. Not surprisingly, Tsu and Hitomi join me.

While I'm eating, I go over the notes I've made about that new sound release jutsu I've been working on.

There's a knock on the door. Yasu-nee sees herself in without me having to say anything, dragging mom and Akari-san with her. I sigh, knowing that I'm going to hate whatever they want to talk about.

"There's something bothering you." Mom begins. I snort. Wasn't that obvious? "You need to talk about it before you explode on someone."

"I just don't like being manipulated." I say vaguely. I don't doubt that Kakashi, Naruto-nii and/or Asami-nee said something.

"I understand that, but this goes deeper." Mom presses. "What's the problem you have with Tsunade-sama?"

"I don't have anything against her. I just don't have anything for her. Add to that that she's trying to worm her way in?" I say, still eating and reading my notes.

"Baby, I know you. There's more to this than what you're telling me." Mom isn't going to give up until I tell her. And that she has so much backup doesn't help. I sigh.

"…Why…? Why did Jiraiya have to be sent out to find her? If she can be trusted enough to be the Fifth, why would she have to be found? She wasn't declared a rogue, but I haven't heard anything of note about the woman for as long as I can remember. Everything I know about her is via hearsay, textbooks and lectures on notable Konoha shinobi." I say, thinking about that. "I know she has reasons. But what reason could ever be good enough to turn her back on Konoha for what… twenty years?"

"… I don't know." Mom admits. "But isn't that something you'd need to ask her?"

I snort. "Yeah. Like she'd answer me." If I had reasons deep enough to do that, I'd never talk about them to someone I don't know. So why would she talk about them with me?

"You won't know if you don't try." Tsu points out. Well, there's that.

"Will you at least… _try_ to talk to her?" Mom begs. "For me?"

I sigh. "Alright." I cave, but I still don't like it!

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

After lunch, I decide to focus on the kids. I haven't had a lot of time with them, and they're off from the academy today. So, I drag all of them into the dojo, telling them that I want one on one spars to see how they're progressing.

Udon, of course, is the most challenging to face. Whether in pure taijutsu or kenjutsu, he's by far the most advanced of this group – mostly because Konohamaru isn't here.

Moegi comes in second, and her kenjutsu is really coming along. Her movements are far more fluid than they have been, and she's surer of herself.

Then is Haruki. He's a true medic with how he fights – dodge/parry, counter attack. He isn't half bad. He's really not designed for the Uzumaki kenjutsu style though; he's too evasive for it. I'll have to talk to Naruto-nii about that, see what we can come up with.

Katsuo is… well, he hasn't been with us long. His stance is sloppy, his attacks are uncontrolled, and he doesn't understand that trading blows is a bad idea. I need to pay much more attention to him if we're going to turn him into a Namiki.

Then comes my little trooper. Sakiko. She's… Kami-sama, that girl amazes me sometimes. I've been teaching her Muay Thai, letting her toughen up her fists, elbows, knees and shins for the style. I've also been working on her kenjutsu and some simple E-rank genjutsus. She's so focused for a five year old. So determined. And I try to reward that when I can – though I try not to spoil her. During our spar, I have to constantly dispel genjutsus, while countering her attacks. Her chakra reserves are decent, for her age, but she isn't likely to ever be a powerhouse. So, instead I have her focus on her genjutsus and how to combine that with her taijutsu. And… she's…

"Good." I motion for Sakiko to stop. "You've been practising. Good."

"Of course I've been practising, ya know!" She beams, happy to make me proud of her.

"Saki." I call, getting her immediate attention. "I need you to start working in Katsuo properly. I think you're the best person to help him with this. Just Muay Thai for now. Have him toughen up, just like I showed you. And do not look down on him for having less experience." She's one of the few that can say they've had my undivided attention, and for months too. It's been getting busy around here, and everyone seems to need me for something.

"You can count on me, ya know!"

I walk up to her, petting her hair. "I know. That's why I need you to do this for me. Katsuo has the drive, he just needs someone that can offer him the time. Help him. For me?"

"Nn!" She beams, blushing proudly. "Come on, Togo! The sooner we start the better!"

'Togo'? I look to Katsuo, who's blushing furiously. Probably some nickname she came up with for him.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Five o'clock on the dot, the doorbell rings. I head out to the gate, smelling Senju-san, Katou-san and the pig. Not surprisingly, Hitomi and Tsu come with me to welcome them. "Good afternoon." I greet politely, but do not bow.

"Good afternoon, Aya." They smile a little, obviously unsure what to make of me. I take a deep sniff, wondering about that extra trace of chakra in the air.

"'Tomi?"

 **#Accomplice. Close enough to want to sneak in.#** I get my confirmation, luckily Hitomi just outside of their view, so it's a private message.

"Is there something I should know about?" I ask, my tone neutral.

"If you mean the pervert? Nothing I have to say about it. He was here before we even arrived." Senju-san claims. I wonder about that, but she hasn't tried lying to me before.

"Oi! Tsuna, that hurts." I hear the familiar voice. "You know I'm not a pervert. I'm a SUPER pervert!" I groan, rubbing my forehead in annoyance.

"Jiraiya. I'd made my stance perfectly clear. What are you doing here?" I demand, not hiding the fire in my tone.

"Oi, oi, calm down. I'm just checking your security system, considering the crowd you intend for it to protect." He tries. I don't buy it.

"How sweet. And I'm sure you're about to tell me that you perfectly understand Uzumaki Script sealing too." I intone, obviously being sarcastic.

"Considering Uzumaki Kushina taught me? Yes, I can." I roll my eyes. More claims I cannot confirm or deny.

"Well, if you are quite satisfied? Leave." I don't need him checking the security. From what Asami told me, the Fourth himself designed it. No one's getting around that.

"Wow. No respect at all." He drones.

"We've been over this. Repeatedly." I remind him. "I have nothing to add." He nods, an odd emotion playing out in his eyes. He turns to leave, but it seems he has one last thing to say.

"Do me a favour? Tell Naruto I want to teach him a new jutsu sometime this week. I'll be leaving again soon, and I was hoping to spend some time with him."

 **-Naru-nii. The perv wants to spend time with you. He's dangling a new jutsu to tempt you. Oh, and he's 'been checking the security system' for Kami knows how long. If you do talk to him, curse him out for me.-** I relay the message.

"Oi, sis! Invite him in?" I hear from in the family sitting room.

"How about no?" I counter. Then a head pops out from behind the paper screen, and a pair of begging blue eyes find mine – topped off with pouting, quivering lips. Kami-sama, I'm such a softie.

I open the gate, letting Senju-san and Katou-san in, along with their two pigs. One was born that way, the other was just raised wrong, or something. "Be on your best behaviour, Jiraiya. I will not tolerate perversion in my den."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"What's this? A who's-who in Anbu?" Jiraiya teases, finding almost nothing but familiar faces in the family sitting room. All of the patients, most of the regular faces, Tsume-san, Tenzo and Yuugao – who Kakashi invited over, after discussing it with the pack.

"If I cannot trust my colleagues, then there is no hope for this village." I (sort of) answer him. "Oi, Mitarashi-san, make sure these two don't get any sake until after dinner?"

She grins a little too brightly. "Sure thing, princess." She loves it when I give her little jobs like that – denying people sake when everyone else is allowed, I mean.

"For those who don't know yet, Senju-san is the Fifth candidate. Katou-san is her assistant. There's no need to be shy about who you are with them." I explain seriously. The patients all nod, but everyone else already knew that.

"So, Senju-san. My patients." I point them out as I go. "Sarutobi Chinatsu, codenamed Ferret. Akimichi Kanon, codenamed Crane. Kurama Hikaru, codenamed Eagle. Akiyama Rokurou, codenamed Newt. Mori Shouta, codenamed Skunk. Tachibana Akio, codenamed Chameleon. And last is Akimichi Chouji, non-Anbu. Before the invasion I only had Hatake Kakashi and Yamanaka Maki, both of which are… at least at eighty percent."

"I see. They all seem to be doing well enough. I'm guessing they gave you hell while still bedridden." I snort. "I thought so. Anbu tend to be… frustrating patients." Senju-san frowns, obviously speaking from experience.

"Maybe, but we've worked out an agreement. Isn't that right, guys?" I ask, giving them a teasing smile.

"Tch, doc, you've been dishing out one agreement after the next. Which one are you referring to?" Rokurou teases, but smiles a little anyway.

"I dunno. Pick one?" I tease right back. "The point is, after they healed enough to get into physical therapy, there's been almost no issues. We even set up a gym where they can work out, build up their muscles again. The works. And I'm not too stingy on their vices either. I guess that helps."

"You got that right! Doc is the best!" Hikaru boasts, toasting to 'the doc'. Everyone, of course, toasts right along with him.

"And they're not on any painkillers? Anesthetic jutsus? Nothing like that?" She asks, curious.

"I'll show you their charts later, but no. I'd dealt with the pain sources before they even woke up from their injuries. Between Hana, myself, and more recently the other Anbu medics, we've kept them pain free without relying on drugs of any kind. Haku did have to whip up some salves for some of the more… troubling situations, but even that was dealt with swiftly." I explain. "But, you don't have to believe me. You can ask them yourselves."

"On my mother's grave, the doc hasn't let me suffer more than thirty seconds. And that's including the time I hit my head against the wall." Chinatsu brags.

"Oi, you too!? I remember doc even having to catch me from falling down the stairs." Kanon says, smiling at the memory.

"And when I gave myself a concussion from walking before doc green lighted me." Hikaru smiles warmly at me. "Doc patched me up in no time at all. She didn't even seem to care about the blood on the wall."

"Hey, you remember the concert? When you and Anko had too much to drink? You got blood all over her kimono, and she didn't care." Rokurou points out.

"Concert?" Senju-san asks, turning to me with questions in her eyes.

"Sometimes you've got to entertain the idiots." I shrug. It wasn't a big deal.

"Tsunade-sama, you've got to hear her sing one of these days! Doc's got a voice like you wouldn't believe!" I roll my eyes. Sometimes I wonder if Hikaru has a thing for me.

"Oi! We're here to talk about you guys, not me!" I remind them, blushing.

"Aw, come on, doc. You can't expect us to not brag about you a little." Chouji teases, blushing and smiling brightly. I roll my eyes, refusing to comment on that. And for the record, I am NOT blushing! I have… an allergic reaction. To idiots!

"So anyway." Need to find a jutsu to counter that crap. "Hana, if you wouldn't mind showing Katou-san the charts? There's something I needed to talk to Senju-san about. Privately."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I lead the blonde into my office, motioning for her to take a seat on the couch. While she's making herself comfortable, I activate the privacy seal and seal the door.

"An odd collection of books. Medical textbooks, geographical theories, novels, and pretty much everything you'd ever want to know about wolves. You're an odd combination of both your parents." Senju-san says, still looking around.

I sit on the couch beside her, turning slightly so I can see her properly, while still being comfortable. "Senju-san, please forgive me for being so forward, but this is something I have to know if I'm ever going to trust you." Her face goes from curious to blank in the blink of an eye. "You abandoned Konoha, your teammate, your sensei, for longer than I've been alive. Why?"

There's a twinge of pain in her eyes, gone almost as soon as it's there. "We all have our reasons." She intones, trying to give nothing away. "The easiest answer… is that I had no one else."

"… Senju-san. Let me tell you something you probably haven't figured out. I didn't have anyone at one point. My parents were dead, my family was dead. I had no friends. I grew up alone." I explain. "I didn't leave."

"…" The twinge of pain flickers again.

"I haven't seen the horrors of war, but I found Chouji face down in the dirt, a sword sticking out of his back. I saw Kakashi with both his hands cut off, his leg so badly cut up that I compared him to chicken fillet fresh from the butcher's. I saw Maki almost to the point of bleeding out, nerve damage so bad that she had to relearn how to write and walk. The Anbu patients I have here? All of them suffered severe spine injuries. And that's ignoring that I rescued Yasu and Sakiko, who were sex slaves in a bandit camp when I found them."

She doesn't react. At all.

"So, tell me again how your pain weighs against those I love?" I verbally prod her. She thinks about it. I can tell just by the ever so slightly haunted look in her eyes.

"Hemophobia." She murmurs so softly I barely make out her words.

"Senju-san, I activated a privacy seal. I assure you, whatever you tell me, will go no further." I explain. "Would you mind telling me what caused a world renowned medic to develop a fear of blood?"

Her whole body tenses, her face scrunches up in pain, but her eyes remain dry. She's thinking about what happened, but she's refusing to cry about it. I get the feeling she's shed a lot of tears in the past and probably just got sick of crying.

"I'm not here to judge you, Senju-san. I'm not here to poke at your wounds. I'm just trying to understand. I'm sure you know how a Namiki thinks about loyalty to the pack. You disappearing the way you did… it confuses me. Will you help me to understand?" I explain seriously, trying to keep my tone as soothing as I can.

"My last patient in the Second Shinobi World War… he bled out… before I could… save him…" She explains hesitantly.

"…" For someone to bleed out on you is horrible. But… for it to have a deep enough impact on her, for it to traumatize her to the point of developing hemophobia? Thinking back to how I felt when I saw Chouji, lying there, unconscious and seemingly dead or dying… "I understand, I think." I say, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. "I remember when I found Chouji. I nearly lost my mind…" I don't hide my emotions from her, knowing that she would understand better than anyone what that could do, mentally, emotionally.

She shakes off her mood, trying to regain her stoic composure. She isn't entirely successful.

"So anyway. Duties. What kind of hellish crap are you going to ask me to do?" I change the subject. I don't forgive her for abandoning Konoha, but… we all deal with our grief in our own way. Seeing how 'well' I dealt with mine, I have no right to judge her for hers. "And just so you know, I'm not showing up unarmed. There's no job that's worth feeling naked for."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Over the next half hour, we talk. About what she needs from me, about what makes more sense, about Katou-san's role, about the dreaded Council meetings – I tell her who I find more annoying and why. I'm also careful to warn her about the ghouls –she laughs when I call the Elders that– and Shimura Danzo. Her eyes harden when I mention his name, so I'm not telling her anything new.

We talk about some of her ideas for the hospital, about her old idea about getting a trained medic on each team –which I'm all for– and even introducing simplified seals and medic jutsu in the academy. I even suggest a few simple genjutsus, which I promise her I'll have a scroll describing them prepared for the next day.

"What about your academy time, though?" Yeah, we're just talking about anything now. "I mean, most people I know wish they could go back. Relieve the good ol' days." She's eyeing me curiously.

"I didn't care too much about it, really. Ino kind of stole into my life two weeks before graduation, before that… I avoided people. I tried avoiding Ino too, but she's as headstrong as her mother." I tease, smiling at the memory. "She kind of dragged me everywhere, introduced me to people, got me to talk… Kami-sama, it was so awkward talking to people."

"Hmm? Why's that?" She asks, curious.

"I was five when mom died." I say, but I'm quick to shake off the sadness. "I kind of refused to get close to anyone after that. So I didn't talk, practically at all, for almost seven years. The only time I would use my voice was when I would sing to myself. Or tell myself good morning in the mirror."

"Seriously? Seeing you now, I'd never have guessed." She admits, obviously impressed. "So Ino changed your life?"

"Not just her. Ino, Naruto-nii, and mom. Well, before I started calling her mom. They… drew me out of my shell bit by bit. Mom gave me books to study so I wouldn't feel like a fool when I talk to people. Naruto-nii… well, he kind of gave me a lifeline whenever I needed one. When I thought some idiot was bothering me, he was the one that came to my rescue. During our first C-rank mission, he found out how much I hated coming home to an empty house… and… he suggested we move in together." I smile thinking back on my idiot's words. "He promised he'd be here, for me to come home to. That we'd watch it snow together."

Senju-san smiles warmly. "Yeah, the brat's got a way of growing on you. Whether you want him to or not."

I snort, laughing about that. "Yeah, he kind of does."

"Just like his mother. Kami-sama, Kushina had a way with people. Even though she was the scariest kunoichi I ever met, she could reach anyone, touch them in a way no one else could. It's what drew Minato to her, if I had to guess." She says, thinking back on her ghosts. "He was… always so quiet. To himself. It still amazes me that he became the Fourth."

"Have you talked to Naruto-nii about them? I'm sure he would love to hear about those stories." I say, smiling.

"Does he know?" She asks, curious.

"I made sure the Third told him the day I found out."

"You found out? How?"

"…" Do I trust her enough to tell her? No, but I trust her enough not to lie. "My mother was his father's personal Anbu. She left hints for me, in case something happened. And frankly, the Third had us living across the hall from each other for years. I sometimes wonder if everyone expected us to get married or something." I make a gagging sound, to show just what I think of that.

"And look how you two turned out. I can almost imagine him wearing the hat and you getting on his case about paperwork." She laughs, likely picturing it for real.

"Probably." I admit. "Hey, didn't Katou-san have a date tonight?"

"She does. She's leaving right after dinner." Ah, that makes sense. "Speaking of which, we should probably go join the others. They must think we're trying to kill each other."

"Nah, if they were worried, Naruto-nii would have warned me by now."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"There you are! See, Shizune-nee-chan! They're both in one piece." Naru-nii announces.

"Again. I'm sure Tsunade-sama could have put her back together in the last hour!" I snort, amused that Senju-san was right.

"We were talking. Nothing more." I say, rolling my eyes at Katou-san.

"Talking? About what?" Kakashi asks. He's yet to get a proper conversation out of me, so he obviously thinks I'm lying.

"The usual. Boys, clothes and makeup." I drone, fixing him with a dull glare. "She has a thing for perfumes too, but I'd sneeze myself into an early grave if I wore that."

"… Sorry I asked." Kakashi says, knowing that I'm telling him to mind his own business. "Oi, Yasu-chan, you need a hand?" He excuses himself, obviously trying to get away from me. I roll my eyes.

"So anyway, we miss anything?" I ask Tsu. Hitomi has been relaxing a bit while we're home, so she doesn't mind me not being in her field of vision, but Tsu's still kind of latching onto me like I'm her anchor to reality.

"Not really. They drank sake, Jiraiya's been bothering Naruto-san about some training and jutsu and whatnot. Oh, Asami-san arrived, but seeing as your office was off limits, she disappeared upstairs, probably stealing your bed so she can read in peace. Other than that… not really." Tsu updates me.

"Yeah, she's probably had enough of the old perv to last a lifetime." I say, smirking.

"I take offence to that! I'm the life of the party!" Uh huh. And pigs are the best fliers.

"What about daddy? Is he back from work?" I wonder. He's usually back by now.

"Oh, right. He came home not five minutes after you disappeared. He plans on kidnapping your mom though, saying that they haven't gone out in forever. They're upstairs getting ready."

"Good. They deserve a night out." I nod, liking the idea.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Aya-nee… can I sit with you this time?" Sakiko asks, her eyes begging.

"Alright." She sits in my lap, just as Yasu-nee and Maki are sharing out food. Kakashi tries to help Yasu-nee, but she swats his hand every time. Eventually she gets tired of him and shoos him, but he isn't giving up that easy.

Ignoring their not so subtle flirting, I turn my attention back to my baby sister. She's already sneaking a few eggrolls from our shared plate, but I don't mind too much. Tsu and Hitomi sit to either side of me, and Senju-san and Katou-san sit opposite us – where mom and daddy would usually sit.

"Katsuo's bugging you about something isn't he." I whisper into Saki's ear. She nods, but there's a look in her eyes that tells me there's more to the story. "You want to tell me what about?"

She shakes her head no. She's blushing though. Hmm, interesting. "Did he say something about marrying you?" The blush intensifies, to the point that the back of her neck is turning pink. She nods though.

She cranes her neck, trying to whisper into my ear, so I lean forward to help her. "He told me that he's going to marry me when we grow up, but that he won't ask me until he's at least as strong as I am." I fight to keep myself from smiling, but I know my eyes are giving me away.

"Are you looking forward to that?" I ask, whispering just as softly. I know every jounin and higher in this room can hear us clear as day, but it's puppy love. It's fine.

She blushes just as deeply, but she doesn't answer me this time. I think that blush is answer enough though.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After dinner, I retreat to my office once again. Back to my training. I focus on Naruto-nii's marker, trying to send calligraphy brushes to him via the summoning. It's not easy though.

Asami taught me the handsigns I need for it, but it's a sequence that's like… twenty handsigns long! It's annoying to have to go through this over and over again, but this is something Sasuke needs. I have to give it my all.

"What are you doing?" Senju-san asks, obviously noticing the over the top handsign usage and the rapidly disappearing brushes.

"Magic trick." I drone. Motioning her into my office. "Activate the seal, please?" She does, wondering what's going on. "I'm sure you've been told that Sasuke left? That he joined Orochimaru?"

"Yes. A few of the Council members have been bugging me about it. Some asking for him to be brought back at all costs, others demanding I mark him a rogue before he causes trouble for Konoha. Why?" She looks at the scroll, seeing his name written on it. "That's a summoning scroll. With Sasuke, Naruto and Asami. There's something going on I obviously don't know about."

"Yes. The Third gave Sasuke a mission to infiltrate Orochimaru's organization. He's to try to gain Orochimaru's trust, to locate every base he can, to try to turn every one of Orochumari's people he can. The only ones that know about the mission were the Third, Kakashi, Sasuke and myself. It's S-ranked for Sasuke, but seeing as he needs a handler, I got the long term A-rank mission."

"Okay, but why Naruto and Asami?" There's suspicion in her eyes.

"Two jinchuuriki? Why would the Third wish for someone to be able to get them back to Konoha instantly?" I wonder, leaving her to figure that out for herself.

"… Not a bad plan. And you obviously are someone they can trust with that." She admits, nodding approvingly. "So what are you trying to send brushes through for?"

"Well… Sasuke wants someone other than him extracted. The only option we have is for him to mark this person with a blood tracking seal, but he has no training in Sealing. So Asami made a detailed scroll for him. But… I'm the only one that can use this scroll, so that means I have to train to send it to him." I explain. "I've been sending Naruto-nii brushes trying to get used to this… weird jutsu."

"Hmm… let me have a look?" I shrug, motioning to the scroll. "… Not bad work. Not the best I've seen though. Hmm. Yeah, with this set up, no one but you can use the scroll. Smart. But why is the jutsu to send something through so intensive…?"

She turns the scroll to read it right side up. "Are you sure it's wise to let Ryuuzetsu know about your mission?"

"I trust her. So that isn't something I worry about. No one else knows. Not even the ghouls or Danzo, as far as I know."

"Hmm… I think I understand the problem. Asami doesn't have your chakra control, so she compensated by designing the jutsu with that many handsigns to mould the chakra properly." Senju-san turns the scroll back to me. "Try boar, dog, dragon, tiger." She tells me.

Seeing no reason not to, I do the sequence. The difference is immediately apparent. The entire box of brushes, box and all, poofs to Naruto-nii. I grin. "You know, Senju-san... I like having you around."

 **-Whoa! Sis, how'd you manage that!? There's no way you can't send that scroll to Sasuke now!-**

 **-I was just about to ask him if he was alone, actually.-** I smile at my words.

 **-Define alone.-** Sasuke intones

 **-Only surrounded by people you'd trust enough to show that you have outside help and are likely a plant.-** I say.

 **-Then yes.-**

 **-Good. Hold up one of your hands like I'm about to give you a scroll. Palm flat, please, and as horizontal as you can manage.-** I demand, unsealing the scroll Asami gave me and getting ready to send it to him.

I focus on his marker, feeling him do as I asked. **-Sending it now.-** I do the shorter sequence, grinning as the scroll poofs out of sight.

 **-Hnn. Give me five minutes.-** No formal training whatsoever, and going to do a blood seal in five minutes. Kami-sama, are all Uchiha that conceited?

Whatever. "Senju-san, I can't thank you enough." I say, standing and bowing formally to her. She just saved me weeks of frustration, and now Sasuke has what he needs. To boot, we now have a way of getting things to him he'll need! This is just too awesome for words!

"It's nothing." She waves it off. "I like this idea though. To be able to send anyone on this roster something they need, no matter where they are. And the ability to summon them to your location." She thinks about that some more.

 **-Aya. Want to do a practice run. I marked that scroll you sent me. Try to summon it.-**

WHAT!?

I shake my head, trying to get rid of the cobwebs. I focus on his marker, feeling his tracking seal, but not what it's attached to. Well, here goes nothing.

I do the normal sequence, summoning the scroll not a second later. **-You scare me sometimes, you know that right?-**

 **-I guess you rub off on people. Marking the girl now. She knows she's going somewhere, but not where, or to whom. She knows my name is Sasuke, and that I trust the people I'm sending her to. She's only seven, Aya. Take care of her until I get home.-**

 **-You know I will. Let me know when you're ready.-**

"Senju-san… you're about to get your very first headache. Sasuke's marking a seven year old Uchiha he found. That's the person he wants extracted." I explain seriously.

"Hmm. We'll just have to come up with something." She shrugs. "But I agree, letting her stay with Orochimaru a second longer is a bad idea."

I nod, fully agreeing with her.

 **-Ready. She's a little scared.-** He sounds worried. I focus on his marker again, feeling the girl. Yeah, scared is the understatement of the year. She's ready to _go_ on herself.

I do the sequence, and a moment later there's a pale looking Sasuke mini-clone with long unruly hair, her one tomoe Sharingan studying me intently. Her lips are pursed, and slightly curled downwards.

"Hi there. I'm Aya. Sasuke hasn't told me too much about you, but he asked me to keep you safe for him until he gets home." I say, speaking as calmly and soothing as I can to set her at ease. "With me are Ryuuzetsu, but I call her Tsu, and Senju-san. She's our village leader. I know we might seem scary to you, but I promise you… we will help you in any way we can. Okay?"

"…o-o-kay…" She manages. Her voice shows just how scared she is.

I smile, as warm and as bright as I can, to chase away her fears. "Can you tell me your name?"

"…d-don't h-have… a n-n-name…" My heart shatters. To not only not have a sense of family, but to not have a sense of self?

 **-Sasuke. She says she doesn't have a name. She needs one. Stat.-**

 **-I call her Yuzuki. Gentle moon.-** He explains. Good, now I also know the kanji used to spell it.

"Sasuke says he calls you Yuzuki. Is that a name you like?" I ask. She smiles a little, unsure smile. Even her eyes look warmer now.

"N-nn." She nods a little.

"Alright. That's what we'll call you, okay? Uchiha Yuzuki." I smile again, glad that she at least had Sasuke to keep the poor girl sane. Heaven only knows what she's been through.

"I think it's a really cute name." Tsu says. "Don't you think so?"

Yuzuki nods, nervous and uncertain, but she's reacting at least. Oh, Kami-sama, this is the worst den for her to be introduced to the world in… every single person here is at least a little crazy. Then again… this is the den that lured Hinata out of her shell.

"You mind if I ask you something?" I wonder, hoping to get the girl to talk a little.

"I-i-i d-don't m-mind." She manages. I briefly wonder if her stuttering is from nerves, or if it's something deeper than that.

"I'm kind of tired, so I want to call it a night. But that means I need to wash up. Would you like to come wash up with me?" I try, hoping she'll trust me, even if only a little.

She nods, a little uncertain and more than a little fearful.

"Alright. Come on, then. I'll try to introduce you to some kids around your age. I know they can be a bit loud, but I promise, they're good kids. They wouldn't hurt you. Okay?" I offer my hand, waiting for her to take it. She studies my face, trying to figure something out, but I don't know what.

She blinks, and her Sharingan recedes. Her eyes are pitch black, just like Sasuke's – and Chouji's and Shika-nii's.

"N-nn." She noises, reaching out to take my hand. She hesitates, but I don't rush her. It's as if she's waiting for that moment when I turn into a monster. Sorry, I don't turn into a monster with cute little patients. Not my style.

She takes my hand, smiling that little uncertain smile of hers. I smile back, as warm and as bright as I can. She takes a step towards me.

"Do you want me to help you down, or does jumping down sound like more fun?" I ask, making sure to smile with my eyes as I speak.

She looks unsure. "C-can I j-jump?"

"Sure! If that's what you want. Just be careful though, I don't want you to hurt yourself okay?" She smiles a little again, nodding. "Do you want me to hold your hand while you're jumping? I don't have to if you think you can handle it."

She squeezes my hand, begging me with her eyes. I smile, squeezing her hand back gently. "You ready? On the count of three. One, two,-"

" **Three!** " We say at the same time, and she jumps down. She wobbles a little as she lands, but I help keep her on her feet. She didn't stutter that time.

"Alright, young lady. Let's see if we can get you something your size for you to sleep in. Did you want to sleep in my bed with me and two others?" I ask, as we walk towards the door.

"…" She's thinking about that, but seems unsure about the idea.

"I can always set up a futon for you, if you want that? Or I can arrange that you sleep in the room with my little sister. It really all depends on what you want." I offer.

"… N-no… c-can I s-sleep w-with y-y-you?"

"Of course. Come on, let's go wash up." Then a thought hits me. That means passing the family sitting room, when everyone's having sake. They'll be loud, brash, and probably way too much for her right now. "If you start feeling like any situation is too much for you, just grab onto my leg, okay? That way you don't have to say anything, but I'll know what you mean." I offer. "It'll be like a secret language only we understand. That sound okay to you?"

"N-nn." She nods, holding my hand a little tighter.

 **-Sasuke. She's opening up a little. She's still scared out of her mind, but she's coping. I'll keep you posted.-**

 **-Thank you.-**

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 59_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Just one more chapter that's should be a bit longer, then it's back to some fun times. Just because Aya's a secretary, doesn't mean she won't be put in some interesting situations. Just you wait and see.  
_**


	71. (not) Just another patient

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 60 – (not) Just another patient_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I might as well start my own orphanage. It's the only thing I haven't tried my hand at, even though I seem to be collecting orphans.

Yuzuki isn't too pleased about meeting everybody, but I can't say I'm surprised by that. "Oi, Aya, why is there a midget following you? Shouldn't they be in bed already?" Mitarashi-san asks just as I walk past the doorway to the family sitting room. Of course, that gets us everyone's attention.

"Because she just got here." I say, smiling at Yuzuki to let her know she's safe – with me, if nothing else. "Yuzuki-chan, would you like to say hello to my pack?" She looks at me, wondering about that last word. "Oh, sorry. When I say pack, I mean those closest to me. Like family, almost."

She shakes her head, no.

"Too many new faces too quickly, huh?" Not surprisingly, she doesn't answer me. In fact, she grabs my leg, hiding her face from the sea of unfamiliar faces. "Sorry, guys. Yuzuki-chan's really shy. We'll try introductions another time. Right now, we just want to go wash up. Isn't that right, Yuzuki?" She nods once, but doesn't speak.

"In that case, don't worry, Yuzuki-chan. If Aya says she'll take care of you, there's nothing to worry about." Kakashi says. "Isn't that right, guys?"

"Hear, hear! To the doc!"

" **To the doc! Kanpai!** " The lot of them toast to me again. I roll my eyes, but can't fight the smile hard enough.

I wave lazily to them, turning to head upstairs. Yuzuki isn't letting go of my leg though. "Hey, sweetie. Do you want me to carry you upstairs? That way you won't have to face any more crazy people tonight?" I offer. She nods, so I hook my hands under her arms and scoop her up. She's quick to wrap her arms around my neck, burying her face part in my neck, part in my hair. I make sure to wrap her in my arms, to let her fell as safe as she can right now.

"Aya, that sounds like a lovely idea. I think I'll join you." Yasu-nee says, just as I'm leaving. I smile, knowing just what she's thinking.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The first thing I do is go into my room, to grab my pyjamas and a comfy top for Yuzuki as well. It won't fit, but it's comfortable enough to sleep in, so it'll be like an oversized shirt – much like my own pyjamas. The trouble is underwear. She's too big for Sakiko's, too small for mine and Minori's. Hmm, we need to take this girl shopping. Like now, preferably – too bad that just won't work.

Still, once Yasu-nee finds us, she comes up with a quick fix – selecting an older pair of my undies, and taking them in on the spot so they're just the right size. "It's only a temporary fix, of course." She says, smiling. "But this will do for tonight. We'll just have to go into town to get you the basics tomorrow."

"Would you like that, Yuzuki? Getting some clothes? Maybe a bed to sleep in and some sheets and small things to help make you feel more at home?" I ask, kneeling in front of her; is it weird than I'm glad she's shorter than me? She's way too skinny, though. Poor thing needs to eat more.

"Y-you d-don't h-h-have t-to." She says, looking away from us.

"You're right, we don't." I agree, hooking my finger under her chin to guide her attention back to me. "We're not offering you this because we have to, but because we want to."

Her eyes meet mine. Those seemingly cold, coal eyes of hers. Tears well up, falling quickly.

"Hey." I hug her, running my hand through her hair gently. "I told you I'd take care of you. So this isn't a big deal to me, okay?" She nods, but the wetness on my neck isn't slowing down at all. This is just too much for her right now – in a good way, but too much nonetheless.

We take her, with her quick-fix night clothes, into the girls' bathroom and we start getting ready for our bath. We place our clothes on the shelf where we always put them, showing Yuzuki where she can put hers as well.

"See, we left a space for you right between ours." I assure her. She smiles that little unsure smile of hers again, gently setting her things down and nodding, clearly satisfied. Yasu-nee and I share a look, smiling.

After that we grab our towels and washrags and whatnot, and we guide Yuzuki into the washroom. We once again leave just enough room for her towel between ours, and we show her where she can grab the bowl she'll need to wash up. She puts her washrags into it, just like we do with ours.

Yasu-nee tries taking over as much as she can, explaining little things, giving her little tips, helping to scrub the girl's back, even as I scrub Yasu-nee's back to help her along.

I find myself more and more at ease, the more Yuzuki turns to both of us for something – anything. We're not out of the woods, of course, and we still have a long, long way to go before the girl builds up the kind of bond with us we have with each other… but when Yuzuki glomps Yasu-nee out of the blue, and for no reason I can come up with…

That's when I decide that we're going to be alright.

We make our way to the tub, ready for a soak to help ease the day's tension. Yasu-nee and I sit on the same 'side' of the tub, leaving just enough space between us for Yuzuki, if she wants to sit between us. She doesn't even hesitate this time.

"Hey, Yasu-nee. Sorry to bug you about this, but I'm going to be at work tomorrow. Would you be willing to take Yuzuki into town to get the things she'll need? Maybe take Naruto-nii with you?"

"That wouldn't be a problem for me. What do you think, Yuzuki-chan? Would you like to come with me to get your new things?" Yasu-nee asks. Yuzuki thinks about it, eventually nodding. "Alright. Then that's what we'll do."

"Oh, before I forget. You need to get her some shades to hide her eyes." Both of them look at me funny. "Yuzuki has the Sharingan. We can't have it get out that she's an Uchiha before we're ready to deal with that. So to make sure she can still use her Sharingan if she feels she needs to, she needs shades to hide her eyes."

"I see. Yes, that makes sense. Well, just one more thing we need to get you then, Yuzuki-chan." Yasu-nee smiles to show she really doesn't mind.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's five in the morning. I'm already (partly) awake, idly going over what I need to do today. Honestly, I'll just have to figure that out when I reach to Tower, because today's my first day as Senju-san's secretary. I just need to make sure I look presentable, in clothes comfortable enough to fight in, and can hide my usual weapons and tools in an inconspicuous way.

I'll figure that out after I wash up.

So I turn my full attention to my bedmates. Tsu is still snoring lightly – as usual. Haku's awake, probably going over her plans for the day as well, but I can't be sure if anyone but me does that first thing.

Yuzuki, however, is sleeping on top of me. She'd woken up a few times during the night to go to the bathroom, but she didn't seem to mind and she was asleep the second she cuddled up with me again.

We need to start getting ready for the day though. If I don't get up now, I'll get stuck in the morning rush, and I'll just start complaining about having to cut my soak time because we have to share with every other female that also needs to wash up and wants to soak a bit.

"Tsu. Time to get up. We need to start the day." I say, not keeping my voice down at all. I make sure to keep my tone pleasant – even though I feel annoyed that I can't sleep out, ever.

"I'm up, I'm up." Tsu says, her head jerking up and her eyes open, trying to take in the scene she finds herself in. She falls asleep almost immediately, her head falling back onto her pillow. I shake my head, wondering how she can fall asleep so fast. I need to learn that trick.

"Haku, how does she always manage to do that?" I ask, both amused and annoyed with Tsu.

"I wish I knew. I wake up at the slightest noise, and it takes me at least a minute to fall asleep afterwards." Haku explains, a smile in her tone. I know, right!

"Let's just get going. You know Tsu will chase after us when she realises the bed's empty."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We run into Sakiko, Minori and Yasu-nee in the bathroom, so we start the introductions for Yuzuki. She's still half asleep, but she doesn't seem to mind meeting a few friendly faces, even though she either clings to Yasu-nee or me.

Hitomi and Tsu are quick to join us though. Yeah, we got stuck in the morning rush. Then Moegi joins us as well. I smile, shaking my head. I end up with Sakiko in my lap for our soak, Yuzuki is in Yasu-nee's. It saves space, so we don't mind too much.

After that, Yuzuki gets dressed in the same clothes she had on yesterday –luckily Yasu-nee already washed and dried them, so they're clean– and I head into the backyard to do a light workout. I don't want to get all sweaty or anything, so I focus on a light kata to warm up and get my muscles and limbs limber and ready for the day.

At breakfast, Yuzuki sits between Sakiko and Minori, but she's mostly trying to focus on Yasu-nee, Tsu and I, seeing as she knows us better.

Everyone takes a turn introducing themselves to our newest member, but Yuzuki doesn't seem to like talking to too many new faces and clams up after the fourth introduction. Minori and Sakiko take turns speaking for her, mostly Sakiko though. I smile each time my little sister hugs the shy little Uchiha beside her.

"Hey, Naruto-nii. Yasu-nee is taking Yuzuki into town to get her the basics. You mind going with them? I mean, I'd feel better if I could be updated immediately if something happens, you know?" I (sort of) blab.

"No prob, sis." Naru-nii says, smiling. "I was hoping to spend some time with her anyway. Hey, Minori, you mind tagging along as well? I mean, if we leave around the same time as you and Haruki take the kids to the Academy, then it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"That's perfect! I would love to tag along!" Minori says, obviously happy about that. "What about you, Sakiko? I mean, maybe we can get you that plushie you were telling me about?"

Yuzuki smiles a little; shy and unsure, but there's a warmth mixed in there that lets me know she feels safe with at least some of our packmates. I nod, feeling a bit more confident our little Uchiha is going to be alright.

"Alright. I'll be sure to give Yasu-nee some spending money for you guys before I leave. Please keep in mind that I'm not going to be too happy with any of you if you give Yasu-nee a hard time."

"You can count on us, ya know!" Sakiko announces, linking arms with her new friend. Yuzuki nods, smiling a little again.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Tsu, Hitomi and I make it to the Tower, to Senju-san's office, at exactly quarter to eight. I'm wearing a furisode kimono top, with skin tight black pants and shinobi sandals. My twin kodachis are strapped to my gloves, like I would usually have them if in Anbu uniform, and my hip pouch tucked away in my obi, just to make sure I have it handy. Hitomi and Tsu are wearing a more practical jounin uniform, just to make sure they would be taken seriously if the situation demands that kind of approach.

Senju-san and Katou-san show up not five minutes after we do.

"Good morning. Thank you for being on time. Come, we need to discuss a few things privately." Senju-san says, motioning us into her office. Once inside, I'm asked to cast a privacy jutsu – thank Kami-sama daddy taught me a few since that last 'oops'.

"Alright. Let's start with what I need. Aya, you will be posted at the desk just outside my office. As we discussed yesterday, you'll be maintaining my agenda. There are currently no scheduled appointments, that means that no one has the right to waltz into my office unannounced. If anything comes up, I'll let you know before I head out. Shizune will be coming and going all morning, while I'm busy getting up to date on everything. Hitomi, Ryuuzetsu, I may or may not need to send you on errands. Anything I need done, I'll be sure to tell Aya, and she'll relay duties to the two of you. Is this agreeable?"

" **Yes, Ma'am.** " We answer as one.

"Good. Then the first order of business is to introduce ourselves to the departments of the Tower, and to make sure they understand that anything your four," She motions to Katou-san, Hitomi, Tsu and myself, "demand is without a doubt my orders. That way, no one will dare to give you a hard time. Now, let's get to it!"

And that's exactly what we do. We make our way to Intelligence, to T&I, to the Missions Desk, to Administration, to the Archives, to Cryptanalysis, to the Barrier Division, to Internal Affairs, to the Aviary, the academy teachers' lounge, to the dozens of security checkpoints, and Senju-san introduces each of us to the big players of each of them.

Each head of each department shakes their head, often muttering a stupid comment about a female Hokage hiring a bunch of female assistants; other than Ibiki from T&I, he's smart enough not to. I glare at each of them as they do, warning them that I won't tolerate being looked down on.

Having completed the most annoying part of our day, I settle into my new position. My desk is rather nice, with plenty of drawers, and a laptop – something I've never worked with in my life. Katou-san takes her time to explain how things work on this cursed thing, even going so far as to teach me a few tricks she'd learned to make things run a little smoother.

Tsu and Hitomi settle in, fading into the background until they're needed. I'm not sure why, company would have been nice while frustrating myself during the crash course on something I'm quickly learning to hate.

Still, I try to learn things as quickly as I can, and I start practising my Sound Release: Whispering Winds to ask Senju-san simple things, like what time she'd prefer to break for lunch, if we're taking an hour break, what she prefers to drink – other than sake, because I flatly refuse to bring her sake at this time of the day.

It takes a little organizing, but we figure out the best workable schedule possible. I plan in some blank spaces that no one is allowed to touch so that Senju-san will have little breaks here and there to not get overwhelmed – and so that she can stretch her legs, go to the bathroom, or whatever.

So far, the day is broken down into four blocks. The first is starting up the day and scheduled meetings, then we do the rounds at the hospital to check on the patients there. Break for lunch. Scheduled meetings, another round at the hospital, and call it a day around five. Yes, Senju-san will also have other things to handle between this. Manning the Missions Desk, chief among them. But she assures me she can send a shadow clone to deal with that. I shrug, not caring too much.

Around nine o'clock, the first round of paperwork starts piling in. "Oi, idiot. I don't care what you think is going on here, but a request for longer lunch breaks is not something I care to pass onto my boss." I crumple the form, throwing it into the moron's face. "Only serious paperwork, or I'll start bringing a lighter to burn it right in front of you."

"No, we won't be buying nicer toilet paper. Stop wasting my time." This time it's a woman that gets her form thrown back at her. It's no wonder why there's always so much useless paperwork on the Hokage's desk. This is pure crap!

"Wanting to skip your lunch break so you can leave earlier is something you need to discuss with your Department Head, not the Hokage." Another one gets tossed on its ear. Seriously, it's nine-fifteen and I've already tossed out fifty pointless forms.

"Hmm. Yes. This is something that needs to be dealt with." I nod, finally getting the first form that would ACTUALLY need Senju-san's attention; a report on an internal conflict in Intelligence. It's nothing that needs her immediate attention, but definitely something she needs to know about.

"Oi! Where do you think you're going?" I call, as some random chuunin tries strolling up to Senju-san's door. "I'm not stationed here for my good looks. You will speak to me before you even attempt entering Senju-san's office, is that understood?"

He scoffs, strolling towards Senju-san's door like I'm unimportant. Oh, really?

 **Snap!**

Sound Release: Mime's Barrier, which is what I named this jutsu after having to use it during that 'meeting' between Temari and that Sand idiot the other day. I kind of like this one, because it traps the target in a box of Sound Barriers, and can either keep them safe from outside attacks, or simply make sure they can't escape.

I focus the Mime's Barrier, hovering the idiot right next to my desk and letting him stand there. He's glaring at me, but I don't care. "You just let me know when you're ready to tell me what you need to speak with Senju-san about. I have the time."

The paperwork keeps pouring in. Most of it gets tossed right at the idiots trying to file it. Then another idiot tries going towards Senju-san's door. A jounin this time, but not one I know too well.

"I've already detained one idiot for not speaking to me first. I will do the same to you." I warn. The woman looks to the chuunin trapped next to my desk. She nods, walking over to me.

"I need to report in about a completed mission. Is Hokage-sama available?" She asks politely.

"Your name, please." I say, my tone polite but unbending.

"Hayakawa Mako." She says politely.

I focus my jutsu, relaying the information to Senju-san. "Send her in, Aya." Senju-san mumbles, but we've being doing this all morning, so I can still hear her just fine.

"Please." I motion towards the door. Hayakawa-san bows politely to me, seeing herself into Senju-san's office. As she enters, I mark her name down as having entered Senju-san's office, the time she enters and her stated reason for entering. I'm not too surprised when I no longer hear Senju-san's heartbeat; she likely cast a privacy jutsu. I'm not too worried at any rate, she has three Anbu in there with her.

There's an annoyed huff from beside me. "Namiki-san, may I speak with you?" The chuunin finally gives in. He obviously realises that I'm not bending for anyone.

I hover his cosy little prison to right in front of me. "Your name, please."

"Miki Dayu. I was sent up from Administration to bring Hokage-sama her paperwork." He informs me.

"Good. Leave it here. I'll decide if it's something she needs to see." I tell him, releasing the Mime's Barrier.

"Ah… Namiki-san, I don't-"

"Unless you plan on taking that paperwork back with you, you'll be leaving it here on my desk. I will check it to see if it's something worth bogging down Senju-san with. If it isn't I will toss it. This is something I've already discussed with Senju-san, and she approves. So I hope you're not planning on wasting any more of my time." I lay it out for him.

"I understand." He gives in. Not that he has a choice in the matter. He unseals a huge stack of forms, plopping it onto my desk. I start tearing into it immediately. Birth registrations, people that moved, requests of citizenship, marriage requests, death registrations. I briefly wonder if any of this –other than the requests of citizenship– is even worth her time, but that isn't something I can decide. I'll discuss it with her after her current meeting.

"Thank you." I wave the chuunin off, setting the stack aside to keep it separate from the small pile of important forms that Senju-san actually has to deal with.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

By the time we take our break to start heading to the hospital, I've already made an a memo for Administration from Senju-san.

The birth and death records need to be summarized, she only needs a list of names of births (along with the registered parents) and deaths (with registered identification information to not confuse who died).

Marriage requests are just not something she cares about, so Administration is ordered to set up a team to look into both parties and their families. Only cases that stand out need to be brought to Senju-san's attention, otherwise may be approved by definition. So long as both parties are from Konoha, that is. Expats requesting to marry Konoha shinobi need to be interviewed first, but civilian-civilian marriages that do not alter citizenship rights are allowable without her intervention. All she needs is a list with names, otherwise it's just more useless junk information.

I jotted all of that information down, careful to spell it out in plain Japanese so that no one can claim they do not understand. On our way out, I give that memo to the head of Administration. He takes a look at it, reading it right in front of me –as I demand– before nodding and calling a meeting with his department.

At the hospital, I can't say anything important or interesting happens. We talk to the heads of each section, Senju-san and Katou-san go over the cases with them, and Tsu, Hitomi and I follow them around as they do their rounds. This just isn't very interesting.

Eventually the former head of the hospital –who now bows to Senju-san, because she's simply a better doctor than he is– asks Senju-san about a program to train the doctors so that Konoha will have more capable medical staff. Senju-san says that Katou-san will be dealing with that for her, and how only the brightest of the brightest will be allowed Senju-san's private tutelage.

The man doesn't seem surprised, promising a list of all hospital personnel and their Ranks so that she can decide who goes where in that program. "No, create a form and have them apply. If they feel they are worth becoming my apprentice, let them try their luck." Senju-san says. I shrug, not caring either way.

Senju-san only finds three patients she wishes to tend to personally, other than that, she seems quite satisfied with the current status of all patients.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"We're losing him!" I hear from down the hall. We're in the Jounin Wing, so it doesn't surprise me too much when Senju-san body flickers towards the voice, shoving the doctor out of the way and taking over.

Katou-san is quick to join her mentor. The three of us mostly just keep the others out of their way. There's a long, tense moment that no one seems to want to breathe too hard. I'm not bothered too much by it, even knowing who's life is now in Senj-san's hands. I know for a fact Senju-san won't give up unless there's no hope.

It takes almost a half hour before Senju-san breathes a sigh of relief. "He's stable. Weak, and going to have one hell of a time recovering, but stable." She updates us.

She gets out of the way, revealing Weasel still wearing his mask and covered in his own blood. I nod, grateful the idiot will live to fight another day. "Aya, do you think you'll have the space for one more? He shouldn't wake up for a few days, but…"

"I would never allow one of our own to recover in the hospital." I tell her plainly. "We'll transfer him immediately."

"Good. I'll see you after lunch then."

I unseal a stretcher and blankets to keep him warm, offering them to Tsu and Hitomi. They ease him onto the stretcher, wrapping him up carefully and I strap him in for transport. His mask is cracked in places, but it won't reveal who he is.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it home fast enough. We take the quietest route possible and I maintain a genjutsu to mask our presence, to make sure no one knows what's going on.

Once home, I immediately call a meeting with Hana and the others. I update them on Weasel's condition and his prognosis. We set him up in the room with the other male patients, who are explained the situation. We remove Weasel's mask and his forehead protector.

"Poor Tokara. He just can't get a break, can he." Hana says, sorrow in her tone. "Don't worry, Aya, I can take care of this part. You go get something to eat. And make sure you two wash off all that blood. We don't need bloody people walking around the Tower, after all."

"Thanks." Tsu and Hitomi go wash up, grateful to get the blood off them.

"Yua, I need you to head to HQ. Update Dragon on his condition, let her know where he is." Hana takes charge of the situation, even as she's stripping our patient of his clothes to wash him clean of all the blood and gore.

"At once.." Yua excuses herself. I smile, grateful to have Hana here when I can't be.

"Haku, he's suffered severe nerve damage. I'm going to need you to whip up a little of your magic for him."

"Of course." Haku smiles, excusing herself as well.

"Aya… you really should go eat something. This isn't the first time I've had to bathe Tokara. And it's not going to be the last time either." I nod, rubbing her arm before I see myself out.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I give 'Tomi and Tsu some time to wash up, while I'm in the kitchen negotiating with Yasu-nee.

"No, Aya, I really don't think it's a good idea to drag your patients into the house in the middle of the day. It's not something children should see at all, let alone regularly." She puts her foot down.

"I know, Yasu-nee. I'm going to make arrangements with Sasa-nee to start putting up a similar security system across the street so that all future patients will be taken there instead." I explain, understanding where she's coming from. "And I promise you, I was careful to not let Yuzuki and Sakiko see our newest patient. You know I don't want to traumatise either of them."

She sighs, rubbing her forehead. "I know that, but you sometimes forget that not everyone has your tolerance to blood and whatnot. Just… be careful. Please."

"Always." I assure her. I hug her, thanking her for helping with everything she does. She rolls her eyes, knowing that I just want to change the subject.

"Hey, Aya, I heard you calling me?" Asami walks into the kitchen.

"Technically, no I didn't. But I'm glad you're here. I need a huge favour! That house across the street? Do you think you could set up a similar security system to what we have here?" I ask.

"Hmm? Yeah, it shouldn't be too hard, but… why? I mean, isn't that place vacant?" She sounds confused.

"Oh, sorry, Yeah, it is. But it's ours. I want to set it up as a secondary den, where we can take our patients, and whatnot. I mean, I'm sure you've noticed how crowded it's gotten around here?" I explain.

"You bought it?" She asks.

"Well, yeah? Not outright. I still had to take out a slight mortgage, but yeah. I have the rights to the place." I shrug, wondering what the big deal is. I mean, people buy houses all the time.

"Overachiever." She teases. "Alright. I'll get started this afternoon. I'll have to get the inks and whatnot I need first. Oh, and why not call a meeting with everyone later to update them? I mean, this is kind of a major change, you know?"

"Will do. Yasu-nee, you mind letting everyone know that there'll be a meeting after dinner tonight to discuss the changes and whatnot? Oh, and can you tell Kakashi that I want to talk to him about something? Asami, this includes you. I want to create an underground tunnel to connect the two dens so we can come and go as we please without having to telegraph our movements. It would have to be integrated into the security system after all, so I figure letting you know isn't a bad idea." I'm always arranging things these days. Really, it's starting to get a bit annoying.

"Hmm, sounds good. I'll see what I can come up with for you. Anyway, I'm off. I've got some shopping to do."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Ah, Itayouri-san. How nice to see you." I wave to the familiar face. She blinks, obviously not expecting to see me here. "Yes, I'm Senju-san's new secretary."

"Ah." She shakes off her shock, making her way over to me. "I was wondering if Hokage-sama was available? There are certain matters I'd like to discuss with her." She doesn't doubt for a second that I'd stop her from getting into Senju-san's office. She's seen some of my work first hand, after all.

"Unfortunately she's currently in a meeting with Jiraiya and the elders. She has nothing scheduled afterwards, if you're willing to have a seat and wait?" I offer.

"It can't be helped. This is something that should be discussed sooner rather than later. I'll wait." She says.

"Would you like some tea while you wait?" I offer, but she turns me down so I motion towards the couch opposite my desk. She makes herself comfortable. "OI! There's a secretary here that you need to talk to first, you know!" I interrupt the latest idiot that feels he doesn't need permission to see Senju-san. He waves me off, moving to touch her door handle – not even knocking.

You want it rough, huh?

 **Snap!**

The man suddenly finds himself shackled to the ceiling. Sound Release: Devouring Shackles – one of the two A-ranked jutsus I learned from that scroll Dragon gave me. It isn't very draining to use, but it takes medic level chakra control –just my luck!– and can act almost as a snake, doing whatever I please. I like it, because the jutsu feeds off the target's chakra. So the stronger they are, the stronger the jutus becomes. I **really** like it.

I start dragging the idiot across the ceiling, until he's a just in front of my desk. "I'll warn you only once. I don't like being ignored, and I **certainly** don't like being looked down on. Senju-san is currently in a meeting, and I know for a fact you aren't allowed in. When you're ready to tell me what you want, I might consider releasing you." I don't look at him as I speak, just going over some paperwork that I believe Senju-san will need to look at after this meeting.

"Same old Namiki-san." Itayouri-san says, shaking her head.

"Oi! Who you think you are, you little brat!" The man shouts, obviously upset. I manipulate the jutsu holding him, rapping one of the snake-like chains around his big, fat mouth to shut him up. Unfortunately for him, that means the rest of his constraints are that much tighter. _Pity_.

And look it! Shimura Danzo is coming this way. He glances in my direction, but ignores me and heads straight for Senju-san's door.

"Oh, Shimura-san. I'd look above me before you think about touching that door." I coo, still filtering through the paperwork.

"You think that because you can detain Mimura Hamaki, I should fear you?" He asks me, his tone neutral.

"No. I'm saying that you wouldn't be the first person to not heed my warning today. And you won't be the last. Should you wish an audience with Senju-san, I would kindly advise you to speak to me first. And when you speak to Senju-san personally, you might wish to request a standing order to be able to bypass me. Without that, I am legally required to detain any that does not follow proper protocol. Regrettable, but that's my current job. You understand, I'm sure." I explain carefully. Now, whatever happens is on him, not me.

"Do what you must." He says, reaching for the door handle. Okay, be that way.

 **Snap!**

And we have another shinobi being dragged across the ceiling. He struggles against it, but I feel the jutsu strengthening each time he calls up on more of his chakra.

"The fun part is that I was serious when I said you won't be the last." I smile up at him, batting my eyelashes coyly. "If it makes you feel better, you're only the second person I've needed to use this jutsu on. It's only needed against the strongest, of course."

"Very well, Namiki-san. I need to speak with Tsunade-san. When will she be available?" Shimura-san caves, obviously realising that I'm well within my rights here – and not bowing to his idiocy.

"She's in a meeting. When that meeting lets out, Itayouri-san needs a word with her. After that, she should be available. Would you prefer to wait, or would you like to schedule an appointment for another time?" I ask professionally. I'm not releasing him yet, though.

"I would prefer to speak with her with some haste." He demands.

"I would prefer to win the lottery." I counter. "Will you wait, or should I schedule in an appointment for another time?" My tone is just as crisp and professional.

Just then, I can hear four heartbeats. The jutsu was released. The door opens, revealing Jiraiya, the elders, and finally Senju-san. They look up, some more amused than others with what they find.

"Insolent child! What do you think you are doing!?" The she-elder tries getting on my case.

"I could always arrange that you join him." I warn her, my tone dark, my fingers poised to snap. "Or have you not learned your lesson from your attempt to gain access to Senju-san's office without my say so?" The woman scoffs, but doesn't press the issue.

"Senju-san." I stand up, grabbing the paperwork she needs to deal with. "These just came in. I would advise you deal with them sooner rather than later. You also have a few guests. Itayouri-san from the Konoha Police Force wishes to speak with you over matters she feels are important, but I did not inquire what that might be. The idiot jounin up there, no idea what he wants. His time out should be done by the time your meeting with Itayouri-san is through. And Shimura-san seems to feel his opinions are more valued than others. I'll update you on whether he wishes to speak with you after Itayouri-san, or if he'd rather an appointment on a later date."

"I see. Thank you, Aya." She says, grinning from ear to ear. "Ah, before I forget. Jiraiya needs to be able to see me without an appointment and without having to worry about going through that." She points at the two currently floored – technically, even though they are on the ceiling

"If that is your wish." I shrug, not caring. "Jiraiya's smart enough to talk to me first. But if you wish for a standing order that he be allowed access to your office?"

"I didn't say that." She corrects. "Jiraiya, sorry, you'll just have to talk to her first. There's no way I'm giving you that kind of leeway."

"It's fine. I know she won't do that to me if I behave." Jiraiya is fighting not to laugh. Something Shimura-san is not amused with.

"Ah, Senju-san, before I forget. Katou-san asked I give you this after your meeting." I say, offering her a unmarked flask. I know it contains sake, but if Katou-san is offering it to her, then it's just none of my business.

"Thank you. Itayouri-san, this way please." Senju-san and her guest disappear into her office, the door closes and their heartbeats vanish once again. I shrug, not worrying about that too much.

I sit back down. "So, Shimura-san. Will you wait, or should I schedule you in for next Wednesday at two in the afternoon?" He looks even less impressed now. "Those available slots get further and further away the more you push your luck, Shimura-san. I do not like those that look down on me."

"Very well. I will wait." He says, his visible eye closed. I ease him down and onto his feet.

"Would you like some tea while you wait?" I ask professionally, motioning towards the couch opposite my desk.

"Yes, thank you." Ah, so well behaved when you want to be. Now, if you only thought about that before ignoring me earlier. I pour the man some tea, bringing it to him myself – mostly for the sake of messing with him.

Having made it back to my post, I manipulate my jutsu one more time.

"Mimura-san, I believe?"

"N-nn."

"Are you willing to speak to me now, or should I leave you up there?"

"N-nn." I ease the man down, releasing him. He takes a long moment to catch himself. "Namiki-san, would I be able to speak with Hokage-sama at her earliest convenience?"

"Why, of course, Mimura-san. Would you like some tea while you wait?" I offer, my tone pleasant.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Your name, please." I demand, my tone sour, my eyes narrowed at the current idiot that needs –but doesn't deserve– my full attention.

"T-tanzou." He manages.

"Well, Tanzou-san. I can do nothing with this form. All team assignments must be processed at the Missions Desk. This is the Hokage's office. You do know where the Missions Desk is, don't you?" I talk to him like the idiot he is. I mean, really? A request to be placed on a new team, being brought to the Hokage's office? What does he think? That she has nothing better to do all day!?

"I-I understand, but they t-told me to b-bring it here." He REALLY doesn't feel comfortable talking to me. Maybe it has to do with the three chuunin currently in Mime's Barriers, muttering about troublesome secretaries – oh wait, that's just that one Nara, the other two are begging their teammate not to make things worse.

"I don't know why they would." I say, but that just makes the boy wince. "Take this back to them. With this note. If they do not believe you, tell them to come here themselves. If they still send you back to me, then let me assure you that I will come down there and… _re-educate_ them. **Personally**." I say, scribbling a (very unfriendly) memo for them and signing it with my name. I offer both to the boy, sending him on his way.

"Now. Nara-san. Let me explain to you just how big an idiot you are being." I say, manipulating my jutsu and hovering the three chuunin so they're right in front of me. " **No one** enters that office without my say so. You do not have an appointment. You do not have permission. Senju-san is not expecting you. Now, you will either tell me what it is you need, or you will leave."

"Namiki-san, please, can I talk for him? That moron's only going to make this worse for himself." The Yamanaka teammate offers.

"I don't care who speaks. I care for the reason." I inform them coldly. The three of them shiver at my tone.

"W-we need to report in. W-we just got back from a month long m-mission." The Yamanaka explains. "We're just tired from the travelling."

"That's no excuse, but I can understand." I say, my tone far kinder now. "Very well. If you three would take a seat, you may see her after Shimura-san." I offer, releasing the three barriers keeping them in place. "Would you like some tea while you wait?"

They turn me down, so I motion to the couch. None of them dare to sit down next to Shimura-san.

"Hey, princess." Daddy greets me.

"Hi, daddy. Sorry, Senju-san's in a meeting right now. No one can go in." I say, smiling warmly.

"That's alright, I just wanted to see how your first day is going." He smiles a little wider seeing the collection of people waiting (im)patiently to see Senju-san. He smiles just a little wider when Shimura-san eyes him.

"It's been entertaining." I smirk, knowing that he can guess why that is. I hear two heartbeats. The meeting with Itayouri is done.

And just in time too. Two doctors rush up to the door, but I trap them in my Mime's Barrier. "You DO NOT just rush into her office. What's wrong?"

"Emergency. Three new patients just came in, most of the staff is wiped out. We need more hands at the hospital, stat!"

"Nara-san. You're team will just have to report in tomorrow. Go home. Shimura-san, I will discuss your situation with Senju-san. Excuse me." I enter Senju-san's office, finding her discussing some kind of pleasantries. I don't care what. "Hospital is understaffed. Three patients came in. We're needed there. I'd advise leaving a shadow clone. Shimura-san, a team with their report and one other still wish to see you."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

An hour later, Senju-san, Katou-san and I are complaining about stupid idiots that can't keep themselves in one piece on a mission. Senju-san took the most intensive patient – who was cut in half just above the waist. He… didn't make it.

"Well. For your first day, I'd say you're doing alright for yourself." Senju-san says, sorrow lining her eyes but smiling nonetheless. I don't even want to know what it's like to lose a patient.

"Thanks." I say, offering an understanding smile. She shrugs, knowing what I'm really trying to say.

"Well, let's get cleaned up and back to the office."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Back at my desk, I find hundreds of forms stacked up. And fifty people lined up, patiently waiting to see Senju-san. I groan.

"Senju-san is not seeing more people today. If you are here for that, you're only hope is an appointment for a later date." I tell them. More than half leave, annoyed. I don't care. The first one comes up to me. Haruno Sakura. I smirk, seeing how nervous she looks.

"H-hello, N-namiki-san. I w-would like an a-appointment with H-hokage-sama for sometime this week?" She manages, not meeting my gaze.

"And what would this be about?" I ask, my tone professional.

"An a-apprenticeship?"

"That should be applied for at the hospital. Ono-san has forms for that. This isn't something you need to be here for. And no, I won't make an exception." I lay it out for her.

"I-I already have the f-form filled in. I was t-told to bring it h-here." She explains.

"Ah. Good." I motion for the form. She looks nervous, but hands it over to me. I go over it, making sure everything is properly filled in – it is. "Very well. I'm sure Senju-san will get back to you, should you be approved." I say, placing the form in the pile that is meant to go to Senju-san. She sees my not putting it on the stack already towering on my desk.

"… N-namiki-san, I kn-know we…" Tears are welling up.

"Haruno-san. I am here to do my job. This pile hasn't been approved of, and as such is not guaranteed to see Senju-san. Your form **has** been approved of. She will receive it." I say. "If there is nothing else?"

"N-no." She bows politely and leaves without another word.

The next one starts rattling off about _this_ that she needs and _that_ that she demands. I'm called a brat and a worthless ingrate. She finds herself on the ceiling, her mouth wrapped nice and tight.

"Does anyone else feel to look down on –and/or talk down to– me?"

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 60_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Wow. You guy's will have to thank Cabu for the idea to have Danzo try his luck with Aya. I laughed so hard I nearly peed when I read it! No, their scuffle didn't turn out as funny, not to me anyway, but I still quite enjoyed writing it ^_^  
_**

 ** _Anyhoo. This is the last of the longer chapters. After this there will be an Interlude (maybe two, but that's undecided), and another Chouji chapter._**

 ** _And seriously, is anyone else noticing that those horizontal lines sometimes don't feel like showing up? Or is that just me?_**


	72. Interlude 11 – Holiday Special

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Interlude 11 – Holiday Special  
_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

December twenty-fourth. In a Buddhist dominated society, it really isn't a big deal. However, the evening IS a big deal. Not for religious, or even practical, reasons. No, it's because, for some reason no male in said society can figure out, the evening of Twenty-Fourth of December, is the **BIGGEST** date night. Of. The. Year! Restaurants, cafés, even stalls and little food carts, EVERYONE has to have a reservation or a pre-purchased ticket, or you better plan on cooking and eating at home.

This is the situation we find one very nervous, blonde Uzumaki in. Oh, he has the reservation. He has a reservation for six, actually. The problem isn't the reservation. The problem is that now he has to ASK the girl he wants to go on this special group date with. He knows he can ask her anything, ANYTHING, and she would happily do it for him.

The problem is that this isn't 'anything'. This is major! This is HUGER THAN HUGE! This is his first date, his first Christmas Eve date, his first time in a fancy restaurant, his first... TOO MANY FIRSTS!

"Oi, Aya. Can I talk to you a second?" Naruto begins, nervous and fidgeting. Aya blinks, unsure what has her favourite idiot acting so... idiotic.

"Yes...?"

"Listen. This isn't easy for me to ask, so I'll just come out and say it." Aya _really_ doesn't like where this is going. "I need you and Sasuke to go on a group date with me. It's the only way to not make this more obvious than it is."

That doesn't add up, not to Aya. She thinks about it some more, wondering if maybe she's just hearing him wrong. "What?"

"Look, I want to take Hinata out on a date. A date-date. But I can't without everyone ruining it for her. So I want Sasuke to bring a date, and you to bring a date, and we can just make it look like it's a group of friends enjoying an evening out or something." He tries, getting more nervous and fidgety as he goes.

"Okay...? So where am I supposed to find a date eight hours before...?" Aya thinks she understands where this is going. And she's CERTAIN she doesn't like it!

"You know who I'd prefer, but I'm not getting into that. I just want you there so that I'll have you and Sasuke to back me up if something happens, you know? Please, sis! I need you to do this for me!"

"Fine, I'll ask Shikamaru if he'll go with me." Aya rolls her eyes, wondering how hard it could possible be to get a date.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Impossible. **That's** how hard it is. Im-fricking-possible!

Kakashi supposedly isn't in the mood. Zabuza refuses to get tangled up in 'crap like that'. Shikamaru says it's too troublesome to get involved, though he hinted that _someone_ might be free. The elder Ino-Shika-Chou are all, logically, taking their wives out. She'd rather die than ask Kiba; she'll **NEVER** be _THAT_ desperate! Shino can't find any logic in going on a romantic type date with someone he doesn't like in that way. Ino has a date of her own, so she simply can't, even though she also turns Aya down because of 'reasons'; she doesn't explain what they are. Haku thinks it's cute that Aya asked her, but she ' _isn't in to girls_ ', and would rather not cultivate that stigma; given how antisocial she already is, she'd never be able to get it to go away. Sakiko and Hanabi turn her down because they plan on playing cute Christmas carols to get on Zabuza's nerves. Even Yasu turned her down, seeing as she has to cook for everyone staying home.

And so, Aya gets... desperate(ish). "Naruto." The blonde cringes, wondering what he did so wrong that his adorable little sister would address him like that. "I'll go, if you ask _him_ for me."

"Who, Kiba? I thought he'd jump at the chance." Naruto knows he's on thin ice as is, but... it's too tempting not to! He turns to the door, just about ready to see himself out. "Alright. I'll head ove-"

"U. Zu. Ma. Ki... Na. Ru. To." The blood freezes in his veins. No matter how bad he's teased her in the past, she NEVER calls him that! In that horrid, lucid moment, Naruto sees his life flashing before his eyes. "You know who I'm talking about. And you know why I'm telling you to ask him." The blond breathes, relieved beyond belief.

"Oh. No problem, sis. Chouji, right? You want me to call or to 'happen into his neighbourhood'?" If she says he has to crawl over there wearing a onesie and a bib, he'll at least consider it right now.

"I don't care. Just arrange it!" Aya storms off, wanting this stupid situation to be over with already.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

And so, after lunch on the big day, the sun and snow find an irate brunette doing an extra workout. Aya seems intent on either becoming stronger, or breaking something before she gets there, because even though she's only doing a kata, the air is heavy with killing intent, filled with cracks and thuds as she beats the snot out of an imaginary opponent. The look on her face gives nothing away, other than her intense concentration. Even her eyes hold no clues this time.

To Naruto though, she's an open book. He can tell just by looking at her that she's at war with herself. She wants to be excited, but she doesn't want to get her hopes up and get hurt again.

He walks over to her, completely unafraid. The moment she stops her kata, he gets into the same stance as her and motions for her to 'come get some'. Anyone else, other than Zabuza, would think twice of facing her when she gets like this. To him all this is, is her needing to let off some steam before she explodes. And that's ignoring the fact that she would NEVER hurt him.

They end up sparring (though no one else would call it that) for about an hour and a half at full tilt. When they finally call it quits, Aya is breathing hard and they are both sweating; her more than him. They don't exchange words, they don't have to. Instead they nod, smiling to each other.

"Come on, you two. Go wash up. I'm not going to have you smelling like gym socks all day." Yasu calls our through the kitchen window. "I'm already making a snack, so I suggest you hurry a little."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The rest of the day can be summed up in one word: panic. To Aya, no outfit seems good enough, she has no clue what to do with her hair, she has no clue what she wants to do with her makeup. And she simply refuses to ask anyone for help, so she's been chasing her own mental tail for what seems like an eternity. Her reason, if you can even call it that, is that asking for help means this is a big deal. She's still 'trying to not make a big deal out of it', all the while making an even bigger deal out of it.

She ends up dragging Haku into town to buy a new outfit, claiming it's for New Year. Only, she kind of doesn't know which one to buy of the three she likes. So she decides that buying all three isn't a bad idea. Yeah, this REALLY isn't a big deal at all. She's just halfway to having a meltdown, spending more money in one store than she'd normally spend per month-

"I need chocolate. Do you need chocolate? You need chocolate. We need chocolate. We need to get some chocolate. Like now. Let's go!" And rambling. _Sure, Aya, this isn't a big deal to you **at all**_ , Haku thinks, rolling her eyes.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Yasu-nee, this isn't a big deal." Aya tries, blushing. She has the three new kimonos lined up on her bed, wondering which one she wants to wear tonight. One is bright red with green and blue overtones. One is violet, with silver moons and stars. One is forest green, with the Hokage Rock displayed on its back. She likes all three of them, but she can only wear one. So, she closes her eyes and points... at the green one. Nope, the violet one it is.

"Of course it is. You're going to a fancy restaurant on Christmas Eve. You need to look your best. Heavens, why would you even think this isn't a big deal?" Yasu counters, noticing her little sister blushing even deeper now. It doesn't take much imagination to figure out what has Aya like this. "Have you already decided on which kimono you want to wear?"

"N-nn." Aya noises, nodding. "The violet one, with a white obi? I'll save the red on for New Years."

"That's a lovely idea. Come, now. Go wash up. You need to be ready in an hour, and you have a reservation, so you can't be late." Aya can't come up with a counterargument, so she nods and heads into the bathroom. Yasu, shakes her head, wondering how to get through to her stubborn little sister.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Yasu tugs Aya into one last hug, telling her how beautiful she looks. Aya frowns, looking at herself in the mirror one last time. While she does agree that she likes how she looks, she can't help but feel super nervous about this. She keeps telling herself that this isn't a date, this is just her doing Naruto a HUGE favour to make sure Hinata has the most amazing night of her life. This isn't about her and Chouji. This isn't a date. This isn't something she needs to be nervous about.

But, she **is** nervous. So nervous that she could swear she's going to throw up any second.

Instead, she focuses. She buries herself in the same state of mind that she eases into when fighting. The tension on her face, in her eyes, everywhere in her body, eases. She hates the porcelain doll staring back at her in the mirror, but this is the only way she knows to handle this.

Armed with nothing but a present, she makes her way downstairs. This isn't a date. It's just... a mission. She needs to infiltrate... something! Nothing more. Nothing to be nervous about. Just a mission.

Naruto, dressed in an elegant, but very orange, men's kimono, is waiting on his date to come down. Hinata comes down not a minute after Aya, wearing a teal furisode kimono with an orange obi. The two of them give each other a VERY thorough once over; obviously liking what they see. Hinata blushes, looking away, but Naruto notices her fighting to keep from biting her lip nervously.

"You look... amazing, Hina-chan." The blonde manages, awe in his tone. Hinata blushes deeper, stuttering as she thanks him and tells him that he looks quite handsome. That she doesn't mind him wearing that much orange goes to show how biased her opinion is when it comes to him. He could glow in the dark with how bright his outfits is.

Aya isn't too surprised that neither of them notices her. She's about to remind them they need to get going, but the doorbell interrupts her before she even starts. "That's probably Sasuke." Naruto says, trying to take his eyes off Hinata, but finding that he can't. Even though she finds it a bit embarrassing, she decides that she likes the look in his eyes, so she doesn't mind too much.

Aya groans. "Yeah, yeah. You're both gorgeous. Let's go before we're late." She demands, trying to sound irritated, but wanting to take a picture to capture the moment and frame it.

"N-nn. We m-mustn't be late, Naruto-kun."

The three of them make their way to the gate, finding Sasuke, Asami... and Chouji there. Asami is wearing her best furisode kimono, a bright jade one to offset her red hair with white trimming and snowflakes. And an Uzumaki red obi, perfectly matching her hair. Sasuke, it seems, respects the value of Christmas Eve. So he's wearing a very traditional, olive green, men's kimono, with the Uchiha crest proudly on display. Chouji is wearing a deep burgundy men's kimono.

Try as he might though, Chouji can't seem to take his eyes off of Aya. There's a longing there that no one misses. No one, but Aya that is. She's too busy not looking at him, already making her way down the street and complaining that they're going to be late if everyone keeps slacking off.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

They make it to the restaurant exactly on time, and Aya announces that they have a reservation under Namiki. The maître d' nods, but everyone notices his eyes lingering on Naruto. Everyone glares at him, daring him to make a wrong move; even Hinata. Deciding that letting Naruto in is likely to cause less trouble than kicking him out obviously will, he turns to the waitress next to him, murmuring a table number, in the back and out of the way so the other patrons won't be bothered by this... group.

It turns out to an almost a private booth, completely out of sight from the other diners. No one complains, this is just what they want. Naruto, Aya and Sasuke sit on one side of the table. Their (non-)dates site opposite them.

"Oh, before I forget. I got you this." Naruto announces, placing a small box on the table and sliding it over to Hinata. It's not very big, about the size of Hinata's palm, but it's wrapped in a beautiful, shiny, Uzumaki red paper, with a white bow with both the Uzumaki swirl and the Hyuuga crest carefully painted on the ends of the ribbon used.

The traditional exchange of gifts on Christmas Eve. It isn't just about giving something physical, it's about giving cheer, joy, to people we care about. That's why the gift given is so important. It has to show you care, that you know what makes that person happy.

And this is the fifteenth step Aya is hoping Chouji messes up on. It's not that she wants the (non-)date to go badly, it's just easier on her nerves if he messes up and makes a fool out of himself so she can justify being so distant and cold to him. She'd hoped he'd be late, he wasn't. He wasn't invited in, so there was nothing to be done about that. He walked close enough to her to show he wants to be close to her, but not so close that they might accidentally touch. He strummed up polite chitchat to pass the time, telling Aya how beautiful she looks.

He might be nervous, but he's making all the right moves. And it's KILLING Aya. She needs him to mess up, to make it easier to hate him right now for what he did to her. But every time, EVERY TIME, he does just the right thing, says just the right thing.

"A-aya-chan?" Chouji sounds nervous, pulling a present out of his kimono. He offers it to her, blushing and looking away. This, of course, catches Aya off guard. She has a present for him, of course, but she hadn't expected him to find something so last minute. She silently prays she'll hate it. Still, she accepts the present, her face carefully held blank. Then she offers her present to him; a scroll. She asks that he unseal it himself.

Then she waits. A gentleman would ask her to open her present first. She wants him to mess up, so she waits to see what he will do. He unseals a large, bulky present, rolling up the scroll and offering it back to her. He then looks at her expectantly. He motions for her to go first, even as she's stuffing her scroll back into her sleeve for safe keeping.

Crap, she thinks. Another little move he's making just right. She carefully opens the gift, trying to be gentle on the wrapping. The first little peak shows it's a book. A thick one. She keeps going, eventually unwrapping Kouzuki Urabe's 'Once Upon a Time'. The book only came out last week, and Aya had been so busy with everything that she didn't have the time to get her own copy. She wants to cry, feeling horrible for treating him so badly, when all he's done is be sweet to her. And now with this sweet, and obviously thought out gift, she just feels miserable.

None of the registers on her face though. "Thank you, Akimichi-san. That's very thoughtful of you." She says, bowing her head politely. If she notices him wince at being called that, she doesn't show it.

"You're welcome. I figured you'd be to busy to get a copy yourself, so..." He says, rubbing the back of his head. He can't make heads or tails of her reaction though. Is she happy with the gift? Is she upset? She motions for him to go next, so he tries to shove his confusion aside for now. He's just as careful about unwrapping his gift, another thing that stings Aya's need for him to mess up. It's alright to be all excited and tear into a gift, in private. But in public, one should be reserved and measured.

Chouji gently tugs out a book from the wrapping. "A thousand and one healthy and delicious chocolate recipes." He reads the title, unable to hide the awe in his voice. A passion they both share, eating. Only, this is something she could enjoy just as much as him. Had Chouji thought about it for a second, he might see this as a a sign that she wants to spend time with him; to try making a few of those recipes together. He's too busy coping with the shock that a girl is halfway encouraging his eating habits. "This is..." Words fail him, but the awe and excitement in his eyes are more than enough. "Thank you, Aya-chan."

She looks away from him, seeing Asami looking at 'Comparing Sealing Scripts', by Namikaze Minato. Tears are in her eyes, obviously moved by the thoughtful gift. Hinata is just as teary eyed, having unwrapped an encyclopedia on medicinal uses for every herb known. An odd group, that everyone's getting books and loving it. Wasn't she given a small box? And Hinata certainly didn't have a decorative comb in her hair with a faux lotus.

"Naru-chan." She murmurs, almost afraid she's dreaming.

"Open it." He says. When she opens it to the first page, there's a message, written in Naruto's handwriting, along with a collection of page markers so she can mark anything she wants. Hinata has to dab at the tears with a handkerchief, before she ruins her makeup, but she doesn't let anyone read what he wrote for her.

Now it's Naruto and Sasuke's turn. Sasuke unwraps a pair of combat ready, elbow length gloves. Pitch black, just how he'd want them. He nods, quite happy with them. "There's also four seals on each." Asami points out. "Storage seals, so that you'll always have space for more weapons or tools, if you feel you need them."

"Thank you, Asami." Sasuke says, his tone slightly warmer than his teammates had ever heard it. To them, it speaks volumes of how much he appreciates the gift.

Naruto, on the other hand, unwraps a scarf. A wool scarf. "So that's what you've been working on." He says, tears in his eyes. He'd been bugging the timid girl for days, wondering what she's been knitting, but she always kept it hidden from him.

"N-nn. D-do you l-like it?" She asks, nervous.

"Hina-chan... I..." He has to clear his throat to chase away the frog he finds there. "No one's ever made anything for me. Thank you." He says, his voice laden down with more emotions than Hinata can identify. Her breath hitches when he beams with his megawatt smile; she blushes and looks away. "It's so warm too. I won't have to worry about feeling cold ever again, 'ttebayo!"

He hugs the scarf, marvelling at how soft it feels. "It's not even itchy at all. Hina-chan, this is... thank you. Really." Hinata decides that she'll be making him things more often now, even if only to see that look on his face again.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After everyone seals, or puts, away their gift, food is ordered, and eventually served. Aya tries strumming up a conversation with the two girls, but they only seem to notice their date. That leaves her teammates, who can't take their eyes of said girls.

Even though it's technically rude to talk during a meal, in this setting, the opposite is true. Yes, one still has to take great care to not make things awkward or weird, but even vaguely ignoring your dinner guest (soo not a date!) is the worst form of rudeness there is. Aya could have argued that she was caught up in a deep conversation if the two females would stop ignoring her, but... no such luck.

"How is your training going?" She grasps at straws, trying to make the evening move along faster so it can end already.

"Good. Dad's been working me hard, so has Asuma-sensei." Chouji says, hoping to find the words he needs, to help Aya to understand. As usual, the words just won't come. "How about yours? Everyone's been talking about your team recently, but no one seems to know anything."

"Same as always." She says, vague as ever. They both try a few 'safe topics', Yasu's cooking, wondering what she'd cooked tonight, Remi's cooking, wondering where she and Chouza are dining tonight, anything not directly related to the two of them or their shared history.

Eventually, the meal winds down, and desert arrives. No one's surprised that Aya orders two of the biggest chocolate desserts on the menu, and a slice of chocolate cake to go with it. Chouji finds himself once again amazed at the girl's appetite. She'd eaten as much as him, and is still going strong.

Chouji studies her as she methodically works through the ice cream first. The decorative berries, the whipped cream, little funny cracker-like-thing he doesn't care for too much. She carefully, politely downs all of it. After finally deciding the glass will offer no more chocolate, she moves on to her mousse. With no less reverence, or zeal, she spoons the dessert passed her cherry lips. He knows he shouldn't stare, but he can't help it. Seeing her eyes hunger for the dish before her, hearing her lightly suck on her spoon each time it enters her mouth, the way her eyes slightly roll up into hear head as her taste buds explode with the flavours engulfing them. Passion for food is something every Akimichi values, so seeing her love for chocolate so plainly on display; it enthrals him every time.

Aya's halfway through her mousse before Chouji even remembers he hasn't started on his cake and ice cream.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After desert, the girls excuse themselves. Powder room, they claim. They go to the ladies' room, but none of them seem to need to _go_. They're here to reapply their lipstick, and to get on Aya's case. "I still can't believe you're giving him such a hard time." Comes Asami's opening salvo.

"You do realise that the only reason I'm here at all, is because Naru-nii begged me?" Aya counters, her face held so carefully neutral that neither girl can detect a lie; though that doesn't mean it isn't a half truth.

"So if it was Kiba, you'd still have come?" Asami counters easily, both applying her lipstick and studying the brunette for... something. Aya is so closed off tonight that both Hinata and Asami don't doubt that only Naruto or Yasu would be able to get anything useful out of her.

Aya snorts, smacking her lips and checking that her lipstick is once again perfect. She doesn't comment though.

"A-aya, I think he's just... u-unsure how to t-talk to you." Hinata tries. But even that gets no reaction. Aya's face is as if set in stone, her eyes blank.

Asami sighs, almost ready to give up. Then a thought hits her. "It's interesting that he knew that you were busy training, and didn't have the time to get that book yourself. I didn't even know that."

"He asked Yoshino-sensei." Aya guesses, looking away. That's when it finally clicks for Asami. It's not that Aya doesn't care, it's not that she wants to be distant; she just can't cope with the situation.

"Maybe. I still think it was sweet of him." She says, smacking her lips and turning towards her friend. "That still doesn't explain why he can't take his eyes off of you though."

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

By the time the ladies return to their table, the bill had already been split and paid for. They aren't even allowed to know how much it came up to. Sasuke, Naruto and Chouji lead them out of the restaurant, and seemingly in a random direction. As far as the girls know, this is a dinner (non-)date. They wander about, enjoying the lights, window shopping, just talking about little things.

Well, other than Chouji and Aya. Her eyes take in the magic only Christmas Eve seems to hold; the lights, the sea of couples going here or there, the laughter and love in everyone's eyes. His eyes take in how her eyes glow the more she looks around. All he can think about is how much he misses just hanging out with her, how much he misses hearing her talk about whatever is on her mind. Seeing how carefully neutral her face is tells him that this isn't the best time to talk to her though. Her face being kept so tight and neutral shows how emotional she is, and he doesn't know if it's a good or a bad emotion she's feeling.

He just can't make sense of her, at all. Not that that's anything new, but...

The group wanders around for almost an hour, before Naruto leads them to a quaint little tea house. The blonde produces six tickets, and the group is let in. Aya knows this place. Tamangi's Company Teahouse, it's called. A geisha run teahouse, known for it's live music and theatre performances. As the six are seated, the geisha are just wrapping up a song, and a new geisha takes centre stage. The strings strum up, a koto played by one of the geisha. A flute starts singing right along with it, played by another. Then the fans come out. The dance starts out slow. By the time the drums thunder in, the geisha works the energy in the room up to a fevered pitch, everyone is on the edge of their seats, their worlds centred on the way this woman sways back and forth, how the emotions dance across her face.

Chouji doesn't care too much for this, really. He's far more interested in Aya's reaction to it. Her mask seems to have all but disappeared. Joy, hope, laughter, sadness, emotions dance across her face and eyes for the first time all night. She doesn't even notice him staring, too enraptured by the geisha's grace, how she brings a story Chouji doesn't even understand to life. A smile tugs at Aya's lips. Slowly, her eyes start to smile as well. Then her whole face just... glows. He'd never seen her smile like that before, like there are no troubles in the world.

Kami-sama, he loves her smile.

The dance intensifies, as does the music. Her eyes aren't smiling anymore, but there's an undeniable upwards curl tugging at the corners of her lips. Slowly, the smile fades, and she starts blushing. Her eyes shine with unshed tears, she frowns slightly. Chouji can't make sense of it at all. How she dances from one emotion to the next, how her face can change, seemingly completely. How her eyes can sometimes be so open, so revealing, and other times show nothing at all.

Namiki Aya is just someone that makes no sense to him. So why can't he bring himself to walk away?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's almost ten now. Sasuke says a brief farewell, having already agreed to walk Asami home. Aya starts walking ahead again, but Chouji is quick to catch up with her. No words are exchanged once again, even though he's trying to think of something to say.

"You really love the theatre, huh." He kicks mentally himself in the teeth, hating that he's grasping for straws to talk to her.

"Nn." She noises, but doesn't even look to him. Little does he know, she's blushing up a storm from how close he's walking to her. She feels his warmth, a warmth she'd long since decided she likes.

"I have to admit, I wasn't able to make any sense of the dances, but the music was nice." Chouji tries again, hoping to get something, anything, out of her. She's seemingly studying an interesting snow man some kids must have made earlier.

"It was too dark to read the pamphlet, so I guess I'll just have to read about it some other time." Then a thought hits him. It's a bit of a gamble, but... it will definitely get a reaction out of her. "I could tell you knew what it was about though. How you were smiling and blushing during some parts, and almost to the point of tears during others." Her shoulders stiffen slightly. "It made the whole evening much more enjoyable, seeing you unguarded."

"Why is that?" She asks. Once again, Chouji can't figure out what she's thinking. She's just too well guarded right now.

"You seem so... guarded around me. But during those performances, you let that slip. You lose yourself in whatever is going on." He swallows nervously, wondering if he should add something else; how he feels about seeing her smile, for starters. He decides not to, no matter how true it is.

"Nn." He can't say for sure, but he thinks she's waiting for something. He just doesn't know what; it's maddening to not be able to figure her out. He decides to ask Ino and Shikamaru to explain the mystery that is Aya to him. They should be able to help him understand her, a little if nothing else.

He keeps trying to engage her in a conversation, but he just doesn't dare push his luck too far. All he gets out of her is a noise every now and again. Eventually they make it to the street she lives in. Chouji feels his chance slipping away. "I hope you've enjoyed your evening? I mean, I know I have. I've missed hanging out with you, you know."

"Nn."

They reach her gate, Naruto and Hinata are a ways behind them, probably having slowed to look at something.

"Would it be alright if we hang out again sometime?" He asks, noticing that she isn't opening her gate just yet, but unsure what to make of that. The words 'I want to spend time with you' dance on the tip of his tongue, but he just doesn't feel comfortable saying them.

"That isn't a good idea." She answers evenly, looking away from him. To him, she's checking what's taking Naruto so long. In reality, she's trying to hide that she's crying. She'd fought him all night, tried her best to keep him at a comfortable distance, but he just keeps gaining ground bit by bit. It hurts, knowing that she wants him to hold her and never let her go, while hearing his words from before, how they just ' _can't work_ '. And his being so sweet and attentive all evening isn't helping.

"... I'm sorry to hear that." He says, sorrow lingering in his eyes. Naruto and Hinata finally catch up, so Chouji tells them good night. He leaves without another word.

Her eyes follow him as he walks. She studies how his shoulders slump ever so slightly. When he turns the corner, when he disappears from her view, it somehow feels symbolic to her. That he's walking away from her again. Hinata and Naruto aren't sure what to say, but they both notice the girl's ruined makeup and puffy eyes.

Aya bites her thumb, smearing some blood onto the seal to unlock the gate. She doesn't even wash up, she just runs into her bedroom and cries herself to sleep.

If only the two of them could get out of their own way, they'd realise they want exactly the same thing.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Interlude 11_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Kind of a sad note, but it'd ruin the storyline if I gave this a happy ending. On the flip side, this is Aya's ACTUAL first date. So Lee's and her date is simply the first date she 'sees' as a date.  
_**

 ** _Happy holidays everyone! And I hope to update just as regularly, but I'm not making promises. Lots going on._**


	73. Chouji: The more things change

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 61 – Chouji: The more things change_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Staring at the ceiling. The room is dark, not surprising seeing as it's going on midnight. I should be tired. I'm not. All I can think about is how different life is these days.

Three months ago, I was worried about a girl. A gorgeous girl, don't get me wrong, but still just a girl. Now I wonder how mom's managing with all the groceries – she'd gotten used to me carrying the bags for her. Now I wonder if the contract with those oyster farmers got finalized – it was my idea, considering the nutritional value of oysters, along with the prospect of finding a pearl now and again. Now I wonder if Shika's taking enough time to rest – he always seems worn out when I see him. Same for Ino, but she'd always been the most motivated of us.

Now, I keep thinking of ways to help my team –to help Aya– to slow down a bit, to enjoy the sunshine.

I remember the look on Shika's face when I asked him to take it easy for the afternoon. He initially turned me down, but when I told him that training yourself into a rut is 'too troublesome for words'… I thought he was going to pass out from shock.

Oh, how different life has become.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Good morning, sunshine." Kakashi-sensei announces, obviously in a good mood. I rinse out the last of the conditioner before I turn to him.

"Mornin'. You still wearing that mask?" I ask, wondering why it's the only thing he's wearing. I thought it was attached to his shirt, but it could just as easily be a genjutsu.

"Why, or course. Why wouldn't I?" He teases. I shrug. It's none of my business.

I finish washing up, carefully easing into the tub for my morning soak. It's not five minutes later that uncle Shikaku, Haruki and Zabuza join us. Zabuza… is also wearing a mask, just like Kakashi-sensei. I shake my head, not trying to understand.

"Mornin', guys." I greet them.

"Hey, look who's gotten himself into the tub." Uncle teases, smirking. I shrug; this isn't the first time I was allowed in here by myself. "Hey, listen. I need a favour, Chouji."

"Nn?" Uncle needs a favour from me?

"Aya's been worked up about something and she isn't talking to anyone about it. I want you to talk to her." He explains, already washing down.

"She won't talk to auntie or Naruto?" I ask confused. If Aya won't talk to those two about something, there's no hope for me.

"They won't tell me if she did." He explains seriously. "Please?"

"I'll talk to her after breakfast."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hey, doc?" I begin, wondering how to even broach this. "Can I talk to you? Privately?"

"Is everything okay?" She asks, her eyes already filled with worry.

"That's what I want to talk to you about, but it's…" I trail off, rubbing the back of my neck, worried. She nods, understanding. She helps me to stand up, asking me to follow her into her office. I blink. I don't think I've ever been in her office before.

I enter, sitting on the couch as she asks. She closes the door and for some reason I hear a funny buzzing in my ear for a second. "What just happened?"

"Oh, sorry. I activated two seals. One to seal the door so no one can enter, the other to make sure this conversation stays private." She explains, walking over and sitting on the couch beside me. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"That's… kind of what I'd like to know." I begin, scrunching up my face as I think about that. "Uncle Shikaku says something's been bugging you, but you won't talk to him about it. He also says Naruto and auntie Yoshino won't say if they'd already talked to you? I'm not sure if there's something you'd tell me you wouldn't tell them, but… if there's something I can help you with…?"

She smiles, but she's also making a face like she wants to call me a cutie, or something. I think she appreciates me caring about her, but doesn't want me to worry – if I'm reading her right. "Mom and Naru-nii did talk to me already, but the thing that's bugging me isn't something I want daddy to hear about any time soon." She explains, making that face again. "Thank you for caring though. That… means a lot to me."

"Aya…?"

"I'm fine. I promise." She assures me, rubbing my thigh and smiling a bit brighter. "I'm just worried about… someone, and wondering why they aren't telling me something that I know is going on." She says vaguely.

"Alright." I nod, accepting her explanation. "But you're okay?"

"Don't I look okay?" She asks, rolling her eyes at me playfully.

"You look great, but looks can be deceiving. And I know you have a habit of bottling up things that bug you." I say, taking her hand into mine. "If something's bugging you, I promise not even uncle Inoichi will get it out of me."

"Daddy's already sent the bloodhounds to sniff out my mood. If you know anything revealing, he'll figure out a way to get it out of you. That's why I didn't even tell them." She explains, intertwining our fingers. I shrug; she has a point.

"That's fine. But I'm not just talking about this one thing." I clarify. "I mean… if you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you."

"… Thanks." She says, obviously meaning it.

"So, other than that one thing your dad is obviously not supposed to catch wind of. Is there something bothering you? Something you need to get off your chest? Or something you just feel like talking about?"

"Lots of things." She admits, her eyes downcast.

I tug her so she'll lean into me, then I wrap an arm around her. "I've got time."

"… I dunno." She sighs, snuggling into my embrace. "Just, worrying about Tsu, if she's coping with her grief or if she's using me as a shield to not have to. And this whole thing with the Sand Trio, I still haven't talked to them about it to settle things once and for all. And I keep worrying that mom and Yasu-nee are taking on more than they can handle, but I'm not around enough to help them right now. And I keep wondering why Hitomi is so willing to give up her family life to guard me. I mean, even before being officially posted here to shadow me, she was still shadowing me. Doesn't she miss her family? I mean, I know things are a bit… strained in the Hyuuga clan, with the whole main branch versus cadet branch thing, but… I just can't figure out why she's never once even hinted at being homesick, you know?"

I don't interrupt her. I just make a listening sound now and again to let her know I'm still following. How does she keep so much bottled up? I mean, I'd explode if I was worried about half of that stuff!

"Is there anything I can help you with? Maybe I can try helping in the kitchen? I'm used to it at home, and it isn't more than I can handle?" I offer. Even if I can ease just one of her worries, I'd feel better.

"I'm a worrier, Chou-chan. If you take away one, I'll find another." She says, smiling. "Thank you for listening though."

"Hmm… what if we schedule a daily session like this then? I'd like to think I'm a decent listener." I offer. "I mean, think about it. Three birds with one stone. You get it off your chest, I feel like I'm doing something to help, and you don't have to worry about me overdoing it because you'll be right next to me the whole time. Win-win-win."

She smiles, her eyes twinkling. "Deal." We share a brief kiss – far too short, but sweet nonetheless. "But I need to get going. Maybe we can… talk again tonight?"

"I look forward to it."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I can't believe today's Aya's second day as Hokage-sama's secretary. I mean, I'd never thought Aya'd be the desk job type. Still, I'm grateful. If she's here in the village, I don't have to worry about her being out there somewhere taking on _another_ rogue shinobi. I think her team has brought in more rogues than all other teams combined – whether alive, dead, or just a head is irrelevant.

I keep thinking about that announcement last night though. About how she bought the house across the street. I can't say I'm too surprised, her team's taken more missions that I'm comfortable with. I… don't know what it is, but that girl just scares me sometimes.

Before it used to be because I was afraid she'd skin me alive. Now, I'm more scared for her than of her. I mean, what if she runs into the wrong rogue and gets hurt, or…

I shake off that thought.

I still feel horrible that she ended up being the one to find me during the invasion. Katsuo and I were closer to her place than anywhere else, and I know the security here would keep him safe. I'm glad I was able to save him, of course. That Sound guy kind of came out of nowhere, but…

How would I feel if it were the other way around? If I was the one to find Aya face down in the dirt with a sword sticking out of her back?

I tremble.

I don't think I could keep my sanity intact. Aya's a medic, she was able to save me then, and I don't doubt she'd save me again if something similar were to happen. What could I do? Drag her to the hospital while under fire?

I need to learn some defensive jutsus. Only, I don't even know what element I am. Hmm. I think it's time I start with some simple, innocent, well placed questions.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hey auntie, you got a minute?" I ask, walking into the kitchen. I'm not surprised that auntie and Yasu-san are already busy cooking lunch – no doubt they want something ready in case Aya comes home early.

"Sure. You mind chopping some veggies while you're here?" She asks. I nod, wondering at the big kitchen they have. I mean, there's even a breakfast table with four chairs!

I wash my hands, before sitting down to the table. Auntie already placed the knife, radishes, and cutting board here for me. "I was thinking about my training." I admit, already cutting the radishes the way mom showed me. "Nothing immediate. And I know Aya'd want to green light me before I even try." I add quickly, hoping to not get her defensive.

"Alright." She nods, no longer waving her knife at me. "What were you thinking about?"

"The invasion, to be honest. If I'd known a few defensive jutsus, I might not be in the state I'm in, you know?" I offer.

"Nn. Thinking ahead, I see." Auntie nods, approving. "Well, the best thing you could do is check your primary element. If it's earth like your father's, then you should be able to learn quite a few defensive jutsus. If it's water, you should be fine as well. If not, you could always ask Aya to teach you sound release. She has some amazing defensive techniques, and I'm sure she'd happily teach them to you."

"Nn. That sounds like a good place to start. You know how I can test my primary element?" I ask, seeing her bristle. "Again, auntie, I'm gathering intel. I wouldn't dare try something before Aya green lights me for training."

"Hnn. You'd best remember that! If she, or anyone, catches wind of you training, Chouji…! She has enough going on right now! I do **not** want you adding another worry to her plate!" Auntie warns.

"I know, that's why I'm gathering information. I want to be able to start reading up on the trainings I could try," I make sure to pause, to not give auntie the chance to confuse what I'm saying. "now that I have the time, so that when Aya says I'm fit to start training, I'll know where I can start." I explain carefully. "Besides, it isn't like I don't already know how much she's worrying about everyone and everything. I don't have it in me to make her worry more."

Auntie studies me for a long moment, as does Yasu-san. "I'll arrange something to test your element. In the meantime, you can ask Hinata about sound release, and maybe some medical jutsu training if you interested. It never hurts to know something about that. And wasn't your father talking about you learning a weapon? There's an entire collection lying around here that Aya would gladly share with you if you ask."

"Nn. Thanks auntie. Now I've got plenty to work with." I think about that. "Do you think dad's coming over again tonight? I'd like to ask him a few questions as well."

"He's here almost every night, so it wouldn't surprise me. He hasn't mentioned not coming, at any rate." She says, thinking about that. "You could always ask your mom if you want to be sure. She should be here soon."

The doorbell rings. "That's must be her. Naruto-ku~uuuuun!" Yasu-san calls out. "Someone's at the door!"

"I already sent two clones, Yasu-nee. It's Remi-san." He answers, sounding like he's in the family sitting room. "Oh, by the way, Chouji." And now Naruto's right behind me.

"Dude! I'm using a knife. Please don't do that." I warn him.

"Sorry, sorry. Listen. I'm going into town in a bit anyway. I can get that thing Yoshino-sensei was talking about. But, then you gotta swear over instant ramen you won't give sis a reason to worry. That this is just for reading purposes for future trainings." He demands. He isn't joking either. Naruto's made me swear over a carton of instant ramen a few times by now.

"Deal. You have one on you?" I ask, smirking. Of course he does. So I go through it, swearing on his sacred ramen that I'm not going to do anything but read and do research.

And just in time for mom to come in with two Naruto clones, each of them carrying bags. "Hey, mom? Why don't you ever seal any of that stuff away?" I ask.

"Because this is a great workout, of course." She says, kissing my brow. "Thank you for helping while I was out."

"No prob. I kinda wanted to ask auntie some questions about training anyway, so it's not like helping is a big deal. Hey, mom, you're an earth release user as well right?"

"Nn. Earth release is almost always the primary element of Akimichi clansmen. Fire is usually the secondary, but we have a few lightning here and there." She explains, already moving to put the food away.

"Hmm. Thanks, then I'm almost certainly an earth release user." I say, happy about that. Aya's also an earth, so I might be able to ask her for some tips and whatnot.

"Probably, but we've had other primaries in the past, and I don't doubt we'll get more in the future. Checking is always smart." She says, smiling. "Thinking about asking a certain someone for some tips?"

"Actually, yeah I am. Aya would certainly know some good defensive earth jutsus. And she'd gladly teach me a few." I admit.

"Oh, just look at my little man. Still in recovery, but already planning what he wants to focus on when he's ready." Mom gushes. "You just make sure Aya approves before you try anything though. I'm sure she has more than enough going on, and we don't want her worrying about you now, too."

"Naruto already made me swear on ramen." I tell her. "And auntie was to the point of not telling me anything for that same reason. Trust me, I'm just trying to figure out what I need to read up on while recovering."

"Good. I don't think I want to ever see that look on her face… when she woke up next to you that day. Not again." Mom is halfway to tears. "Not that I was any better, mind you."

"I know, mom. That's why I want to focus on some defensive jutsus. So there won't be a next time. And…" I try to shake off my weird mood. "And I want to make sure I'll be able to keep Aya safe, if she ever needs me to, you know?"

"That's my Chou-chan for you. Kami, I can't wait to see the cute little munchkins you and Aya give us." I blush, refusing to comment on that. "Oh, Yoshi-chan, don't lie. The second those two get married, you'll be the first one asking about grandkids. We both know I'm not alone in this."

"Oi, oi. Have you thought about Sealing jutsus? That's something you can work on while still recovering, 'ttebayo!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

This is more like it. This is something I can deal with. Naruto came through for me **big time** ; I'm earth. He'd also given me some simple exercises to start me out on Sealing. He says I need to practice it until my calligraphy is absolutely perfect.

Mom gave dad the heads up, so he's bringing me some scrolls on earth jutsu to explain how to unlock and hone it.

Hinata also suggested a few books to get me started on medical theory, and a scroll on sound release as well.

This is what I need. Now I can prepare, get a head start when Aya says I can start training again. And this way, I can show her that I'm really trying to be the type of man she needs – not the primary objective, but certainly worth noting.

Shika's teaching me shogi as well, to help sharpen my tactics and analytical skills. It'll probably take me a few years to get the hang of all of this, but…

Aya's worth it. And so am I.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 61_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Good news people! I'd considered putting the next chapter here, and using Chouji's PoV to do Tsunade's ascension to Hokage. It's not in the next chapter either, I'm afraid, so I'll just have to work that into the chapter after. Why is that good news?  
_**


	74. Meetings, preparations and celebrations

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 62 – Meetings, preparations and celebrations_**

 ** _A/N: It's good news, because now both chapters are ready in one go ^_^ Enjoy!_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Alright, guys, settle down." I call out. Everyone quiets down. "I've got a few announcements to make, and after those announcements I'm going to need a far more private meeting in my office with a few people. Keep in mind that I'm not here to discuss things with you. I'm here to explain things."

Everyone shrugs, it's not like this is really a new thing. "Alright, the first things is that the house across the street has been properly secured. That means that there are going to be different sleeping arrangements, for those that this applies to. What those arrangements are will be discussed privately. However, all patients will be relocated."

"What, doc, no!" They start griping already.

"What did I say?" I can tell they aren't happy about this. "Look, I'm not saying you can't be in this house. I'm saying that the sleeping arrangements will be different. You guys need more room, and we need to stop dragging patients in and risk scaring the kids. Meals will still be served here, you will still be allowed to spend most of the day here. Nothing other than where you sleep and where you work out will change."

They think about that. "Even Chouji?" Hikaru asks, seeing if this is a favouritism thing.

"Even Chouji." I say. They all settle down, knowing that if Chouji has to sleep elsewhere, none of them stand a chance at changing my mind. "The next big thing to discuss is Yuzuki here." I motion for the girl to come to me. She does, but only because she wants me to pick her up so she can hide from all the unwanted attention.

I scoop her up, not too surprised when she buries her face –shades and all– in my neck and hair.

"Now, I'm not going to talk about who she is, where she came from, or whatever. That is not something anyone needs to know. However, I am going to say that she's under my protection. That means that if I find out anyone gives her a hard time or starts talking about her to the public, you're going to answer to me." That gets everyone curious. "Only those I feel need to know will know more than that. With Senju-san's permission, her history has been labelled an S-rank secret until further notice. This is for reasons I am not permitted to discuss. I'm sure you all know what that means."

No one argues with me, especially when Senju-san confirms it. "That's all I have to say for now. If I could please have Yasu-nee, Naruto-nii, Momochi-san, Kakashi, and Senju-san join me in my office?" I'm a little surprised when Yuzuki chases after Sakiko and Katsuo, who are playing a game of tag – inside the house, as usual.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Once the six of us are in my office, I seal the door and activate the privacy seal. "I trust you all understand what gets said in this room, stays in this room." I begin, motioning Yasu-nee to sit on the couch while I move my two usual chairs for guests and my office chair so we can all sit comfortably – Momochi-san prefers to stand, so that works out for the best.

Everyone nods, even Yasu-nee. "Good, then I'll start with the more annoying part. Kakashi, when were you and Yasu-nee going to tell us she's pregnant?"

The two exchange a look, both clearly shocked. "I'm…" Yasu-nee begins, but words fail her.

"… pregnant?" Kakashi isn't doing much better.

Wonderful. They didn't know. If I can smell it, then why can't Kakashi? "Well, congratulations. Now, how are you going to explain to daddy that you got her pregnant out of wedlock?"

My sister's in shock, unable to wrap her mind around that. Kakashi is… somewhat more accustomed to dealing with issues that need to be handled immediately. "The only way she deserves." He says. Kakashi drops to one knee, right in front of her, taking her hand gently. "I know this isn't the most romantic setting, Yasu-chan."

Oh.

My.

Kami!

"There's no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with, no one I'd rather raise a family with… no one but you." Tears are streaming down her face. "Namiki Yasu. Will you marry me?"

Before she can answer there's the telltale sound of pictures being taken. Sorry, not taking any risks. Everyone looks at me, shocked. "What? I knew this was a possibility. As you were." I seal the camera back into my glove for safe keeping.

Yasu doesn't seem to notice or care about my interruption, she leaps forward wrapping her arms around Kakashi; he's careful to stand to not risk their child in any way. She kisses him, even with the mask on. "Careful, Yasu-chan. I might take that as a yes." He teases.

She tugs his mask down, kissing him again and again. She comes up for air nearly a minute later, their foreheads pressed together and both still tightly wrapped in their embrace. "Next week." She demands breathlessly, nodding.

"Next week." He agrees just as breathless.

"Obviously we have a wedding to plan. Senju-san, would you mind performing the ceremony?" I ask, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm sure Kakashi would ask, but…" I motion to my soon to be brother-in-law, who barely even notices I'm here.

Senju-san nods, smiling warmly. I can tell she feels welcomed, being allowed to witness an intimate scene like this.

"Now, if you two lovebirds could please focus, we need to discuss clan matters." I demand. They nod, but a minute later they're still standing there. "Look, how about this, we don't care if you two still want to touch and cuddle and bask in the warmth of the moment. Kakahi, sit down, Yasu-nee sit in his lap. That way we can discuss things that will affect all of us."

I completely ignore the overly clingy 'I can manage if you can' back and forth between them. They eventually –as in way taking way too long– sit down and we get to it. Momochi-san decides to claim Kakashi's old seat.

"Good. Now this is what we need to do. Yasu-nee's situation demands she be offered the best protection possible. So the two of you will stay in this house where our pack can best defend you. However, after… _leaking_ some information… the house across from Momochi-san's place –so the house diagonally across the street from here– is up for sale. Kakashi, if you want me to run interference with daddy should he get on your case, you will buy that house and that will become the new Hatake residence. While you're still here, we will use it as a rehab centre for our patients." I lay it out for him.

He doesn't even have to think about it. "Done."

"Good. Naruto-nii, I'm going to need you to move your clan into the house across the street. I don't mind if you still sleep here, but we need the room. And Momochi-san, now's the time for you to make your move as well. I want to help you guys set up next door."

"Alright. Maki's not at a hundred percent, but now's a good time." Momochi-san agrees. "I assume you'll help us set up a security system."

"Of course. Same goes Kakashi. I've already discussed it with Asami. She's been busy with the Uzumaki residence. I'll have her start on the Hatake residence tomorrow and, at worst, you guys' place the day after."

"You mean the Yuki residence." Momochi-san announces. I grin. "I'm going to be applying for clan status, and I'll be clan head until Haku makes it to jounin." He explains seriously.

"Good." I say, thinking about the other things we need to deal with. "Once we have the security systems in place, we'll be making underground tunnels to connect all four residences."

"Clan compounds." Senju-san corrects.

That brings me up short. "Huh?"

"The term you're looking for is 'clan compounds'." She explains.

"Well… I guess that would be true for the Uzumakis and the Hatakes. But the Yukis aren't a clan yet. And neither are the Namikis." I point out, wondering where this is going.

"Well. All clans need to be approved by the Hokage, right?" I agree with her. "So once I'm in officially in office, that'll be dealt with. That includes the Namikis."

I feel Naru-nii's hand on my shoulder, I turn finding his trademark megawatt smile. I try to say something, anything. The words just won't come.

"Don't look so surprised, Aya. You've obviously overlooked the routes to founding a clan." She says, her tone serious. I try saying something again, but adding confusion to the mix isn't helping me at all. "One is a jounin with secret family techniques, which will be true for you once you're a jounin. Two is becoming the Hokage, which I doubt you even want. And the last… is a family with secret techniques that have been living in Konoha for at least three generations, which counts in your case. So guess what?"

Tears are streaming down my face, overwhelmed by the good news. "You're a clan, Aya. Congratulations."

I swipe at the tears, but they just won't stop. Giving up, I bow reverently to Senju-san. "Th-thank you." I say, meaning it. Really, really meaning it.

"Loyalty is a two-way street." She says, smirking.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Things settle into a comfortable rhythm after we all calm down – mostly just me and the Hatakes. We start setting up true agreements for alliances between our clans. We start arranging all the nitty-gritty that just needs to get out of the way.

"I think the best place for the Anbu is in the Yuki compound." Momochi-san offers. I think about that, unsure.

"I disagree. If they spend the night for whatever reason, they would prefer being somewhere they'd be needed. And extra security near our wounded is something they'll prefer." I counter.

"That's true." He agrees, shrugging. Obviously he's just trying to help any way he can.

"What about using your backyard as an Anbu training ground?" I offer.

He smirks, liking that idea. "I can work with that."

"Alright. We'll have to set up the medical classes in the Hatake compound, seeing as it makes sense to keep all medics close to the patients. Sealing classes in the Uzumaki compound. And sound release here in the Namiki compound?" I offer. Everyone agrees. "Alright, now for who's going where."

"I want the Sand Trio in the Hatake compound." Kakashi demands. I roll my eyes, figuring he'd want the biggest threat the furthest from Yasu-nee.

"Doesn't bother me. Naruto-nii, I think setting up Hinata and Hanabi with the Uzumakis is best." I offer, grinning when I see him blush. He's literally the reason they're here, so it makes sense. "Naturally, Yasu-nee, Sakiko and Katsuo will stay here. I want to keep Tsu and Hitomi here as well. What about Fuu though?"

"Well, she hit it off pretty well with Minori. I think bunking those two together makes sense." Naruto-nii offers. Yeah, it kind of does.

"Alright. Yuzuki is staying with me though." I'm not budging on that at all.

"No one's surprised." Momochi-san teases. "You mind telling us her story though?"

"She's an Uchiha." I say. He motions for me to continue. "Oh, right. You don't know the Uchiha frenzy. Since the Uchiha's were killed off, anything Uchiha related has been… hyped up. So if anyone we don't trust finds out about her, the whole world will know. And that means people will start questioning where she was hiding, how she got here… all the questions we don't want people asking."

"So in other words, you have a means to contact Uchiha Sasuke, he's not really a rogue, and he found the girl and demanded you take care of her for him." He drones.

"… You're a jounin for a reason." I tease. "Yes, that's exactly right. And I'm sure you already know that that's classified and you're not supposed to know any of it." He waves it off, not in the least bit worried. I shrug, it's not like I don't trust the man.

"Hey, Aya… I was thinking." Kakashi begins. "You're looking for something for Ryuuzetsu, right?"

"Define 'looking for'?"

"You hate people not having a family name. But she would stand out too much as a Namiki, which is why you haven't adopted her." He says, intertwining his fingers with his fiancée's.

"Yeah." I agree, hating that I can't offer the girl more. She'd never fit in as an Uzumaki, she doesn't have ice release, and frankly both not having earth release and her silver hair? Stupid reasons, maybe, but she'd simply be 'the odd one out' as a Namiki, too. I don't want to do that to her.

"Silver hair is a defined Hatake trait." He offers, looking at me seriously. "I can't say she'll be allowed to learn secret techniques, or sign the Dog summoning contract, but… I think Hatake Ryuuzetsu has a nice ring to it."

"I kind of like Hatake Yasu, myself." Okay, lovebirds, breathe.

"If you're willing, 'Kashi-nii." I say, meeting his gaze. "It would mean the world to her, and to me."

"Why not let her come up with her own family name?" Senju-san asks, confused.

"The point isn't having a family name, it's having a sense of family." Kakashi counters. "It's why Aya adopted Yasu and Sakiko so easily. She refused to let them walk around without a sense of truly belonging, a sense of family." I nod, agreeing with him. "It's a canine thing."

Kakashi and I share a look, understanding each other completely.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next day, at work, Senju-san decides I need to handle a few side projects. So Shizune gets stationed at my desk –I kind of feel bad for her, but that's life for you– and I'm sent, with my usual shadows, down to T&I.

When I arrive, Ibiki is there to greet me, motioning me to follow him. "Hokage-sama told me you'd be coming our way. We have to decide what to do with those Sound shinobi you brought in. The three genins are easy enough to manipulate, but they simply aren't trustworthy enough to release. And the redhead? She's giving me a hard time, so I figure you might be able to butter her up somehow." He explains as we walk.

"Ibiki, are you depending on little ol' me?" I tease, grinning to get under his skin. There's just something about riling him up that makes my day – I must be hanging around Mitarashi-san too much.

"Look at your track record. Inoichi and I were talking to the Sand Trio for almost a week, nothing. You talk to them once, and they're putty in your hands. I think it's your not being from T&I that works so well for you." He shrugs, not bothered in the least.

"Aww, now you're just trying to ruin my fun." I pout, enjoying the giggling from Tsu and 'Tomi.

"I work with Anko. Do you really think you're getting under my skin that easily?" He opens the door to one of the interrogation rooms. "Enjoy. I'll be here."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I enter the room, finding an annoyed redhead glaring at me. "Great, another one. What, they run out of inches when you came around?"

"Oh look, a short joke." I drone, unimpressed. "She's a riot. Comedienne extraordinaire."

"… You're not from T&I." She doesn't ask. "What do you want?"

"You're right, I'm not. I'm here to talk to you." I say, sitting down across from her. "I'm Aya. With me are 'Tomi and Tsu."

"You're the girl that brought me in." Again, she doesn't ask.

"Nothing gets by you." I roll my eyes. "So, now that we're all friends. You mind telling me your name?"

"… Tayuya." She says, eyeing me cautiously.

"Works for me." I say, shrugging. I simply don't care if that is her name or not, I just need a name to call her. "Well, Tayuya, let me tell you what I can do for you if you cooperate with me. I'm the Hokage's secretary, someone she listens to. I can get you out of this cage and into a prettier one."

"…I'm listening."

"We need information on Sound, on Orochimaru, on the bases and where they're hidden." I lay it out for her. She looks bored, but she isn't brushing me off. "You know he betrayed you, but your pride as a kunoichi won't let you crack under silly things like interrogation or torture. So, how about an exchange. Tell me what we want to know, and we'll work out a bargain that you can feel is a fair exchange for that information."

"Uh huh. And I'm guessing you'll need the information first, right?" She isn't buying it.

"I'm sorry. Maybe a proper introduction will explain that. I am Namiki Aya. I'm a wolf." I tell her. "That means I don't play cat and mouse games. I make you one offer, if you don't like it, I walk. If you accept it, my personal, familial and clan honour will demand I follow through." She's thinking about that, if nothing else.

"… the Sand Trio… they in a prettier cage?" She asks, curious.

I shrug. "I don't see how that's any of your business. They aren't here anymore, are they?"

"Alright, what would you need as a show of good will?" I raise an eyebrow, but unsure what to think about that. "Look, your pretty words aren't enough for me. I need more. You want what I have, you obviously know I'm not giving it up without gaining something, and I need to trust you. I **don't** trust people."

 **-Sasuke, you got a minute?-**

 **-I've got an hour if you need. Orochimaru's busy shutting down this base before you can get it out of Tayuya.-**

 **-Perfect! I need the coordinates and name of that base you're in. I need to see if I'm being played.-**

 **-Southern base.-** He says, before giving me the exact coordinates.

"The Southern base. I'd need you to point it out on a map for me." I tell her.

"… Why? He'd shut it down long before you even get there." She points out confused.

"Exactly. It's the perfect show of good will. Something that proves you know what you're talking about, while at the same time being low risk should you find I'm untrustworthy." I lay it out for her.

"I can work with that. Oi," I cringe at the colourful name she calls out, "Bring me a map of the Land of Rice Patties, will ya! And something to write with!"

Ibiki comes in a minute later, shaking his head but placing a map in front of the woman anyway. He doesn't have a pen though – or so he claims.

I roll my eyes, offering her mine. Walking around without a pen, what's the world coming to? She looks at me funny. "What? If I can't trust you with a pen and a map, why would I trust you in a prettier cage?" She shrugs, accepting my logic.

"The Southern Base has three entrances. All three hidden, but only one commonly known about." She says, circling the spot Sasuke confirmed as its location. Then she draws three arrows pointing into that circle to show approximates of those entrances. "It's hidden by tree cover, so even it's in your skillset, a flyby wouldn't help you. There's also an A-rank genjutsu Orochimaru placed himself to mask its presence. The easiest entrance would be to the south, at the base of a tree. If you can see through the genjutsu, that's the entrance easiest to spot. It's an Area of Effect genjutsu though, so you'd need someone with a doujutsu to spot it. There's another way, via special seals that he made." She turns the map around, and starts drawing the seal.

"I can't make the seal itself, but this is what it looks like. Maybe one of your people would recognize it?" She offers me back the pen, obviously having given all she's willing to.

"… Ibiki. I think we have a winner here." I say, smiling. "I'll talk to Senju-san. However… There's one condition I'd need you to agree to, considering where you'd be placed."

"… I'm listening." She doesn't like this at all.

"I'd need you to swear you won't give me or my people a hard time. That means no fighting, not being a brat for no reason, and not getting too drunk."

"'Too drunk'? So getting drunk is okay?"

"… Why would I care if you're drunk? I just don't want to have to restrain you, or have you dancing naked or anything stupid like that."

"… On my honour. Arrange this, and I'll be your pretty little princess."

"Tayuya, I don't take oaths lightly. So word it properly or I walk."

"Sorry." She says, sobering up this time. "Honour your word, Namiki Aya. And I vow on my personal honour that I will abide by your stipulations. I will not fight you or your people, so long as I do not feel threatened. And I will not get too drunk."

"Good. I'll make arrangements. It might take a few days, seeing as we're currently securing the place I plan on bringing you. But I'll try to see if I can't make your stay here just a little less horrible. You have a preference of sake?"

"The stronger the better." She smirks, offering her arm. We grab each other's arm at the elbow. "A kunoichi with a sense of honour. How's that happen?"

"Namikis. We've always stood out." I smirk. "Oh, you happen to be a sound release user?"

"Guilty as charged. Flautist."

"Really!? Me too! I play the shinobue, hiyashi styled."

"You're shitting me! I play the nohkan, but I love the shinobue! You any good?"

"Meh. I've killed people with it." I shrug, but smirk anyway.

She laughs, her eyes lighting up with joy. "Aya… I like you already." She squeezes my arm a little. "I look forward to a spar."

"I look forward to a challenge." We share a grin, and a moment really. "You mind sitting with me through the next little chat?"

"Better than sitting in a cell."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's twenty minutes later when the three Sound genin are brought in to speak with me. In the meantime, Tayuya and I talk about the music we like, and the interesting things we can do with genjutsu – a flautist and a genjutsu user. It's no wonder Sasuke wanted us to bring her in – he sees too much of me in her to not respect her a little.

"Seriously, I'm soo introducing you to my students. They aren't very good yet, but they love music. We end up putting on little concerts now and again to entertain some friends of mine. And we could really use a new instrument to mix things up a bit, you know?" I say, just as the last of the sound genin are seated across from us – I'd asked Tayuya to sit next to me so we could chat more comfortably.

"T-tayuya-sama!?" These three obviously recognize her.

"That's my name." The redhead says, annoyed. "Hey… you three're the pawns the bastard sent after Sasuke. I'm surprised they let you live."

"It's not like they were very challenging. I mean, I beat them and another team without breaking a sweat." I grin at how uncomfortable the three of them are shifting in their seats.

"It figures you two would hit it off." I think 'Dosu' was what they called him last time. "Flute players and just as cruel in battle."

"I knew I liked you." I turn to Tayuya, a teasing smile on my face. She swats my shoulder, chuckling. It's 'flautist' though, not flute player.

"So anyway. How's prison life treating you?" I change the subject. "You two drop the soap yet? I've heard horrible things about a guy dropping the soap."

"What do you want? We've already told you everything we know!" The girl is in a foul mood, it seems.

"What I want is irrelevant. It's what the three of you want that matters now." I counter. They look unsure. "You have nothing more to offer us. By all rights we should kill you, but that just seems like a waste. We could send you back to Sound." The three of them bristle, obviously hating that idea. "But killing you sounds more humane. The only other option is integrating you into Konoha, but we don't trust you."

"… Why is a genin here?" 'Dosu' asks, trying to understand what's going on.

"You're a genin!?" Tayuya sounds shocked.

"Legally, yes." I shrug, not caring. "I don't doubt for a second I'll be promoted once Senju-san in sworn in."

"They let genins into Anbu?" The three across from me aren't sure how to react to that. I'm sure they aren't too surprised that I'm Anbu, but at the same time, they seem confused why I'm still a genin.

"What can I say? Having friends in high places has its perks." I say, grinning a little too broadly. "So. Now comes the fun part. I get to decide what to do with three pawns Orochimaru sent to die."

The three of them shrug, not bothered by that. "Not afraid to die?" I prod.

"If we were, working for Orochimaru isn't a good choice." The guy I don't know a name for says. The girl snorts, obviously agreeing with him.

"Why bow to a cruel master? I mean, if you three were Konoha shinobi, you'd at the very least be treated with a vague sense of respect just for working in our village." I just really don't understand how stupid people can be sometimes. Working for Orochimaru seems like nothing more than a one way ticket to the grave. Unless Orochimaru found them the same way he 'found' those Grass people?

"…" They look away, half depressed by their motives.

"Ah. Orphans." They look back to me, shocked. "What? You think an orphan wouldn't recognise that look?" It's the look of someone that life had its way with, and left them there to rot. Being an orphan isn't fun, no matter where you grow up.

"Anyway. The point is." I shake off my mood. "I need to decide what to do with you."

"What would I have to do to earn your trust?" The girl asks. Her teammates look put out, but quickly catch themselves. It's that or death, and seeing how I am with Tayuya? It couldn't hurt to play nice with me – which is why I wanted her here in the first place. I may be a softie, but I know how to play the game.

"Start with your name." I say.

"Tsuchi Kin." She doesn't even hesitate.

"Well, Tsuchi-san. Here's how I see this working out. You're too unimportant to have Tayuya's bargaining power. So, I suggest you start playing nice with anyone that gives you the time of day. Show us we can trust you. And whatever you do, don't offer that cocky attitude that nearly got you killed last time we met."

"I understand, miss…?"

"Namiki Aya."

"Namiki-san. I am trying to play by your rules. Would you offer me a chance?" She plays the game well enough.

"Why would I do that? I have enough students." I test her.

"Please." She begs, bowing and clapping her hands above her head.

"You beg well, but I'm a wolf not a dog. Give me a reason." I demand.

"… I have nothing of value to offer. All I have is my life." She says. Sad, but true. "Save it, and it's yours."

"Hmm?" Those are heavy words to throw around.

"I swear it. There's no way you'd be a worse master than my last one. And what little I know of wolves, they're loyal to their pack." She's still bowing, still holding her hands together over her head as a sign of begging.

"You're not part of my pack." I correct her, amused that she thinks she can get in so easily. "But… if you were to show that willingness to serve Konoha, we might well have a place for you."

"No." She shakes her head, obviously not liking that at all. That throws me for a loop.

"No?" I don't hide my confusion.

"You can't guarantee me that there'd be no monsters here that would be just as likely to abuse my trust. That there are no would-be traitors to try to use me. After all, Orochimaru is from Konoha, isn't he?"

"Touché." Denying the truth is pointless. Konoha shinobi going rogue isn't an everyday thing, but Mizuki wasn't the first or the last I've heard of in recent years.

"My offer is to you, and you alone."

"Why me?" I ask.

"A wolf knows honour. You would honour my vow so long as you breathe."

"… And if I refuse?"

"Then kill me." She looks up, her eyes fierce. "You don't know what it's like… being female in Sound, kunoichi or not. I will **never** go back to that life, so my life is in your hands either way."

I look to Tayuya. She shrugs, looking away and hoping to hide the pain in her eyes. I nod, understanding a little. Then two fidgeting males draw my attention.

"… Kin. Has either of these… _boys_ lain a finger on you?" I ask, my tone **well** below the freezing point. The boys in question shiver.

"No. That's why we've been a team so long." She assures me.

"Tsuchi Kin. Meet Hyuuga Hitomi and Hatake Ryuuzetsu." I say, my tone proper and professional. "They are my guards, and part of my pack. I promise you, if your words do not ring true, they'll be the ones to end you." Without even looking, I can tell 'Tomi and Tsu are grinning – whether to intimidate Kin, or being happy I trust them so much is a mystery though.

"You have nothing to fear from me." She says, tears in her eyes.

"Good. Then welcome to Konoha." I offer my arm, and she firmly grabs me by the elbow the same time I grab hers. "And welcome to the pack."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 62  
_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: So much going on. And how will this tie in with Chouji? You'll just have to wait to find out.  
_**


	75. What's there to be happy about?

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 63 – What's there to be happy about!?_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Alright! Is everyone ready!?" I call out, weaving through the hustle and bustle that is the morning rush in our house. Asami still hasn't gotten the kinks worked out in the security system, not across the street, and certainly not on either of the other two houses. So, we're still stuck with two bathrooms and more than enough people that need to be ready by a certain time.

"Aya, I can handle things here, you need to start heading out. You know they're going to have a last minute meeting, and you need to be there for it." Mom points out.

"I know, I'm leaving in a minute. I just need to know th-"

"None of that. I will take care of it. Shoo!"

"Alright, alright. I've been shooed." I hold my hands up in surrender, smiling anyway. "Please don't be late though." I try one last time before mom frowns and shoos me wordlessly.

"Let's go." I turn to Tsu and Hitomi. They nod and we start our trek to the Tower. There's still a good two hours before the inauguration ceremony, but it's a MAJOR even and if they aren't there early, then all the good spots will be gone!

Still, whatever. Mom said she'd handle it, and we've already discussed who's going, who's staying, and all that junk.

If they don't show up on time, it's on them!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

In Senju-san's office, I'm greeted by the lady of the hour herself. "Aya. Good, you're here early. Listen, I've gone over the information Tayuya gave you. That seal is a high quality security measure, and there's no way she could fake that kind of knowledge. Jiraiya's heading out tonight to confirm the…" She trails off when she finally notices my patient smile. "You already know the info is legit."

I shrug. "Now, Senju-san, how could I confirm that?" I ask, smirking.

"… Alright." She smiles, shaking her head. "When you have that location secured, you can transfer her."

"What about Tsuchi Kin?"

"You could have transferred her already. It's not as if she'd pose a threat." Senju-san shrugs.

"True. We'll see what can be arranged. I don't think anyone will be happy with another filled futon right now." It's not something worth worrying about for now, really. I'm sure Asami will have those security systems up soon enough.

"I wonder where you fit everyone." Senju-san teases.

"We manage." Is all I say. That I share my bed with three others isn't vital information to share at this point. "Is everything prepared for the ceremony?"

"Nn. Someone tried talking me into wearing some getup, but that's just not my style. I'm wearing the hat, nothing more." She says, stubborn as ever. Still, 'Senju' has pretty much been synonymous with 'Hokage' since the village's founding. No one will doubt her.

"You're speech is prepared?" I ask.

"Short and to the point. That's always worked for me." She answers, smiling for some reason.

"And Jiraiya will be there as a show of support?"

"Yes. Homura-sama will hand me the hat, and Koharu-sama will be there as well." She's smiling even wider. Why is she smiling like that?

"You're not going to wear the gown?"

"No. It's designed for men, it won't ever fit me right." She's shaking her head, grinning. "Aya, are you here this early to pester me?"

"The thought has crossed my mind, yes. But I'm mostly here in case you wanted a pre-ceremony meeting for whatever reason." I say.

"I've been Hokage since getting back to the village. This is just for the show." Her eyes are almost glowing now. "And be careful, I might be tempted to think you respect me."

You've had dinner at my house every night since I started working for you. If that doesn't tell you something, nothing will. "Whatever gets you through the day. No guards with you?"

"Hmm? No. I sent them off when one of them sensed you coming. I doubt anyone will be stupid enough to bother me with you here."

I sigh, shrugging and shaking my head. "Stubborn as ever, I see. So what'd you do to poor Katou-san?"

"She's out bugging Jiraiya, or looking for him at least. She spent most of the morning asking me the same questions you did."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"We should get going. The ceremony is starting in twenty minutes, and I'd rather us be there well ahead of schedule." I suggest.

"We can body flicker and be there in less than a minute." Senju-san tries, still reading through a report.

"Irrelevant. We should be there early in case something needs to be discussed. Security measures, update in protocol, that sort of thing." I counter.

"They know where to find me if such a thing comes up." She really isn't giving up.

"They might well expect us to show up early and don't send someone to find us, not know where we are." I press, my tone souring.

"If they can't find us in my office, then they shouldn't be shinobi."

"Senju-san. We're leaving. The paperwork will be here when you get back." I demand, grabbing it from her and putting it on her desk. She glares at me. "Move it!"

She glares even harder. Katou-san is nervous, to the point of sweating and clearly about to freak out. I've seen kittens with scarier looks. "Senju-san. Get up. We're going."

"You think a little girl like you can order me around?"

"Senju-san. This isn't a debate. This isn't even a discussion. Either you come with me, or we find out if I'm capable of detaining someone of your calibre. Pick." She slams her hands on her desk, standing to her full height and staring me down. "Congratulations. You're taller than a thirteen year old." I feel killing intent wash over me, and her glaring is probably something that might kill a lesser man. Too bad I'm not a man. My hand is poised to snap. "Peaceful, or by force?"

She laughs, her face and eyes lighting up with amusement. There's also a lining of respect in her eyes. I cock an eyebrow, wondering what's wrong with her.

"Thirteen and won't back down even against a Kage." Her tone seems to be filled with that same amusement and lining of respect. "Kami-sama, I'm glad to have you on board. Alright. Let's go."

"You've been hanging out with Jiraiya, haven't you." I drone, unimpressed.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

As we'd discussed –mostly because I refuse to appear in front of the village without a plan– Katou-san and I will flank Senju-san while she walks towards the edge of the balcony, with Ryuuzetsu and Hitomi flanking us. This way we show Konoha that Senju-san isn't alone in taking up her duties, and everyone that's been in the Tower or the hospital has seen us helping her in any way we can.

Senju-san starts moving forward. All eyes are on her. Katou-san and I stop a short, letting her walk the last part alone. Tsu and 'Tomi stop with us.

The crowd, thousands strong, cheers loudly.

I sniff the air, identifying those on the balcony with us and a few Anbu I'm familiar with nearby. The only emotion I identify from the crowd is excitem… Even now people are trying to be stupid?

Activating the Transparent Escape jutsu and fading from sight, I skulk up to Senju-san, around her and right next to her. She doesn't react, but I know she knows I'm here. I study the crowd, looking for the idiot that really thinks this is a good time to be an idiot. Hmm, one of these things is not like the other. A sea of cheer and excitement, and you come here frowning?

I lean on the railing, waiting for him to do something stupid. I don't wait long. His face morphs into the picture of hatred and rage, he reaches into his kimono and pulls out a crossbow. He aims at Senju-san.

Evidence enough for me.

 **Snap!**

The idiot is trapped in a Mime's Barrier just after he pulls the trigger. Good. That means I can prove who his target is. The bolt flies at us. Aimed at Senju-san. Poorly aimed, but still. I grab it out of thin air, wondering at the cries of shock and outrage. Come on, Senju-san could have handled this 'attack' in her sleep! With both hands tied behind her back! The man is no doubt some disgruntled merchant that had a request turned down, or whatever.

I hover the barrier (passenger included) up onto the Balcony, right between two Anbu –Parrot and Sloth– who take the man in to custody the second my barrier drops.

"I wonder how much sake he drank before coming here." I mumble, walking back to my position and dropping my camouflage jutsu. I toss the bolt to Sloth just before the two of them disappear with the idiot.

The ghoul duo come out. The he-ghoul says something official sounding and places the hat on Senju-san's head. The crowd cheers loudly once again. She turns to the crowd, letting them see her –still wearing the same clothes she wears every day– with a hat on. How patriotic.

The cheering dies down. They want to hear what she has to say. "Citizens of Konoha! From this day forth, I will protect this village! I am the Fifth Hokage!" She takes of the hat and waves it around dramatically.

Well, that was anticlimactic.

And people are going absolutely nuts! Wow. Low expectations, much? Now they're chanting her name. Sheep mentality. Pure, uncontrolled, sheep mentality.

Senju-san waves and bows reverently to the crowd, then turns and strolls away. The bands take that as their cue, and the music strikes up. The inauguration celebration is underway. I roll my eyes. I'm never going to understand people.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We spend the next three hours walking around, letting people greet Senju-san in the streets. I smell a few Anbu colleagues I know now and again, but they never stick around. I wonder about that, eventually deciding it doesn't matter. Senju-san has three Anbu with her already, after all.

"Aya, hold onto this for me, will you?" Senju-san offers me the hat. I roll my eyes, sealing it into my glove for her. We really need to talk about this, 'boss'. I'm not a trained puppy that's supposed to follow you around. Get 'Kashi-nii and try that with him.

Sniff.

 **#Trouble.#** I sign to Tsu and 'Tomi. I even had to tuck back my sleeve a bit so they could see it, but I don't check if they got that, I know they did. I fade from view once again, making my way in front of Senju-san so that there's a triangle of guards surrounding her. As soon as I do, the source of trouble vanishes. I nod; smart.

Moving back into position, I drop the camouflage.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

No one else is stupid enough to make another dumb move. So around five in the afternoon, Senju-san calls it a day. We body flicker to her office, where she seals away the last of the paperwork, and her usual Anbu entourage takes her home. I wave, telling her that I'll see her tomorrow, before body flickering back to the den. And find her waiting there, with her entourage.

"Really, Senju-san?" I am not amused.

"What? Yasu cooks good." I roll my eyes, opening the gate and letting her and her usual three bodyguards in.

"Oi. None of that 'one with the shadows' crap. If you three are on my property, that means no masks and no hiding. You're guests, not on duty." I demand. They look to Senju-san.

"You heard the lady. Besides, it's not like you three will even stand out here." She sounds amused – at least one of us is.

We enter the house, finding the usual chaos. Konohamaru's chasing Yuzuki from room to room. Sakiko and Katsuo and running behind them. And behind them is Udon and Moegi. I can't decide which is laughing or screaming loudest.

In the family sitting room, 'Kashi-nii, Tenzo and Yuugao are just starting on their sake. Daddy and Chouza-san are with them, but no Inoichi-san. No Anbu Operatives that all but live here. And no patients, not even Chouji. "Oi! Aren't we missing quite a few people?" I ask, wondering.

"Back yard. Zabuza decided to have a spar with Guy. Taijutsu only." 'Kashi-nii updates me, not caring in the least. "Zabuza actually thinks he stands a chance."

"I'm not putting him back together. You know that right?"

"Hana and Haku are with them." Ah.

"Whatever. I feel like some chocolate. You want some sake?" I offer Senju-san.

"Is that a question?" She smiles warmly.

I wave it off. "It's polite to ask." I leave them in the family sitting room. I find Yasu-nee and mom in the kitchen already working on dinner – and ignoring the sounds of an intense fight outside. "Hey, guess who's home?" I tease.

"I was wondering when to expect you. Mariko-chan and Remi-chan are upstairs changing into something more comfortable. I hope you don't mind that they're using your room?" Mom greets me, stopping her chopping and dicing long enough to put down her knife and hug me.

"Not at all. It smells good in here!" I praise. "Ooh, Y-"

"It's in the freezer. Top drawer." Yasu-nee says, smiling.

"You spoil me sometimes. And I love you for it." I hug her as well, being somewhat more careful than I usually would be.

"From what mom tells me, you deserve it. I can't believe someone tried to harm Tsunade-san!" I know, right? What a moron. "Luckily you were there."

"Senju-san could have stopped a lot worse than that. She just knew I was there so she didn't bother to." I say.

"Maybe, but Tsume-san says she didn't even need to station any Anbu with her today. That says something." She isn't giving up. Whatever. I open the freezer, finding carefully wrapped ice cream sandwiches. I take out one and close everything back up. Not even caring that it just came out of the freezer, I take a bite.

"Did you already give mom the big news?" I ask Yasu-nee, tapping my left ring finger so she knows what I'm talking about.

"Of course. I told her and dad this morning after you left." She says smiling brightly.

"Dad was a little… concerned about the rush, but he didn't make a fuss when I explained that I know how quickly a shinobi's life can change, so…" She's rambling, just a little, but I don't mind. Talking to daddy when he already suspects something is up is… daunting. You never know if something you say will tip him off or make him curious and have him investigate.

"How'd he take it? Other than the suspicious glances and subtly pointed questions." I ask mom that, she'd know his moods better than anyone.

"He's happy, but worried. He thinks Yasu has something to do with your funny mood all week." I was afraid of that. "But, he dropped it after Kakashi explained that she's pregnant."

…

"Okay, first of all, he'd never tell daddy that." I cross my arms and glare and mom, even though I'm careful with my ice cream sandwich. Chocolate isn't fun to get out of a kimono. "Second of all, daddy wouldn't calm down after that." I tap my foot impatiently. "And third of all, you're just fishing in the dark."

"Maybe, but the pieces fit. Congratulations, sweetie." She hugs Yasu-nee, who's in tears.

"I'm sorry. It's not something we-"

"None of that. Planned or not, Kakashi did the honourable thing without having to be bullied into it. And everyone knows you two love each other. So don't you go feeling bad for being human." Mom soothes, rubbing Yasu-nee's back gently. "How far along are you?"

"Three weeks?" Yasu-nee pulls back a bit, trying to wipe away the tears that just won't stop. "Shizune-san has been monitoring me and bringing all the supplements and whatnot I'd need to minimize the risks."

"When the time comes to tell your father, you let me know and I'll handle him. It's still way too early to let people know anything." Mom says, her tone and eyes gentle and warm. "How'd you find out though?" That one's aimed at me.

I tap my nose. "Pregnancy hormones and us sharing a bathroom. I'm actually shocked 'Kashi-nii didn't figure it out for himself."

"He probably didn't think it was possible. How'd he take the news?" Mom asks, concern in her eyes as she carefully studies Yasu-nee.

"After the initial shock? He proposed." I tattled, grinning. "I swear, they were acting like two schoolchildren that just started dating for the rest of the night."

"D'aww." She gushes, glowing happily for the joy that found her eldest daughter. Then, out of the blue she covers her nose and mouth with both hands, her eyes wide with shock. "Oh Kami, I'm going to be a grandmother." Reality, welcome home. It took you long enough to get here.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Note to self. Stop talking in the kitchen. In fact, stop talking. Period. Jounins in the next room, all of them constantly keeping an eye on the ladies in the kitchen, even if only to be peripherally aware of their surroundings. Not a good thing when talking about huge news like unplanned pregnancies.

So. 'Kashi-nii and Yasu-nee are sitting side by side on the couch, while daddy and mom are sitting across from them. Luckily we're in my office this time, with the door sealed and privacy seal activated. At least **this** conversation will be private.

"So." Daddy begins. "You're pregnant."

"… Yes, sir." 'Kashi-nii answers, knowing poor Yasu-nee is having enough trouble breathing right now.

"Aya knew."

"I was the one that told them." I say, not looking away from him.

"And you didn't tell anyone because…?" He fixes me with a disappointed gaze.

"Because I was waiting for them to come to me about it. I didn't know they hadn't figured it out, since it's so early on." I explain, still not looking away. I am not ashamed of my choices, so I refuse to act as if I am.

"I'd already heard how Kakashi reacted, so I won't ask. All I want to know is why everyone avoided telling me." He sounds _supremely_ annoyed.

"Because you're her father?" I point out like it's obvious. "I mean, be honest, daddy. If you found out before 'Kashi-nii had the chance to find out, if you found out and saw the initial shock. Would you believe he'd proposed because he believes it's the right thing to do, or because he was afraid you'd kill him in the most graphic and painful way possible?"

"… Fair point." He admits, half shrugging. "You do realise that I'm still not happy with you." He aims that at his soon to be son-in-law.

"I don't understand it either, sir. And I'm doubly surprised that I didn't notice it sooner." He admits, shame lining his tone. "I messed up. Now I need to do all I can to fix it, to honour Yasu-chan as she deserves, and to ensure that she is both protected and provided for."

"That's a start." Daddy says, worry in his eyes. "And what about living arrangements?"

"We've already discussed and taken care of that." 'Kashi-nii answers, pride in his posture and eye again. "I bought the house next to the Uzumakis, so we'll have somewhere to raise our… child." I hear the goofy happiness flowing off that last word. "Aya also demanded that we stay here so that the pack can take care of Yasu during her pregnancy, and I plan on begging for us to stay here a bit longer so that our child will be surrounded by family for at least the first few months when the care is most intensive."

"No need. I'm not letting her leave before that anyway." I say, smiling. "And I certainly won't mind if you stay longer."

"And the risks of shinobi-civilian pregnancies?" Daddy leans forward, his shoulders tense and a father's worries on plain display in every part of him.

"She is legally civilian, in that you are right, sir. But Aya's been training her in medical jutsu and sound release. Naruto's been training her in Sealing arts. And… mom's been helping her with those frying pan katas to train her body. She's at least low genin." Mom almost melts when 'Kashi calls her that.

"… Not ideal, but better than nothing." Daddy sighs, a little relieved. "Kakashi… you'd better take care of my daughter."

"I intend to." He says, his eye shining with determination. "Besides, I know my cute Imouto-chan will be the first to get on my case if I mess up."

I snort, amused. "Was there ever a doubt?"

"… I don't want to sound callous, but… are there arrangements if… something should happen to you?" Daddy really isn't leaving anything up to chance.

"Of course. There's a pact between the Hatakes, Yukis, Uzumakis and Namikis. We will care for each other as if caring for our own. If something happens to me, Yasu and our child will be cared for." 'Kashi-nii explains. "That's part of the reason Ryuuzetsu bears my family name, to honour our pact."

"And this is in writing so the council cannot give you grief?" Daddy isn't giving up. "I've been through this with Aya. I do not intend to let another suffer like that."

"It is. All four clan heads signed the pact." I answer this time. "If you would like to read it?" I offer. He nods, so I head to my desk and open one of my sealed drawers. I offer him the official document, even bearing the Hokage's seal of authenticity.

"This… is based on our Four Clan's treaty." He says, approving. He goes over it carefully. "There's a fifth space, meant for the Uchihas."

"…" No one answers him.

"Good." He knows, and he obviously approves. "Good…"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hey, Sasa-nee, you okay?" I ask, finding the morose redhead on me bed, staring at the ceiling. She's halfway to tears, and there's an obvious cloud hanging over her.

"No." Well, she's honest at least.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I offer, climbing into my bed next to her.

"… No." That's a hesitant yes, but she just needs a nudge.

"Kono-chan seems to be doing well." I say, trying to figure out what point on the ceiling she finds interesting. "He and the kids are downstairs playing, laughing. He's still an emotional wreck and would sometimes start crying for no reason, but… he's coping pretty well, all things considered."

"…" She turns away from me, obviously trying to hide her reaction. I smell her tears anyway.

"He was worried at first." I press on. "That people would forget the Third, that the world would move on and he would just fade. Like how he can't remember his parents, you know?" The advantage of having so many attentive packmates, is that details like that don't remain secrets for long. We pick up on our pack's mood, and we won't give up until we know what's bothering them. Asami's held out longer than anyone, but today's the day to deal with that.

"Is that what's bothering you? That you've lost another father?" She sniffles, and the scent of tears almost overwhelms me. I turn to her, wrapping my arm around her middle. "There's no shame in being hurt, angry that you got a raw deal."

"… it isn't that." She eventually says. "I… I'm hurting, yes. But…"

"Sasa-nee, what's wrong?"

"I don't… I don't belong." She flies into my embrace, crying bitterly. "Anywhere. I don't belong with the Sarutobis, I don't belong with the Uzumakis, I don't belong anywhere."

"Yes, you do." I tell her, overwhelmed myself from the intensity of her emotions. "I can't tell you anything about the Sarutobi clan. But Konohamaru loves you. Sarutobi-sensei loves you. At least those two will always feel you belong with them."

I hold onto her, hoping to keep her from falling to pieces right in front of me. "However, I **can** speak for the Uzumakis. You will always be welcomed among them. Just as you will always be welcomed among the Namikis, the Hatakes and the Yukis. You are one of us, Sasa-nee." She clings to me, squeezing me a little tighter as if she's afraid she'll drown in her grief. "Just like how Karin and I got off to a rough start, you and Naruto have a rocky past."

She blubbers about how sorry she is, I think; it's kind of hard to make out her muffled and jumbled words. "But, I would give my life for Karin. Much the same way both Naruto-nii and I would give our lives for you." I tell her, certainty in my voice that I know she won't miss. "You will always belong with us, Uzumaki Asami. You will always be welcome among us."

Why am I always playing doctor with patients that shouldn't be mine to begin with?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Aya, there you are." Senju-san motions me over to the table in the family sitting room. "It's official, I'm Hokage."

"Congratulations, Senju-san." I roll my eyes. I was there, you know.

"Same old Aya. That point is, that gives me the authority to upgrade the Namiki family, to the Namiki clan. I thought you would appreciate signing the papers with your pack to bear witness." She smiles, motioning for me to sit across from her.

It takes a minute to arrange, but Yasu-nee, Katsuo, Sakiko and I sit side-by-side. Senju-san offers me the form, to make it official. "Don't get that paper teary. It's the official document that needs to be copied and filed in Konoha's archives." She warns, her tone playful.

I take my time, filling it in neatly. Then sign, as clan head, Namiki Aya.

"Congratulations, Namiki-sama." Senju-san says, pride in her tone and eyes. "I hereby declare you the Namiki clan." An official rubber stamp appears in her hand out of nowhere, and she slaps it onto the document to make it official. "Now, shoo. I have to deal with the Yuki clan now."

I bow low, thanking her from the bottom of my heart.

"Hey, Aya-nee? What does 'Namiki' mean?" Katsuo asks, curiosity in his eyes.

I tug them along, giving Momochi-san, Haku, Aomaru… and Maki… the space they need to go through their paperwork.

The four of us sit by the open paper screens, our feet dangling over the edge. "Well, like most names there is an obvious meaning and a hidden meaning." I begin, thinking about mama's lecture when I asked her the same thing, years ago.

"'Namiki' usually means a row of trees, which is to show our unwavering loyalty to Konoha, and the leaves those trees bear." I explain, looking up at the clouds. "However, in architecture, 'namiki' is a row of columns. This is to show our earth release jutsu and that, even if we seem like mere decorations, the structure we're a part of would collapse without our strength."

"So, Konoha would fall without us…?" He asks.

"Not Konoha, no. We aren't that conceited. Just the structure, the pack, would weaken without us. That's why we so carefully choose our pack. That's why we so jealously guard our packmates. We… are the columns that keep a roof over our heads." I explain carefully. "Columns do not strengthen a village, just a building. And that building is all we need. A place for us to call home. A place where our pups can be warm in the winter, dry when it rains."

He thinks about that. "So, we aren't strong for ourselves? We're strong because our pack needs us to be?"

"Yes, that's exactly right." I pet his hair, smiling. If one column is weak, the den is in danger of collapsing. So we must all strive to be strong so that our pack will be protected. I don't put that into words though, it would sound too preachy.

"Kiko… let's go. I need to train." Katsuo gets up, already running to the door. Probably to put on his slippers to go outside.

"Coming, Togo!" Kiko and Togo? They're in the front yard not a minute later, toughening up their fists, forearms, shins and knees for strikes and defence. I smile, grateful for my pack.

"I think you and Kashi-chan need to talk about the wedding later." Yasu-nee whispers. "This changes things, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. Having one of my clansmen become the matriarch of the Hatake clan? That's the greatest compliment."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"No, this is the problem right here. If you switch this out, and replace it with this…" Senju-san, Jiraiya, Naruto-nii and Asami are going over the security system together, to make sure it's air tight, as intended. Between the four of them, I'm sure they'll figure this out.

"Listen. This is all way outside of my skillset. How about I take 'Kashi-nii and-"

"No. You are not working on those tunnels until all four compounds are properly secure." Senju-san shoots that down.

"Fine. But can I at least go do something in the kitchen or something?" It's not like I even understand half of what you're talking about!

"No. We're almost done. And when we're done, we'll need you to access the security matrix so we can upgrade it to incorporate the changes. Besides, Jiraiya's going to be doing the tunnelling, so we can already have those tunnels secure before they're even dug. Just sit tight, munch on some chocolate, and stop complaining."

Fine!

I unseal a bar of chocolate and do just that. The four of them keep going back and forth about this and that. I hear a term now and again I actually understand, but for the most part I ignore them.

"Hey… since I have you here anyway? Do you guys think you could do something about Hitomi's Caged Bird Seal?"

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 63_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Well, there you have it! Tsunade's officially the Fifth, the Namikis and Yukis are officially a clan. And it looks like those security systems will be up and running asap. So, the next chapter? It's all about organization again. I know, boring! Still, it's needed.  
_**

 ** _On the flip side, it will really help move things along for something major I have coming up. I hope you guys are enjoying ^_^_**


	76. Four Clans, united

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 64 – Four Clans, united_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"No, Tsu, you're still staying with us. Yes, Fuu, you're going to share a room with Minori. Temari, you're under Kakashi's watch now, which means he can decide where you stay, I have no authority to argue with him. Konohamaru, you don't even live here, why are you begging for your own room?" Poor me. Poor, poor me. Always stuck with the job no one wants.

"Mom, no one is stopping you from spending time with Temari and her brothers, we're just dealing with sleeping arrangements. No, Gaara, you didn't do anything wrong, we're just trying to make sure we all have enough space to live comfortably. And Sarutobi Konohamaru, you do not 'deserve' half of Udon's room. Stop being a brat!"

I can't believe I had to take the day off from work to organize the troops for something so simple. Really, I shouldn't have to be here for this. At all. "'Kashi-nii, why aren't you packing up your old apartment and collecting your clan's hidden library? No one's going to do it for you, you know."

"Daddy, you should have left for work twenty minutes ago. Make sure you give mom a kiss though. No, I don't care if you claim you already did, do it again! Shika-nii, if you even look at that shogi board again, I will hurt you. Hikaru, you are not supposed to be picking up heavy things. Stop getting on my nerves! And no, Kanon, Chouji isn't sharing a room with you based on shared heritage. Guys are girls are not sharing a room unless they're married, or one of them is a clan head. Yes, I'm allowed to be a hypocrite, with all the stress you guys constantly put on me."

"Naru-nii, you shou… Right, clones. Sorry. Sasa-nee, I don't care what you think, if Naru-nii decides you're getting a room in his compound, then you're getting a room. Stop complaining about it. And no, Konohamaru, her getting a room and you getting a room are **not** the same thing."

"Udon, why are you still moping about? You're acting like you won't be here every afternoon after school lets out to train with Yuzuki, Sakiko and Katsuo. Moegi, stop hitting him! I don't care if that's the Uzumaki way of doing things! Do that crap in the Uzumaki compound!"

"Konohamaru, I swear if you say one more word about this you'll be spending the rest of the day crawling around on my ceiling! No, Naruto, that isn't funny! I said SHUT IT!"

"Haku, please don't leave me in that madness by myself!"

"Sorry, Aya-chan, but dad wants us to get the house liveable. That means we need to get some shopping done, and mom wants that done sooner rather than later." Haku says, offering a sympathetic look. I want to feel happy for her that Maki and Momochi-san asked her and Ao-chan to call them 'mom' and 'dad', but the fact remains that she's the only sane person around here! And she's leaving me!

"Traitor." I complain, fixing her with a dull glare. "No, Yuzuki, you're still sharing a room with Sakiko. Yes, Hanabi, you and Hina-nee are moving in with the Uzumakis. What do you mean that doesn't make sense? Who do you think wanted Hina-nee here to begin with? Didn't think of that she says. Hina-nee, stop blushing. You and I both know you figured that out months ago!"

Kami-sama, dealing with this many people at once is TIRING!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Well, that only took forever. So. Let's see if everyone is set up the way I want. Sakiko and Yuzuki are now the ONLY occupants of their room. 'Kashi-nii is moving into Yasu-nee's room – they're out 'buying furniture' they feel they need. Tsu is still staying in my room with me – I've gotten used to having her there. Hitomi now has a room to herself. Daddy and Mom are taking Naruto-nii's old room – why they insist on still living here is a mystery I don't plan on figuring out. And Shika-nii has his own room as well.

That means we ACTUALLY have three empty rooms! How'd we manage that!?

Momochi-san, Maki, Haku and Aomaru have their things packed and are either still out shopping, or setting up their house next door. Jiraiya set up a doorway between our compounds, in the little 'alley' next to the house so that no one will get killed for coming and going if someone is training.

The Uzumakis (all of them) are over in their compound. I don't even want to know who's (capable of) keeping order in that camp! Uzumakis know how to handle their own, or so I've been told. The Hyuuga sisters are with them, as is Fuu.

The patients, the Sand Trio, and the barrage of ever present out of uniform Anbu Operatives are in the Hatake compound, setting things up. It's a bit weird to not have Hana around to pick on me, but I'll manage.

I still have to check out the underground tunnels Jiraiya seems so proud of, but really, I'm just not in the mood right now.

Because now, I no longer have any excuses. I have Tayuya and Kin I need to collect. And I have to negotiate with the Anbu guards where Tayuya is going to sleep. So much fun stuff.

"Hey, mom. We have any more ice cream sandwiches?" I'm going to need a chocolate fix before dealing with this madness.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Tayuya." I call as I enter her cell. She's laying on her bed, zoned out. She notices me though, and I know that little smirk means more than she wants it to.

"More sake to keep things friendly?" She sounds amused.

"Transferring you." I roll my eyes at her shock. "Come on, I haven't got all day."

She gets up, following me out into the hallway. She still isn't quite sure what to think though. 'Takara' removes her shackles, but doesn't immediately walk off this time.

"Right, just one more to collect." I motion for Tayuya to follow us. I still don't like that Kin is housed with her two male teammates, but I think they understand just what I'd do to them if they tried anything. "Tsuchi Kin. Follow me."

"… What about us?" The still unnamed idiot asks cautiously.

"You heard what I told Kin. Whether you listen is on you." I tell him coldly.

"Would it be alright if we were to come visit her when we get out?" 'Dosu' asks.

"Namiki compound, in the Shinobi Sector." I don't even wonder if they'll get out; it's none of my business.

'Takara' is already busy unshackling Kin when I close the cell door. When she's done, she locks the cell and leaves without a word. "Always a ray of sunshine." I shake my head, annoyed. "Anyway, I'm sure you both remember Tsu and 'Tomi. This is Asami, she's mostly here as an added precaution. Tayuya, Senju-san has agreed to your relocation, however, if you try anything that violates our agreement, Asami's orders are to kill you where you stand. Please don't give her reason to doubt your honour."

"That's cool with me." She shrugs, not caring.

"Good. Then I have a gift for you." I take out the nohkan I bought on the way over and offer it to her.

"Aw, honey, you shouldn't have." She grins from ear to ear. She takes it gently, playing a few notes to see if it's a flute she can get used to. "Not bad. Not as good as my old one, but not bad."

"You'll get a new one eventually, I'm sure. I just can't stand seeing a flautist not having a flute." I say, motioning for them to follow me and already walking towards the exit. "I've made a deal with Senju-san. No one's allowed to interview you but me, and there won't be any interviews until you've gotten a chance to settle in. So we're talking at least a week of not having to worry about useless junk."

"Sounds like heaven to me." She's grinning from ear to ear.

"I must warn you though… even though you won't be in my clan's den, you will be in the den of one of our closest allies. You will be constantly surrounded by people that I would give my life for. Please, mind your manners. Upsetting them without a reason will not make you any friends."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the Hatake compound without incident. Salamander –Anbu mask on, and armed to the teeth– opens the gate to welcome us the moment we arrive. "Something up?" I ask.

"Dragon says it's time to… discuss matters with the Sand Trio." She says. " _He_ wants you to be there."

"Well, it looks like the party's going to start. Tayuya, mind what I said." I say, motioning for Kin to follow me. The redhead shrugs, obviously not caring.

"I am Salamander, you will follow me to your quarters." I ignore them, making my way around the house to the backyard, where I smell 'Kashi-nii and the Sand Trio. I sigh, hating that mom and Naruto-nii are here as well.

"Good, you're here. Temari, Kankuro, Gaara. The mission that delegate tried to give you is to assassinate three individuals. Hatake Kakashi, Namiki Aya and Uzumaki Naruto. Three clan heads." Temari winces, understanding just how horribly that works out for Sand.

"Aya, unseal their things." 'Kashi-nii demands. I shrug, not caring. I unseal the three fans for Temari – the two that Sand idiot tried to give her and the one I scalped during the invasion. I also unseal the four puppets for Kankuro. They don't like where this is going. "Honour demands you to take the mission. And yet honour demands you never execute it. We are tired of not knowing which side of the coin you three follow. So here are your weapons and your targets. What will you do?"

I pick up Temari's fan, walk over to her and gently offer it to her. Kankuro can grab his puppets on his own, so I'm not getting involved in that. "Choose, Temari." I demand, meeting her gaze, unconcerned.

Temari takes her fan, hugging it. Then she looks to me. "I will not speak for my brothers. I only speak for myself." She begins, strapping her fan into her obi against her back for safe keeping. "I will not raise arms against Konoha, let alone against you three. Besides, Yoshino-san would never forgive me if I did."

Temari and I share a look, both of us smiling.

"The blonde has decided. What of the brunet and the redhead." 'Kashi-nii isn't letting up at all.

"Che." Kankuro does his thing, connecting almost invisible chakra-based stings with his puppets one by one and bringing them to him. "I appreciate the toys to entertain me, but Temari's right. Besides the fact that you three could easily kill me, there's my vow to not fight you. So unless this is meant to be a friendly spar, I say we call it a day and get some lunch." He says, meaning it. And he makes a good point too. We could easily kill him, especially 'Kashi-nii.

All eyes turn to Gaara.

"I will not fight you." He says simply.

"Why?" 'Kashi-nii asks.

"Because I care for you three more than every person currently in Sand combined. I will not fight you."

"Hey, check it out! They gave me the firefighter model! And Salamander! Aw, man! I'm going to love tinkering on you babies!" Kankuro's obviously excited. "You guys? I could really use some tools to figure out what these babies can do!"

"Naruto? Aya?"

" **Works for me.** " We say together, shrugging like we don't care. Then we smirk at each other. Yup, we still got it.

"Good. Then let's go see what Yasu-chan's cooking. She's been teasing me all morning that I'm going to love it, but won't say more than that."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Soft boiled saury and miso soup with eggplant. Love, you spoil me." 'Kashi-nii coos, kissing his bride-to-be on her cheek – mask included.

"Someone has to." She says, smiling warmly. "Besides, I'm sure you've all had a trying morning. Getting four compounds sorted and all the madness that goes with it? I'm not sure how you managed."

"Yes. Oh how did they ever manage." I intone dryly. Everyone laughs, but no one comments.

"Naruto… I haven't seen any of the Uzumaki since you left, would you mind calling them for me? I'm afraid lunch will get cold before they a… Nevermind." Yeah, we can hear Moegi and Minori arguing about who has the nicer room. And apparently Moegi and Hanabi are sharing a room – I did not know that.

The Yukis aren't far behind either, they're just A LOT QUIETER about it. I shake my head, wondering how I ever got used to so many Uzumakis in a confined space for so long.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Thank you for coming." Senju-san welcomes us in her office. I shrug. It's kind of weird not being here to begin with, but everyone needs a day off sometimes.

Beside me are Naru-nii, Shika-nii, Hina-nee and Aburame-san.

"I've reviewed the reports, I've spoken to the proctors, and I've discussed this with my advisors." True, she also asked me repeatedly who I think should get promoted. "You five have shown considerable leadership skills, the ability to adapt, and the ability to perform under pressure. For these reasons, and the skills you have shown, I would like to congratulate you. You are hereby promoted to chuunin." She unseals five flak jackets, tossing one to each of us.

"I trust each of you will uphold your new rank with honour and dignity. And that you will continue to make your clans and Konoha proud." I can't fight the goofy grin hard enough.

My clan. To make my clan proud of me.

"Everyone but Naruto and Aya is dismissed."

"Hey, Shika. Let Ino know will ya? She'll know what this means." Naru-nii says, waving the others out. I nod to Hitomi, who knows I mean to wait outside with Hina-nee.

Tsu doesn't budge though. Shocking, I know. You'd think me defenceless or something.

Once the door is closed, Senju-san casts a privacy jutsu. "Dragon. The floor's yours." Senju-san says, motioning towards the wall to her left.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. Fox, Wolf. It's time for the two of you to pick your specialization." Dragon announces, acting like we didn't know she was there the whole time.

"What are our options?"

"Infiltration, demolition, espionage, counter-intelligence, assassination." Hmm, no 'and' or 'or'. There might be more options.

"Demolition for me." Fox-nii is quick to make up his mind. I'm not so sure.

"What falls under counter-intelligence?" I ask, uncertain.

"Just what it sounds like. Finding out what they know, and messing with it. Whether by forging documents, skewing intelligence reports, feeding them lies, or making their intelligence simply disappear."

"Not my style. Infiltration and espionage take too long. And assassination… hmm, that might be something for me, but I'm more focused on defence. Sorry, Dragon. None of those options work for me."

"I figured you'd say that." Dragon seems to be smiling. "That leaves one other choice. Bodyguard."

"Oh, gee. Didn't see that coming." I drone.

"If it makes you feel better… you are preapproved because of your obvious experience in the field." No, that's not making me feel better at all. "Fox will still have to go through some rigorous training and tests before he'll be approved, but Frog offered to train him personally."

"Works for me. Can I double up and add infiltration and espionage too?" Fox-nii, you're an idiot.

"…" Dragon and Senju-san share a look. "It's plausible. But that would take years of specialized trainings." Dragon says that a little too carefully. Let me guess. Jiraiya would be his trainer?

"Works for me." Fox-nii doesn't even see the trap coming.

"Alright, I'll see if I can arrange a proper trainer for this." Dragon says coolly. I roll my eyes. Like this wasn't discussed in advance? The Third told me about it, for crying out loud!

Whatever. "Alright. Dismissed." Fox-nii is gone before I can blink, leaving the door open so Hitomi can join us once again. She closes the door behind her.

"When will they leave?" I ask, not planning on beating around the bush.

"Who?"

"Naruto and Jiraiya." The two of them share a look. "The Third already told me. When do they leave?"

"Six months, maybe less." Senju-san says.

"Good. I'll try to make the most of my time with him then. Oh, and Senju-san, you have a bad habit of leaving your window open. Jiraiya's been standing there since I got here."

"I know that. He'd never miss Naruto getting promoted." Senju-san says, smiling. "Oh, and Aya. Why haven't you gone digging in the Hokage Library yet?"

"Because I'm not ready to. I'm still busy studying my own library and learning and/or creating new sound release jutsu. I'll only need to nose around in there when I'm fresh out of new and interesting things out here. See you two at dinner. And don't be late, Yasu-nee will want to make a big deal out of us getting promoted."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"A Four Clans meeting, already?" I tease as Momochi-san, Naru-nii, 'Kashi-nii and I sit down in my office. I need to get another two-seater couch, because obviously my office is the most comfortable for these meetings.

"Yeah. I've got something pretty important I wanted to talk to you guys about." Momochi-san begins, pulling down his mask for some reason.

"Alright, shoot." I say getting comfortable.

"I've been asked to take a team of genins. Trouble is, we've got bigger things to focus on." Momochi-san lays it out.

"Test them, and if you don't feel they are worth your time, fail them." 'Kashi-nii says simply. "If they are worth your time, they'll be worth juggling with everything else going on."

"It's not that simple. This isn't a fresh genin team. This is three ragtag survivors from other teams, jumbled together. They've each been a genin for a year and a half, more or less, and they can't stand each other."

"What about your Anbu training?" I ask, worried.

"Exactly. Because I'm not a full member, the council pushed for this and Dragon couldn't shoot them down." He sounds supremely annoyed. "Don't worry though, Shikaku already gave me a list of names of those that pushed this on me. So I'll know just who I want to annoy during meetings from now on."

"The joys of being clan head." I grin, fully understanding him. "Hmm. How about you put them through your training. If they can't handle it, tell them to request a new sensei."

"Namiki, you know what kind of training I do. That'd be suicide for them."

"Exactly." I agree fully. "If they can't keep up, and I doubt they will, they'll have to ask for a transfer. Meaning, no longer your problem. On top of that, you won't fall behind in your own training. Win-win."

"Sis, that's just evil." Naru-nii says, grinning ear to ear.

"I never pretended to be an angel." I counter easily. "Is that something you can live with?" I aim that at Momochi-san.

"Yeah." He nods, liking my suggestion more the more he thinks about it. "Even if they don't quit, they'd become some of the best shinobi around. That means bragging rights." I snort, amused.

"He has a point. I mean, I get to brag that I trained three legends in the making." 'Kashi-nii says, eye-smiling.

"I think mom has those rights too."

"That she does. Anyway, since we're here, I wanted to discuss something. Imouto-chan, you have a nose for interesting situations. I want to start investing. I have information on a few things that caught my eye, I want you to take a look."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

So much for having a day off. I'm just putting my time into other things. And frankly, work is never this stressful. From 'Kashi-nii's eight suggestions of what to invest in, I found only two I trust. One being a clothing store that wants to expand, the owner just doesn't have the capital herself and needs an investor. The other being a restaurant that claims it's gotten quite popular, but can't seem to manage its books properly.

That means I'm on the road, going to interview both places to see which looks like a solid investment, and which is complete crap.

With my usual shadows in tow, I enter ' _Susu's_ ' and walk straight up to the cashier. The store is filled with customers of all ages, and goods to entice each at least a little. No one seems to be emptyhanded. Hmm, not a bad place to start. "Good afternoon. I'm Namiki Aya. I was hoping to speak with the owner, if she's in?"

"Oi, Susu-san! Got a Namiki Aya to see you!" The girl isn't very customer friendly, at all. Hmm.

We're lead into the back, in a cramped office that just makes my skin crawl. It also seems to double as storage, and a changing room, seeing as one of the employees is half naked as we walk in.

"Please have a seat. Sorry that it's so cramped in here, but… Well we're trying to get the funds to expand." 'Susu' is kind and welcoming if nothing else. "What can I do for you, Namiki-san?"

"Actually, I'm here about finding out what I can do for you. A source told me that you are looking for an investor to expand your business." I say, my face held completely blank to give nothing away. She looks ecstatic, almost to the point of creaming her pants. "That doesn't mean I'm just going to hand over money, however. I'd need to see your proposal, your books to see if your store is a solid investment, and I will of course need to discuss what's in it for me. I'm not into charity work, after all."

"Of course, of course." She thinks about that, still obviously overwhelmed. "How about this. Give me a few days and I'll have that ready for you. I'll have a presentation prepared of exactly what my vision is, and you can decide for yourself what you think?"

I can work with that. Professional and organized. "That sounds agreeable. When and where?"

"Hmm. If you leave your number with me, I'll contact you and we can set something up?"

"That won't work out. I'm always busy, out and about." I explain seriously. "How about this, the Hokage Tower. I work as the Fifth's secretary. You can either call there, or come by personally."

"… I thought you looked familiar. You're the one everyone's talking about! Her new bodyguard." She shakes off her shock. "Alright, I will contact you there. Thank you, really." I nod, seeing myself out.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Next stop is the restaurant, but I have my doubts about this place from the get-go. The one meant to welcome us is rude, the waitress is –at best– incompetent, and the menu is just…

Yeah, adding the books that I already know aren't in order? This sounds like a money trap. Nope. We don't even order, we just leave.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

So that restaurant was a total bust. What other options do we have? Real estate? Nodding to myself, I head into the Civilian Sector and we head straight for a realtor. The man looks at me a little funny, but he seems excited to see a Hyuuga with me.

"Welcome, Hyuuga-sama. Would you like some tea?"

"Aya, this one has no brains. We might as well just move on now." Hitomi is not impressed. At all.

"Maybe, but we don't need him to be smart, we need him to be able to sell properties." I say. She doesn't respond in any way I can sense. "I'll make this quick. I am looking into the possibility of buying several properties for commercial use. Can you help me, yes or no?"

Obviously caught off guard, the man shakes his head. I think he's about to short circuit. "I… see… Yes, we have plenty of properties for sale, yes. What exactly are you looking for?"

"Something either in the Commercial or Civilian Sector. I'm looking into two possibilities, either residential or commercial, both to be put up for rent. The property needs not be in tip top condition, however it needs to not make me cringe the second I see it. And no matter how you look at it, I need to decide today. So I'd advise you to stop gawking at me and figure out how you can sell as many properties as you can."

"Tea it is. Please have a seat ladies." The man turns on a dime and strolls deeper into the office to collect himself. I take a seat, but I'm not too surprised when neither of my shadows do. The man comes back not five minutes later with tea and immediately excuses himself again to get some files for me to peruse.

When he returns, he offers me file after file on properties for sale. Two are for eateries, obviously. Several offices. And dozens of homes. I think about that, wondering. The shinobi from the invasion perhaps? I'm not sure.

I look at the two restaurants a little closer… finding one of them to be the same restaurant I looked at from earlier. I shake my head, showing it to my shadows. Neither seems too impressed.

"I'll want to look at this place." I say, setting that one aside. I might even drive the buying price down, simply because I know they're trying to run a scam. One of the offices isn't too interesting, but it catches my eye for some reason. I place it on top the restaurant, simply because it couldn't hurt to have a look. I also select four of the residences that catch my eye for one reason or another.

"Alright, ladies. We'll start with the office, since it's closest."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The office turns out to be in a decent enough state. One of the residences gets tossed out immediately, simply because it's a rat trap waiting to fall apart – oh the advantages of my sense of smell and Hitomi's Byakugan – and the restaurant is… a fix-it-upper, but the price is fair considering what they're offering.

We start haggling over the price immediately, and I point out that I have friends in T&I that would love to look into a plausible scam, seeing as I have sources saying they are looking for investors when they are also looking to sell. _Surprisingly_ , the already fair price drops thirty percent.

So, with that in my pocket, we head back to the realtor's. "I must say, Namiki-san, you're an aggressive negotiator." The man says nervously.

"Meh. I'm interested in all five properties. However, other than the restaurant where we already worked out an agreeable arrangement, the prices are not what I'm willing to offer." I say, my face completely blank.

"I thought as much. Very well, write down your offers and I'll discuss it with the sellers." He says, offering me a pen and paper.

"Those residences don't have a seller, do they." I my still blank gaze is starting to unnerve him a little.

"What makes you say that?" He's nervous, obviously not having expected that.

"I bought a property a few weeks ago, and I was able to get a far better deal because the previous owners had died in the invasion and it was in fact paid off. I'm willing to bet that is the case now as well, but you wouldn't dare advertise such a thing to civilians. After all, they are a bit squeamish about death." I lay it out.

"… You are well informed. Yes, that is at least partly true for the residences. However the office is another matter entirely." He tries. I shrug, not caring too much.

"This is what I'm willing to offer for the residences. Each." I write down the number and offer the paper to him.

He shakes his head disapprovingly. "I'm sorry, you'd have to at least double that."

"Oh? Tell me, who would receive this money that you are asking me to double?" I ask, studying the man for any signs of a desire to lie.

"Well," He takes the three files. "This one is for the orphan that can no longer afford the mortgage. This one for the widow who can't afford the mortgage, and the last, no one. So I can easily agree to the offer there."

"Hmm." I nod, accepting his reasoning. "Very well. I will meet you half way on the other two and up the offer fifty percent."

"Namiki-san, I wouldn't even contact them for that kind of offer."

"I understand. In that case. Just the restaurant, the office and the one residence." I say, shrugging.

"…" He wasn't expecting that. "Very well, I'll make the offer. We can close the deal on the other three though. I'll have the papers drawn up. How can I contact you?"

"Hokage Tower. I'm the Fifth's secretary." I tell him. We shake on it.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You're scary. You know that, right?" Tsu is shaking her head as the latest realtor is discussing something with one of his colleagues.

"What? If they can't handle bartering they should close the business." I counter. I've finally gotten the price on that store down to something I find is acceptable. If they don't like it, fine; I'll walk.

The man comes back almost ten minutes later. "Namiki-san, you drive a hard bargain… but you've got a deal." We shake on it. "I'll draw up the paperwork in the next few days. How can I contact you?"

"Hokage Tower. I'm the Fifth's secretary." I should just get that on a business card, or something. It would save so much time.

He nods. "I'll be in touch."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

With today's successes, pending successes, and failures in my pocket, I head home and call Kashi-nii, Naru-nii and Momochi-san into my office once again. I lay it all out for them. The restaurant, the office, the store for sale, the presentation for that clothing store, the one residence I'm guaranteed, and the two still pending.

"Jeez, sis. Kakashi gives you bait and you come home with a whale!" Naruto-nii just _has_ to exaggerate.

"Hey, I've been thinking about investing for a long time. So when I found out that I've got company in this, of course I'm going to want to deal with this now that I've got the time. So anyway, that's what I've got for you. Who's in?"

"I say we deal with this in a four way split." Momochi-san offers. "Maki has the time and has some experience with this, so we can have her manage the properties for us. We each listen to what this 'Susu' has to say, and we can decide together if it's worth the investment."

"Actually, the presentation is just a formality. The store has full of customers and the wares are catered to their desires. The owner knows what she's doing, even if her personnel are… lacking. I'm almost certain she'll wow us with her presentation." I explain seriously. "But I think you're onto something. We should pool our resources for the sake of the Four Clans."

"I'm for it." 'Kashi-nii's in.

"Oh yeah! This will be the best thing ever! Maybe I can talk to Akari-chan about giving Maki a hand? Maybe even set up some seals around the properties to make sure our investments are safe. Couldn't hurt."

"That's not a bad idea." Momochi-san is thinking about that. "I like it. Kakashi, if you get any more leads worth looking into?"

"I'll be sure to pass the information on. I would really appreciate it of Imouto-chan looked through them though. I mean, really. One day and you've already gotten all this done?"

"Yes, yes. Aya is amazing. Can we focus please?" I roll my eyes. "If Maki and Akari are going to run this for us, then we're going to need to set up a proper office for them. That means getting a separate line set up, business cards so that we can deal with investments easier, we'll also need a location away from our compounds to set up meetings. Maybe we can… use the office I told you about? We don't need them to go there every day, most of the work can be done right here, but we could certainly use it as a meeting location?"

"Hmm. That might work. Set up some couches, some low tables, and cater the meeting to the message we want to get across?" 'Kashi-nii thinks about that. "That would definitely work. And if Asami can set up the security system there? We'd be able to host private meetings for other clans as well. That's always a lucrative business venture, seeing as they tend to aim for a secure location where neither they nor their associates have the upper hand."

"Alright. Naru-nii, if you could ask Asami about that?"

"Sure. She's kind of been… bugging me about us revealing who we are though…"

"How so?" I ask, a bit worried.

"… I dunno. She's just been… all over the place lately. And I keep getting the impression she can't stand people calling her a Sarutobi anymore."

…

"I'll talk to her."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 64_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Not much to say for the moment. Well, other than that there's going to be a... bit of an interesting twist coming up. That Sand delegate was never dealt with... what could that situation lead to?  
_**


	77. You're kidding, right?

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 65 – You're kidding, right?_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Within ten minutes of arriving at my desk, I realise that my day isn't going to be fun. Why? "Aya, may I speak to you?" Senju-san calls me into her office. I shrug, not caring too much, until I see Jiraiya, Dragon and the ghouls each wearing a serious look.

"… Good morning?" I raise an eyebrow, wordlessly asking what's going on. When I shut the door and Jiraiya casts a privacy jutsu, the forecast of my day starts look bleaker and bleaker. "I have one day off, and you already have a project for me?"

"Yes." Senju-san does bother denying it. "I just got Ibiki's report on the Sand delegate. It would seem that we need to send a team to… deal with the problem in their council."

"… How is this any of my business?" I really don't like where this is going.

"Because you would be part of that team. Along with your father, Jiraiya, Kakashi and Naruto." Senju-san explains seriously. I sigh.

"And you would need me to tag along, because…?"

"Aya, we're sending a sanin, a famous elite jounin, my jounin commander, and the two responsible for the bulk of their losses. Why do you think that is?" She asks.

"… This isn't about negotiations. This is a shakedown. You want me there because I get under people's skin and make them nervous. And considering the company… you want me to be a brat on purpose." I think about that. "You're objective is to freak them out. To make them think twice about trying something that stupid again. Am I right?"

"Yes, you are."

"What's the surface goal?"

"Surface goal?" She asks, curious just what is going through my head.

"Scare tactics are a tactic, not a goal. We need something they need to bend to. An unreasonable, but not impossible demand, to show them who's in charge here. That is, after all the actual goal, isn't it?"

"I really don't care what method you use. So long as they know not to try something like that in the future. Discuss it with the team, come up with something that meets your criterion." Senju-san says.

"… This is going to end up being a total nightmare. You realise that?" I say to Jiraiya. He laughs. "What? I've threatened a lot of people, but never a fricking village!"

"Are you saying you won't do it?" Senju-san asks, her tone neutral.

"Heck no! I'm saying they won't take kindly to what you want. How many people can say they threatened a council in their own village and walked away? They'll sic their Anbu on us and…" Something clicks. She wants a team that could fight their way out if they had to, but a team that doesn't have to. That's why she wants Naruto-nii and me there, but not Asami. "Senju-san… I'm getting a sneaking suspicion I know why you're sending the team you're sending."

"Took you long enough." She's grinning evilly. My kind of evil, to boot! "And the team you're going with is already in the know." Senju-san is REALLY enjoying this too much.

"Out of curiosity. What are you ranking this… _mission_ as?"

"S-rank, of course. And Sand is getting the bill." Her eyes are twinkling with so many (oddly) positive emotions. "You didn't think threatening a village would be a D-rank?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hold on, let me get this straight. Granny wants us to poke a bees' nest?" Naruto-nii isn't very happy with this. I shrug, sitting down at my desk and motioning for Asami, daddy and 'Kashi-nii to make themselves comfortable.

"Basically. Now will you mark Jiraiya so I can practice on him!?"

"Why me!?" He isn't liking this one bit.

"You're the biggest. If I practice on you, I won't have to worry about being able to summon everyone!"

"… What's your plan exactly?" He asks.

"Well, pushing things through to someone is hard. But summoning them to me is relatively easy. So, the plan is that I figure out if I can summon the biggest, in this case you, to my location. If I can, then I will practice summoning myself to Asami's location with scroll in hand. If I can summon myself to her, and I can summon everyone to me… try guess how easy it'll be to get everyone home after stirring up trouble."

"Why in that order?" Jiraiya really has no clue.

"Easy. If I can summon you to me, but I cannot summon myself to Asami, then you guys can still go, and I can still get you home without a problem. This is just the most efficient route." I explain, a little annoyed I have to explain that to him at all. I mean, daddy gets it!

"… Fine, fine." He gives up. He offers his forearm to Naruto, who draws on the tracking seal with his blood. I open the scroll I need, first checking if I can sense Jiraiya well enough.

"Relax, Jiraiya. You aren't the first person I've summoned like this."

"Yuzuki reaches mid-thigh." He counters.

I wave it off. "Purely a chakra quantity difference. She arrived in one piece." I point out. I make the handsigns, and… "Geez… you weight like a ton, you know!" I complain. That was **not** fun to do. Still, Jiraiya poofed onto my desk all the same.

"… Good. Are we done?" He is so grumpy! Jeez!

"Yeah, yeah. You're a doll. Shoo." I'm in no mood for his crap. "Daddy, Senju-san gave us the freedom to choose what we demand from Sand to make them compensate for the assassination attempt. I would advise something unreasonable but not impossible. You've dealt with them before, so I think you're the best person to come up with something. And no, Jiraiya being the highest ranking on this team does not mean he can demand unrestricted access to the ladies side of public baths, or whatever."

"I'll think of something, princess." Daddy assures me, smirking proudly.

"Alright. Senju-san also said we're leaving the day after tomorrow. She gave me today and tomorrow off, that means I need to focus on this thing. If there's something you guys need to talk to me about, now's the time. Otherwise I'll need to be left alone with Asami-nee so I can train." They look at each other, shrug and wave on their way out. "Good. Asami, seal the door and activate the privacy seal, please."

"… You're not planning on summoning yourself to me. Are you." She intones after the seal is activated.

"No. I plan on telling them that it just won't work tomorrow night. Then summon my wolves so they can reverse summon me home. However… this way I have all the reason in the world to talk to you privately, and we'll have more than enough time for you to calm down afterwards so no one suspects a thing." She nods, sullen and almost having a defeated look in her eyes. She plops onto the couch, I'm quick to join her.

"You're going about this wrong." I say, not pulling my punches. "Forcing Naruto to reveal his heritage before he's ready to deal with the backlash is not going to do you or him any favours."

She looks like she wants to say something, shout it even. I raise my hand to stall her. "Think, Asami. Your parents both had enemies. Your father's reputation in Stone, your mother's in Cloud. Are you two ready to stand up to the best of the best from both villages?"

Shame. That's all she feels right now. "… no."

"No. And there's no shame in that." I say, laying my hand on her arm gently. "Naruto-nii offered you a room in their compound. Why not make arrangements to move in with them? It might not be the same as publicly declaring yourself an Uzumaki, and the village will still call you a Sarutobi, but… isn't that a start?"

"…" She sees the logic in it, but her heart doesn't care. I know the look.

"Look at it this way. You could tell the Uzumakis, if you want. I'm sure they already suspect, and they'd never out you to anyone. You could learn whatever Akari-san is teaching the others, you could bug Naru-nii about those scimitar katas or whatever. You could help teach everyone Sealing. You could… you could be part of their family. Isn't that what your heart wants most?"

She's thinking about it. "And, if you're here all the time, you could maybe spend more time with Yuzuki? I'm sure Sasuke would love regular updates on her. And she might enjoy learning things from you, you know?" Namiki Aya, master manipulator; it has a nice ring to it.

She sighs, finally giving in. "Fine, fine. You win." Of course I win, but this time you're winning more.

"Good. Change of plan. You talked sense into me, told me that sending living tissue through the way I described just won't work. Give it a few hours, brood a bit and pretend to think about it. Talk to Naru-nii after that and no one has to know I brought this up. Deal?"

She points to my desk. I narrow my eyes and turn, finding her pointing at Tsu. Oh right, she's here too. I've seriously gotten too used to having her around all the time. "What? Tsu would never tell a soul." I point out. "Oh, Tsu, we still have to go get your blades. Want us to do that now?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

With my two usual shadows in tow, we go to the blacksmith's and we get Tsu's new blades. She nearly melts when she touches them for the first time. She especially likes her chokutou, but that's life for you – seeing as she has a preference for tantos.

Whatever.

We don't have anything that needs to be handled just yet, so I decide it's best to head to the Tower to see if everything is going alright without me. And it's a good thing too.

"Oi! I take a few days off and you idiots unlearn respect!?" I bellow, getting everyone's attention immediately. "You, step away from the door! I know you don't have permission to enter! You, if you try one more time to ask for longer lunch breaks, I will start haunting your department just to return the favour! And you! BACK OFF! Haruno-san is obviously unnerved, and you being such a **creep** isn't doing you any favours!"

…

Ah, the sweet sound of silence in a usually busy environment.

"Anyone else want to try being an idiot now?" I ask sweetly. The sound of dozens of people swallowing painfully at the same time is music to my ears. "I didn't think so. Keep in mind, I just have time off. That means, I'll be back. That means, I'm going to hear _all about_ what you've done. Do you really think Haruno-san would **dare** lie to me?"

Without being asked, the people crowding Haruno-san line up. The idiot near the door backs off and goes to the back of the line, and a sense of order returns. "Thank you." I sing sweetly. "Haruno-san, is Senju-san available? I would like to speak with her."

"… Well, her meeting should be done in a few minutes. I-if you're w-willing to w-wait?" Haruno-san tries being stern, and fails horribly.

"Alright. We can wait. Did you already filter through the crap paperwork? I have the time to lend a hand if you want." I offer. She smiles nervously, but nods anyway. She nods again, this time to an impressive stack I know will be at least ninety percent junk.

 **Snap!**

The pile hovers over to me, thanks to a thin Sound Barrier under it. "Junk, junk. Hey! What'd I tell you about the toilet paper bill!?" That one is tossed right at the woman in the line, hitting her in the face. "Junk. Junk… Hmm, this one's interesting."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You just don't know what a day off means, do you." Senju-san teases, grinning. Luckily the privacy jutsu was already cast.

"I just saved your new apprentice's sanity. Does that count?" I grin right back. "I figured you'd take her, by the way."

"You recommended her. Given your history, that says something."

I shrug. "I can't stand her, I won't lie. But she's smart and passionate. If she applies those two things to her medical training, she'll be a force to be reckoned with." I say, my tone serious. "Anyway. We have a solid plan for extraction. It went quicker than expected. Daddy is going over my proposal, he'll have something figured out before we get there." I update her.

"… You're bored. Aren't you." She sounds amused.

"Some people can't sit still, I just happen to be one of them. I plan on kidnapping Sakiko later for training and I've got plans for Hitomi too." I shrug. No point in lying about it, I'm a shameless busybody.

"What about the 'Asami issue'?"

"Handled."

"Oh?"

"How much do you know?"

"Why don't you give me a summary and I'll pretend you're educating me."

"Whatever. Asami was feeling put out because she doesn't feel she belongs with anyone. She's an Uzumaki by birth, but she didn't feel she belongs with them either. She'll come around in… I'd say two hours. She'll move in with the Uzumakis. And she'll probably start acting more like them, if still a bit more reserved like her father."

"I see… When you see her, tell her to report to my office. I'd like her nearby so I can get regular updates should I need them."

I shrug. "If that's what you want. It makes more sense to have her at home though, because she'd need to tell my wolves to summon me. And I doubt the others would enjoy crabby wolves because they don't like being around too many unfamiliar scents. Especially pups. They bite without warning most times." The fact that I already have plans for her that will help her become an integral part of both the Uzumaki and Uchiha clans has _absolutely nothing_ to do with it.

"… No, that sounds like a bad idea. Hmm… very well, ask her to set up a communications seal that I can keep in my drawer so I can contact her when I need to. I'll expect it on my desk before your team leaves." I smirk. I'm glad we understand each other. "And, Aya. When this mission's over… I'm going to come up with something to get back at you for trying to manipulate me."

"'Trying' means I failed." I smirk. "And my being able to present facts in the most beneficial way for my plans should be something you appreciate. Surely you don't want me to be… soft?"

"… Tell me the plans, and I'll consider."

"I want Asami to be near the Uzumakis, to help her grow closer to them. I also might have hinted that Yuzuki could use her guidance and love." I bite my lip, smiling. "Anyway. I think it's a good idea to have Haruno-san hanging around here. If you want I can work her in properly when we get back. But I'm not teaching her sound release or anything medical! She's your problem, I just don't need her becoming mine."

"I didn't ask you to." She smiles. "Alright. Shoo. I'm sure I have other people trying to sneak into my office. And please hurry back if you can. Sakura deals with the paperwork just as ruthlessly as you would, but she just doesn't have your… crowd control skills. Yet."

The privacy jutsu drops and I open the door. No chaos to be heard. "Maybe she doesn't. But I may have warned your shinobi that I'll be back soon enough. Ta ta." I wave, seeing myself out. Just in time to see someone trying to sneak up in the line. "I don't care what you have to say about it! Back of the line! **NOW**!" I **love** my job.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Tsu, I don't mind if you want to hog the dojo to practice with your new blades, you know. My office is good enough for what I want to teach Sakiko." I offer. She thinks about it. "Really, Tsu. I'm fine. And Hitomi will be here too. You'll be down the hall, and we'll be sure to let you know if someone happens to break in and tries to kill me."

There's a knock at the door. Naru-nii, Asami and Jiraiya enter. "Hey, sis. We might have figured out something for Hitomi."

"See, Tsu. I'll have them here as well. Nothing to worry about." Tsu nods, seeing herself out. "Do you guys need extra space or something?"

"Nope. Hitomi just needs to sit down. This might hurt, a lot, so Sasa-nee and me are here to keep you from falling and hurting yourself. Or beating on Jiraiya while he's busy." Naru-nee explains, sorrow in his tone. Hitomi nods, unafraid. Pain isn't something new to her, after all.

"Is it smart to have Sakiko in here while you're busy then?" I ask, concerned. I know Hitomi won't make a sound if she can help it. It's the 'if' that worries me.

"It won't be that bad. She's just going to have a second degree burn when I'm done." Jiraiya says.

"That's bad enough. Sakiko, baby, when they're done we'll start on your training, okay? Could you wait outside for a bit?" She nods, grateful. Once she's outside, I seal the door and activate the privacy jutsu. Hitomi deserves the privacy, in case she really does scream, or whatever.

"Take off your headband." Jiraiya demands, the twins sitting on either side of a slightly nervous Hyuuga. She does, revealing her slave brand. Ever since she told me about that _thing_ , I can't think of it as anything but a collar meant to keep her on a short leash.

Thinking ahead, seeing as Jiraiya mentioned a burn, I unseal the things I'll need the second he's done. He sees what I'm doing, nodding approvingly. He grabs a calligraphy brush out of nowhere, make some scribbles here and there. He nods to the twins, who brace Hitomi. He makes the seal of confrontation.

The green ink of her brand glows. The red ink of his scribbles burns angrily. The whole room is filled with the scent of burnt flesh and flaming ink. It's almost enough to make me gag.

The second her mute scream dies down, I shove Jiraiya out of the way and activate the Mystic Palm jutsu for damage control. In less than thirty seconds I ease the worst of it, but I don't stop until I've undone all the damage.

I stare at the smooth, unmarked forehead of the former Hyuuga slave in front of me. Tears in my eyes. I sniffle, overwhelmed. She's free. Hitomi is free. Before I start blubbering uncontrollably, I take the salve and gently massage it on her now bright pink forehead. I wrap her head with gauze, and tie her headband over it to hide that anything at all changed.

Our eyes meet. She's stoic as ever. I'm microseconds away from bawling. "'Tomi…"

"… it worked?" Tears start to well up in her eyes as well. I nod. The first tear falls; hers, not mine. I'm quick to join her though.

We hug, overwhelmed with gratitude and relief. The biggest nightmare of her life… is over.

"Jiraiya… I will never forget what you've done for us." I say, sincere.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The rest of the morning passes quite peacefully. Hitomi has a bounce in her step that wasn't there before. Sakiko is doing the singing exercises I showed her – I want her to learn the true form of Siren's call, and singing is needed for that. I also want her to be able to use something other than her shinobue or a snap, or whatever. You never know if she'll need to.

Another interesting thing that happens… is Chouji. "Hey, doc. You got a minute?" He asks, standing in my doorway.

"Sure. Come in." I narrow my eyes, tilting my head slightly in confusion. "Did you need this to be a private conversation?"

"Nah, it's alright." He closes the door and makes himself at home, sitting on the couch. I go to join him. "I…'ve been reading up on a few things, coming up with a plan, and I wanted to check with you before doing anything about it."

"Okay. Vague. Can I know details?" I halfway demand.

"…" He seems nervous, unsure where to begin.

"Chouji…?"

"Well, uh… where to begin? Umm, it's like this… I've been thinking about the invasion, how things might have been different if I'd known some defensive jutsus?" He seems unsure of himself, like he's worried about something bigger than just the words he's trying to find.

"Alright. So what have you come up with?" I ask smiling a little. I have no idea what to make of him.

"Well, I talked to mom and auntie Yoshino about it. And Naruto kinda helped me out too. I'm earth, it turns out. And everyone knows earth release has the best defensive capabilities. So I've been bugging dad about some scrolls to research unlocking and honing earth release chakra." He's not talking, so much as he's just blabbing what's on his mind. He's getting more and more nervous as he goes.

"That sounds like a good place to start." I admit. "So why are you so nervous?"

"Well… you know how auntie Yoshino is. She suggested I don't only look into earth release."

"Yeah, mom hates one trick ponies." I roll my eyes playfully. He nods, his eyes showing fear and uncertainty. "Are you going to tell me?"

"… I've… been bugging pretty much everyone about little things to… train within my limits." He says hesitantly.

"Such as?" I'm not giving anything away, but I'm worried. I hope he hasn't been doing anything to strain his body! He's still recovering from his injuries for heaven's sake!

"Well… Naruto gave me some calligraphy exercises to work on." That's not too much for him. I motion for him to continue. "I've also been practising with a shinobue Hinata gave me?"

"Aww!" I coo. "You're thinking of taking up sound release?"

"Well… maybe? I dunno. It couldn't hurt, and it's something I can do now, you know?" He rubs the back of his neck, still worried. "I've… also been doing some light meditation exercises for… earth release chakra conversion?"

"None of that is bad for your condition." I assure him. "I would have preferred if you asked before, but… it's not a big deal. If… that's all you've been doing?"

"It is!" He assures me, a little too quickly.

"Chouji…"

"… I… may have done a light stretching exercise." He admits, looking away.

"Which exercise?"

"… Lying on my back, legs straight up and slowly stretching both legs to the side to work on flexibility?"

Not a bad place to start, and he isn't risking a fall. "… Alright. Not something to curse you out over. But… please don't overdo it. I'm going to be out on a mission for a few days, and I _really_ don't want to have to worry about you."

He doesn't look too happy with that. "… Another mission?"

"Yeah." I get the impression that telling him we'll be (technically) threatening a village isn't a good idea. "It shouldn't take more than four days." Technically true. Three days to get there, one day to do the mission. "Tsuren and her pups will be here, so I don't have to worry about you guys too much."

Also technically true. "… Aya…"

"I'm going with daddy and Naruto-nii. They'll keep me safe." I say, trying to ignore the stupid butterflies trying to take over.

He doesn't look reassured. "Please, Aya. Be careful." He begs, an odd emotion playing out in his eyes. "I… don't like not knowing if you're alright."

"Asami will still be here. She can contact me, and I'll be sure to keep her updated." The look in his eyes isn't going anywhere. "Come on, it's a good excuse to hang out in my office with my wolves and do some research."

"… You mind if I read some of your books then?" He still isn't happy, but he doesn't seem to be fighting me either.

"Sure. What are you into?" I ask, teasing him a little.

"Well… another thing Hinata has me studying is… medical textbooks." He seems a little nervous about that for some reason.

"That's always a plus. Hmm. Sounds to me like you're trying to broaden your skillset. Good on you. I'll see if I can help you when I get back."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Yes, like that! Keep it up, Hina-nee!" I praise. She's really pushing herself with her sound release training! I mean, she almost has the Divine Hand jutsu down! And her Sound Ball jutsu isn't exploding on contact anymore either! She's… amazing. She really is.

She focuses as best she can, sweat collecting on her forehead, trying to… the jutsu fizzles.

"You've almost got it. Just remember that this is about control, about finesse. Brute force isn't going to get you anywhere." I chide gently. "Try to relax, to approach this like a new song on your shinobue."

The doorbell rings. "That's probably Senju-san." I roll my eyes. You'd almost think she lives here, with how often she comes over these days. "Keep at it. And please don't get discouraged. You are doing amazing, Hina-nee!"

I hug her briefly, before heading out to open the gate. With both of my usual shadows in tow –for some reason– I approach the gate, finding Senju-san, Katou-san, and three Anbu shadows. Them I fully expected. However… Haruno-san is with them?

"… Okay. _Slightly_ caught off guard. Something I need to know?" I ask, eyeing Haruno-san closely.

"Nothing bad, if that's what you mean. I just thought it would be nice for Sakura to have dinner with us, if that's alright with you?" Senju-san asks diplomatically. She knows better than to demand – I'd simply leave all of them out in the street if she tries it.

I raise an eyebrow. "You do realise that practically everyone in this house knows what she's done?" I might be able to stomach her in a professional situation, but our den is **not** included in that.

"… Namiki-san, I know how badly I messed up. Please. I just want a chance to make things right." Haruno-san tries. No, you want to stop feeling guilty because I helped you get your current apprenticeship and position as Senju-san's aide.

"This is bad idea." I tell them plainly. "And I'm not stopping anyone that tries to smack her."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

In the family sitting room, in the midst of our pack, our usual chaos. Haruno-san is fidgeting under the collective glares. Sakiko's is the most resentful of the bunch.

"I still can't believe you let her in, ya know!" Sakiko isn't keeping it down in the least.

"Hnn! I still can't believe billboard brow had the nerve to come in!" Ino isn't exactly all that much better. "I swear, she'd never be let into my home!"

I shrug, not getting involved. Everyone takes a turn belittling the pinkette. Nothing physical yet though. Still not getting involved.

"Please. I know what I did was stupid and childish." Haruno-san tries.

"You're lucky Aya's so forgiving! You do know that she's the one that recommended you? That she suggested you take the secretary position to begin with!?"

"Ino-chan, I'm professional. Not the same thing." I point out, smiling a little too sweetly. "Anyway, Senju-san, did you want some sake? I'm sure Momochi-san and the Yukis will be here soon."

More insults get pelted at Haruno-san, until, "That's it! You and me! Dojo! Right now, ya know!" Sakiko demands.

"That's hardly a fair fight, Saki-chan." I pet her hair, but don't get involved. She could take Haruno-san with ease.

"Life isn't fair, ya know! Come on, pinky! What's the matter, scared of a little girl?" Saki baits her.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The dojo ends up being too cramped, seeing as everyone wants to see Haruno-san get smacked around. So the match is set outside instead. On the pond. Oh yeah, Sakiko demands that they spar on the pond.

Saki walks onto the wet surface like there's nothing more natural in the world. I beam, proud of my brat.

"Oi, Haruno! I don't got all day, ya know!" I really need to work on Saki's grammar and language usage. I don't mind the verbal tic too much, but ' _don't got all day_ '? No. Just, no.

As if on cue, the Uzumakis and the Yukis pile into the backyard to see what we're up to. Minori and Moegi start cheering Sakiko on, telling her to knock Haruno-san's teeth in. I wince. "I'm not putting her back together if that happens." The out of uniform Anbu and all patients –other than Tokara, because he's still bedridden, and Yua, because it's her turn to help him with dinner– join us. Ino starts explaining, without being asked, why Sakiko wants to smack Haruno-san around. No one seems to like the explanation.

None of this is doing Haruno-san's nerves any good. She hesitantly steps onto the pond, assuming the Konoha Academy style stance. Sakiko smirks, getting into the standard Muay Thai stance. Haruno-san looks even less sure now.

I smile.

"Oi, oi. No sparring without a referee." 'Kashi-nii appears out of nowhere. "Now. Combatants ready? Begin!"

Sakiko is on her opponent before the girl can blink. Though shorter, she's as timid as a wolf pup facing a wounded rabbit – not timid, in other words. Saki kicks out her opponent(/victim)'s knee, and punches her right in the eye. Ouch. Before Haruno even registers what just happened, Saki ambles around to her flank and unleashes a hail of blows on her unprotected back and neck. Haruno hasn't done anything to improve her taijutsu at all since our academy days.

"Alright, little firecracker." 'Kashi-nii grabs Saki by her shirt collar, lifting her up like a bad puppy. "You've won."

Saki growls and snarls and wriggles as she tries to free herself, itching to tear into her downed opponent lying in the grass. Katou-san is quick to assess the damage, already trying to heal her patient. I said it was a bad idea. No one seems to listen when I warn them about things like that.

There's a low whistle, so I turn to find Inuzuka-san shaking the bad memories off him. "It's like Aya-chan all over again." He says, frowning thoughtfully.

"Well, she _is_ a Namiki." 'Kashi-nii says, a smile in his tone. "Now, Saki-chan. You've already done enough damage. Can you let it go for now?"

Saki crosses her arms, turning her nose up. "Hnn! She deserves a lot worse, ya know!"

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 65_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Don't worry, Sakura isn't getting any more bashing than what Sakiko already dished out. When it comes to bad blood, sometimes you need to open the wound and let it bleed a bit, you know?  
_**

 ** _Well. I'm sure you can tell the next chapter is going to be a bit intense. Sand isn't going to like what Aya and the team are there to do. So let's see what happens, shall we?_**

 ** _I won't update again until the 27th, at least. Sorry, but I have plans. Shocking, I know, but I have a life ;)_**


	78. Interlude 12 – Just a dream

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Interlude 12 – Just a dream  
_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Nee-chan. Nee-chan!" I shake her. trying to get her to wake the heck up! There's something majorly fishy going on downstairs, and I need backup!

"Nn!" She jerks up a little, looking around and already looking for a weapon, or something. "What is wrong with you? It's the middle of the night. Go back to bed."

"Nee-ch~aaaaaan. Mommy's downstairs with some weird guy in a red outfit. And they're kissing!" That last part gets her attention.

"Did you have too much chocolate before going to bed again?" She's annoyed, but her eyes are too hard for her to be able to go back to sleep. "Fine, but if I find out you're lying I'm killing you and hiding the body."

We sneak out of her bedroom, down the hall, quietly make our way downstairs. In the family sitting room is a pine tree, lit up with tiny lights and clothed in little decorations of all kinds, mostly wolves and butterflies. In front of the tree, mommy's standing on her tippy-toes, trying to make herself taller, and still having to tug on this weird guy's shirt to make him lean forward.

He's wearing a big, red suit, with puffy white cuffs. A big, puffy white beard makes him impossible to recognize, and that red funny hat with a brass bell on it isn't helping much. He also has big black boots on! How dare he wear his shoes in our den!

His eyes twinkle though, twinkle like daddy's twinkles when he's about to kiss mommy. Why is this stranger doing that!? And why is mommy letting him!?

And she lets him, alright! She's encouraging it! Constantly pulling him back in for 'just one more'. Only daddy's allowed to do that! Only daddy's allowed to kiss mommy!

"Chouko, it's alright. That's just dad dressed up funny. You know how mom and dad always act weird on Christmas Eve." Nee-chan says, but I don't buy it. "Imouto-chan, really. Stop freaking out and sniff. Who does he smell like?"

I nod, sniffing the air. I smell Chouchou-nee. Sniff, sniff. I smell mommy. Sni~iiiiiiff. And daddy, but no funny weird guy.

Oh.

My.

Kami!

"Mommy and daddy are so weird." I complain.

"You think that now. When you get a little older, you're going to like seeing them like this."

"Nuh uh! They're so gross when they kiss each other like that. And they like it too!"

"Whatever, Imouto-chan. I'm going back to bed. It's late."

Those two are just too weird for me.

And me like seeing them kiss? I cringe. I'm going to bed. Maybe when they wake up they'll be less... weird.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Aya, time to get up." I open my eyes finding the trees and branches I saw when I closed them around midnight. I shake my head, wondering at that weird dream. Chouchou and Chouko? We're not even officially dating. We've yet to go on a real first date. And stupid dreams are already coming up with names of our children.

 _ **8-8**_

 _ **End Interlude 12**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: I know I said no updates until the 27th. I know, I know. But this one kind of hit my while in the supermarket and that song "I saw mommy kissing Santa Clause, underneath the mistletoe last night" came on. I couldn't help it.**_


	79. One-way ticket to sand

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 66 – One-way ticket to sand_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Twin kodachis, check. Twin wakizashis, check. Tanto, check. Shinobue, check. Prisoners' scroll, complete with Sand delegate for transport, check. Hip pouch with three scrolls –medical knickknacks, shinobi tools and my usual travel supplies– check.

I'm wearing the same style clothes I wear to work – a teal furisode shirt, skin tight pants, hip pouch hidden under my obi, gloves, kodachis strapped to my forearms, summoning scroll strapped to my lower back, prisoners' scroll sealed in my glove, wakizashis peeking up over my left shoulder, tanto just above the scroll. Okay… so not **exactly** like how I would go to work.

I wonder if I should to get more pairs of glasses in different colours to match my outfits, but… a worry for another day. I have an extra pair in case this pair breaks. That's enough for now.

Nodding, satisfied that-

"Baby, you're not leaving until I check you have everything. Didn't we already agree you should pack in front of me to save yourself from this?" Mom… you're never going to change, are you. "Don't give me that look. Please hurry! I still have to bug Naru-chan. And I would like to spend some… _quality time_ with my husband before he dashes off into the sunset **again**. I swear, I'm going to make him stop taking missions sooner or later. All the angst isn't good for me."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I still can't believe mom didn't bug the living daylights out of you two? I mean, how is that fair?" I complain. Hitomi and Tsu giggle at my expense. I roll my eyes, annoyed. I know she annoyed Naru-nii, but did she… nevermind. The goofy grin tells me exactly what she did to daddy. At least he had the decency to wash up and remove the evidence – mostly.

It's hard to remove ALL the evidence when I can smell that he accidently used a different shampoo, but the usual conditioner. I can't tell if an acute sense of smell is a Namiki thing, like it's a Hatake and Inuzuka thing. But I know that if I know a person well enough, I can tell WAY too many details they would usually try to keep to themselves. Like Hitomi being a virgin. Not just not having sex recently, but a virgin.

We walk through the customs gate, waving to the two there. They know who we are, there's no need to worry about silly things like protocol, or stopping.

It's really weird, now that I think about it. I sort of remember, just before mama died, that I was suddenly starting to notice a lot of smells I didn't notice before that. Why am I even remembering that at all?

"'Kashi-nii?"

"Nn?"

"Weird question, I know. But do you know around what age most Inuzukas and/or Hatakes start developing their enhanced sense of smell?" It's common decency to not body flicker just outside of the gate, so I know we'll walk for about ten to fifteen minutes before picking up the pace.

"Hnn? Around age five, usually. Some even younger. Why?"

"Well… I don't know if my sense of smell is more acute than anyone else's. And I don't have anyone else to ask, really." I shrug, wondering about that some more. I don't think Sakiko and Katsuo will 'suddenly' develop Namiki DNA, so asking them is just silly. Same with Yasu-nee. Yes, they are my family, my sister and brother, but that doesn't change they weren't born Namikis. Though, honestly, I think their kids have a half decent chance at developing more Namiki traits, given that I'll treat them like my ancestors treated their children. Eventually, no one will be able to tell the difference between their children and mine, seeing as I don't have a bloodline of some sort, I don't think. As it should be.

"I see. Well… the Hatakes, Inuzukas and Namikis are a lot alike. Not just for our closeness to canines, but our training to mimic them in a lot of ways." He says, a faraway look in his eyes. "Though none of us has what many might consider to be a bloodline, we do have something similar."

I think about that. Namikis having almost yellow eyes, like the wolves we bond with. A possible –maybe even likely– naturally enhanced sense of smell, and maybe even hearing and vision (that's purely an assumption, seeing as I'm as blind as a bat without my glasses). But… what else would that include?

"Oh?"

"Even before you knew about your heritage, you acted like a wolf. Some of it is learned behaviour, I'll admit, but… not all of it. Learned behaviour doesn't including the differences in instincts." I wonder about that.

"What do you mean?"

"I've worked with a lot of Inuzukas, and a lot of other shinobi. There's a unique difference in how we, the three canine clans, react no matter the situation. Some of it comes from our enhanced senses. I mean, seeing as we can tell when someone is afraid, if someone just had sex." His eye flicks to daddy briefly, but I catch what he means. "We have a tendency to be more down to earth about most things. We tend to assume that if we notice, others will notice, so there's no point in pretending."

Yeah, I can agree with that. I mean, I kind of got desensitized to the smell of a woman feeling aroused by now. It's kind of hard to living in a residential area and not get desensitized, I guess… crap. Even before the training I was able to smell and identify that. So, yeah, heightened sense of smell is a Namiki thing too.

"But what hearing and sight? I mean, my vision isn't exactly twenty-twenty." I wonder.

"Enhanced hearing also starts showing up around the same age. And sight… well, usually our brains compensate. Most Inuzukas can only see black and white. Hatakes don't have that, and seeing as you can coordinate an outfit, I'll assume neither do Namikis." 'Kashi-nii thinks about that, I guess. "I don't really know what we compensate with, to be honest. Or maybe the Inuzukas inherited the doujutsu and grew close to canines because of it? I don't know."

"Doujutu?"

"Hereditary eye technique, like the Sharingan and Byakugan."

"Ah." I think about that. "So our genes react to our training?"

"Of course. Why do you think powerful shinobi raise even more powerful children?" His eye flicks to Naruto-nii. That makes sense. His parents were legends!

"So, you would agree that if I train Sakiko and Katsuo like they are true Namikis, then their children have a greater chance at developing our heritage? And their grandchildren?"

"Hnn… Over time, yes. How much time, I don't know, but I'm sure our ancestors at one point were just regular people, working the land."

"Good." I say, nodding and smiling. Even if it takes generations, I don't care. I want them to eventually forget they were ever not a Namiki. I want to forget that too. They are my family, my clan. They deserve to be honoured as such.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We break for lunch, and for dinner, but we don't stop until going on midnight. Tsu had a bit of trouble adjusting to tree-hopping in the dark at first. After I told her to step where I step, she's pretty much good. She still fumbles sometimes, but I catch her each and every time – sound release is useful like that. We don't even have to slow down in the least.

Once we find a decent enough tree – I don't know if there's a tree-picking logic or system, but I know I avoid funny smelling branches. And I check the braches above me just to be safe.

Being used to sleeping next to Tsu, I call her up to my branch. This way, I have a warm cuddly blanket to sleep with. Hitomi gets jealous though, and decides to join us. I don't mind, more warmth is always welcome.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Aya, time to get up."

We go through the usual morning (non-Anbu) routine, but I do make sure Tsu and Hitomi wash down anyway. There's nothing worse than a frowsy kunoichi. Literally, nothing.

The whole time I can't help but think about that weird dream. Chouchou and Chouko… weird. What's even weirder, was seeing –what I can only describe as– two chubby Namikis with swirls on their cheeks like Chouji.

At any rate, I hand out breakfast and a bottle of water to everyone. They all likely have their own sealed away, but I'm the medic, I'm not taking any risks. I need to make sure my team is taken care of.

Once everyone is taken care of, and I seal away the empty bottles – littering isn't just bad for the environment, it's a horrid security breech! That's a trail with our scents that can stay good for WEEKS! No. Just no. Even when we go, I make sure Tsu and 'Tomi cover their tracks, so we don't have to worry about a thing.

We take a break for lunch, but this time curiosity is getting the better of me. "Hitomi?"

"Nn?"

"Weird question, I know." She smiles, amused. Naru-nii and 'Kashi-nii are quite used to my weird questions, so they don't even react. Daddy is… well he's used to me, just not on missions. "You don't miss being with the Hyuugas at all, do you?"

"… No." She looks away, no doubt trying to hide how much either the question or the answer hurts.

"If I were to offer you a place among the Namikis, permanently, would you accept it?" She looks at the company she finds herself in, decides there'd be no harm in being honest. After all, Jiraiya's a spymaster, it's not like he can't keep a secret. She already knows Naru-nii and 'Kashi-nii would just as easily welcome her into their compounds as I would. Loyalty, the pack, above all else. And daddy? Well, if a jounin commander doesn't know to keep a secret, then what is this world coming to!?

"… I don't see how you could arrange such a thing, but… yes. I would."

"Good to know." I say, making a mental note of that. "If I come up with something, I'll let you know before I make a move. Deal?" Her eyes soften, and the Hitomi I know –truly know– briefly shows herself. That just goes to show how much she trusts the team she's with – usually it's just Tsu and I that see the gentleness just beneath the surface.

"Alright, bottles. We need to start heading out."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I stare ahead. I blink. The view doesn't change. I blink again. Still doesn't change.

We're taking our lunch break high up in the last tree that marks the end of the Land of Rivers and the beginning of… _that_. In front of me is maybe fifty metres of grass. Then seemingly endless desert. Sand. And no, not the village, the object. Just sand. Endless sand.

No wonder why they call it the 'Village hidden in the Sand'.

"How much further, exactly?" I ask, already hating this. I can feel the heat from the desert trying to bake me already.

"It's a three day journey." Daddy answers. We've been traveling for a day and a half. So…

I sigh. "Too long. Can we at least travel at night to not bake?"

"No. We risk freezing. And night hunters." Daddy unseals kasa hats and cloaks. Tossing one to each of us. "That's why we stopped an hour early. We'll be heading out in the heat of the day."

I sigh, not liking this one bit. Still, I don the bulky cloak and the rice farmer's hat without complaint. I know daddy's just looking out for us.

Luckily Jiraiya and daddy have been to Sand quite a few times, so I don't think we have anything to worry about. They'll get us there safely. And it's a good thing mom suggested (demanded) I pack three times as much water as I usually would. I decide immediately to make sure they drink considerably more than we usually would to keep hydrated.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

When the sun starts setting, we immediately start making camp. Jiraiya makes a seal in the sand, which crawls out in every direction. He explains it's to keep out scorpions, spiders and snakes – the usual night hunters. I cringe just thinking about waking up to find any of those things in my tent.

I've slept in trees so often they've become comfortable. I've slept on boats so often that the rocking is almost a mute lullaby. But this? I've never hated a mission so thoroughly before.

"The good news is, because we continued until midnight last night, we're half a day ahead of schedule. We should reach the village before the heat kicks in." Jiraiya says looking up at the stars. I shiver, feeling cold just looking at him.

Baking during the day, then freezing during the night!? How can anyone live in this place!?

"Who's taking what watch?" I ask.

"Princess, you're our medic. You don't take watch." Jiraiya tells me, a smile in his tone.

"Works for me." I shrug, unsealing and handing out dinner and two bottles of water each. Jiraiya looks at me funny. "What? I've learned not to bother arguing when people tell me that. It's pointless. And with Naru-nii and 'Kashi-nii here as well? They'd just refuse to wake me and take my shift themselves."

"You were hoping I would say something different?" He asks, his face completely neutral.

"More curious if you would." I shrug. Tsu looks at me funny though. "Most Konoha shinobi have this weird habit of thinking that since I don't have a choice in whether I save their lives, they don't have any choice in letting me be as well rested as I can be. If you become a decent medic, they'll think the same after you save their skin the first ten times."

"You don't fight it?" Tsu asks, curious. I used to, but…

"Not anymore. It gets people tense. They start thinking that I feel they can't be trusted. Sasuke and I had a major fallout because of that." There's nothing worse on a medic's nerves than a tense teammate during a critical mission. Tension means heightened risk of mistakes, which means we have a plausible patient we'll have to save. Possibly in the heat of battle. Not fun.

"That the time you ended up dragging broody underground to patch him up?" I wince. "… Sorry, sis."

"It's alright. My own fault." Both then and now. I shouldn't have brought it up. Thinking about my teammates, my hunting pack, getting hurt… it hurts.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's going on eleven in the morning when we arrive at the giant sandstone gate of Sand Village. Jiraiya and daddy do all the talking, but the guards eventually decide to ask us each a random question.

I get, "How do you like the weather?"

"I can't decide. Are you talking about the blast furnace we're in now, or the freezer I slept in?" I'm NOT a happy camper.

"Sweetie…" Daddy's exasperated with me.

"If he'd asked about the architecture, the organization or my reaction on them being able to survive here, it would have been positive. The weather? Forget it. There's nothing good about the weather." I tell them honestly. The guard chuckles, obviously liking my honesty. I unseal another round of water bottles, handing one to everyone. I don't offer the guard, for obvious reasons. One, he wouldn't take it. And two, he'd be suspicious of me offering it to him in the first place. Making a customs officer in a shinobi village suspicious of you is asking for trouble.

I make sure everyone sips. And when Naru-nii tries to gulp, I swat him. Twice. Hard. "Sip, idiot! If you gulp in this heat you risk doing more harm than good!"

"Oi! Alright, alright! Sipping, ma'am!"

"First timers, huh?" The guard asks.

"Is it that obvious? I can't wait to get home! Geez, how do you guys live here? I mean, I'm half scared my chocolate will melt before I open the packaging!"

"Sis! Please don't tell me you…?"

"Mom had me pack muffins. Relax." He breathes a little easier. The guard looks curious. "If you think I'm a brat now, then you don't want to see me when I don't get chocolate. Trust me." Naru-nii and 'Kashi-nii nod sagely. They've seen it. First hand. Repeatedly. It wouldn't surprise me if they started packing chocolate for me, just to be sure.

Don't get me wrong, I'm careful (more like paranoid) with that these days! But… if a mission drags out, or if something REALLY stressful happens, or I'm on my period? Chocolate has run out enough to warrant the added precautions.

I just pray I'm not on a mission and all three of those things happen! Kami-sama! I don't want to know what I'd do to people!

The guard –customs officer, whatever– (probably) decides we're too weird to be lying, so he lets us through. And we're immediately greeted by Baki – the Sand Trio's jounin sensei.

"Nara-sama, Jiraiya-sama. We were not expecting you again so soon. Is… something the matter?" He asks.

"You might say that." Daddy answers, obviously the spokesman. "We wish to rest a bit, but we'd need a meeting with your council tomorrow morning, as early as possible, seeing as there is much to discuss."

"You could have sent word ahead, we'd have made arrangements."

"Daddy, can I go look around the village?" I interrupt. It's rude and bratty, but something you might expect from a young teenage girl, kunoichi or no. "Ple~eeeeeeeeeease!"

"Sweetie, I'm-"

"Come on, daddy, you promised we could go shopping! And since you're talking about your meeting tomorrow, that means you have the time today. Don't you?" I beg with my eyes, pouting and all.

"I didn't forget, princess. But daddy's working right now. Hold your horses for five minutes and we'll go." He says, patting my head to get me to calm down a bit. I don't miss the proud smirk though. He's grateful for the distraction to throw the idiot off the seriousness of our visit. "I'm sorry, my daughter all but begged that I bring her and her friends to Sand. I swear, that's the last time I mention exotic clothes and foods around her."

"You're daughter…?"

I shake my head, annoyed. "What? You waiting for me to mutter 'troublesome' like Shika-nii? Sorry, I'm not that kind of girl."

"Sweetie. What did I say?"

I wince. I look away, blushing from embarrassment. "Sorry, daddy." He tugs me to come stand beside him, then nudges me to bow and apologize.

"Baki, I know she's a bit much sometimes, but please forgive her. She isn't used to the heat." Daddy apologizes for me. "As I was about to say, we were bringing my daughter and her friends anyway, so Hokage-sama thought it prudent to give me a few things to discuss while we're here."

I start looking around, noticing a stall here and there, so I excitedly point it out to Tsu and Hitomi. Hitomi rolls her eyes now and again, but Tsu is just as excited about shopping. And that isn't her acting skills either. Shopping is something she looks forward to!

"A few things that might take all day?" He isn't buying it, and obviously he's subtly eyeing Jiraiya and 'Kashi-nii.

"Would you argue with a woman that happens to be your boss?"

"Hey, hey, dad… you're coming too, right?" Tsu hugs 'Kashi-nii's arm, begging. "Come on, you know I'm never going to stop bugging you unless you do!"

"What did I say about calling me that outside of Konoha?" 'Kashi-nii looks annoyed.

"Da~aaaaaad. We're in an allied village! Come on, lighten up will you!" She sounds just as annoyed. "And don't try to weasel your way out of this! I know that's what you're doing! You have years to make up for! Now come on! Aya-chan and uncle will come when they're done. Right? Or better yet! Uncle can come find us when he's done! That way we can try to find a nice little café to get something to eat!"

"And get out of the sun." Hitomi agrees wholeheartedly. "I'm for it."

Baki starts shaking his head, obviously he buys it, even if only a little. He subtly eyes Hitomi, probably wondering how she ties into all this. Hitomi wordlessly tugs her headband down so it hangs around her neck, showing her unmarked forehead. The best part? We aren't technically lying. "I'll make the arrangements. I'll contact you later during the day to let you know what time."

Well. I guess I should have picked infiltration. Because we seriously just outwitted a jounin! Well… not entirely. More like we diverted his attention with a bunch of teenage girls itching to shop. Still, whatever cooks the rice.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to a café in no time at all. Jiraiya says he'll find us three rooms to spend the night, and he drags (or tries to, at least) Naruto-nii along – who's complaining and dragging his feet because he's hungry. I don't mind either way, I can always bug him what's taking them so long.

"You know what? Fine. If you're just going to be a brat, then I'll leave you here. I'll come find you guys. And I don't want to hear you complaining that I abandoned you with a bunch of girls."

"See ya!" Naruto happily starts his way back to us, but obviously Jiraiya was trying to use reverse psychology. So not working on an Uzumaki.

"I mean it! I'll let them drag you all over this village shopping all afternoon in this heat!"

"I can live with that." Naruto waves him off, grinning ear to ear. He loves riling people up. And Jiraiya tends to be just the kind of dramatic Naruto likes. "You want me to buy you a new hat or something? I'm sure sis can find a lovely shade of pink to go with your sunburn."

"I never seem to get the respect I deserve!" He cries dramatically.

"Yeah, yeah. Poor you. Did you want me to order you something or not? And no, that isn't an offer to pay for you, scrooge!"

I mostly ignore the bickering, focusing on the village itself. The buildings mostly look… like oddly shaped domes. Must be heat related or something. And it all seems to blend naturally into the sand. I don't know, I don't want to. Not my problem.

Most people seem to be covered up from head to toe, showing only (a portion of) their face and their hands. Civilian women seem to cover everything from the nose down. Probably a sun exposure thing. Not sure.

Whatever.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The thing about exotic cuisine and fashion? You'll never find a dish you recognise, and you can't ever find a good reason to wear the clothes at home. We did each buy some decorative fans and we even found some cute umbrellas – for the sun, so we didn't buy those.

I notice a distinct lack of herbs (I recognise) for cooking, but I don't know yet if that's because of the lack of demand or the lack of supply. So I ask one of the market vendors, and I quickly find he's more than happy to discuss the details of buying if I'm selling. I play it off as curiosity, but I make a mental note of it nonetheless. So does daddy. He loves it when I start asking thought provoking questions.

Soon, the heat just gets too much, so we retreat to our rooms. I drag Hitomi and Tsu into the room I'm sharing with daddy. 'Kashi-nii tries acting annoyed, but I can tell he's smiling all the same.

We settle in, mostly going through our usual stuff. Tsu and I talk about things we saw, Tsu points out the boys she saw – I already have Chouji, so I mostly listen or shrug. Hitomi on the other hand…? I don't know. She isn't really too much into boys, and she doesn't seem to be too much into shopping unless it's for weapons. Bring her into a blacksmith's or an outfitter, and leave her there for days. She won't notice you're gone.

I start feeling a little lazy, so I lay my head in Hitomi's lap. Tsu seems to like that idea, so she's quick to do the same. 'Tomi doesn't mind, she never does. She smooths our hair, listening as we continue talking about this or that.

Eventually Baki finds us, so daddy invites him in. I wave lazily, but there's no way I'm getting up right now. Tsu seems to agree. He and daddy discuss the time for the meeting, and daddy specifically asks if it's the Shinobi or Civilian Council that will be there. Baki assures him that both will be present. The Civilian Council will be excused once military issues need to be discussed. Daddy nods, accepting that.

"If you don't mind me asking a more… personal question?" Baki asks, eyeing me as well as daddy. Daddy tells him to go ahead. "How are my three students? I've heard little to nothing about them, other than that Temari is 'possibly' engaged to your son."

"They aren't engaged. Both my wife and my daughter refused that out of hand. Temari and Shikamaru are spending time together, and simply seeing where it will lead." Daddy offers.

"I see." Baki seems to be worried, not just for their standing, but their wellbeing.

"They're fine, Baki. Temari is training most days with Shika-nii. They tend to talk a lot about politics and he's teaching her shogi as well. Kankuro is entertained. I haven't seen him in days. Not since he got 'a new toy' to play with. Temari says that's normal for him? Not sure how that can be normal though."

"Anyway, Gaara is doing alright too. A little social butterfly, if you could believe it. He keeps complaining that we don't cook 'gizzard'… but I'm still not sure I want to know what that is. Anyway, since cacti seeds aren't easy to come by in Konoha, he started a little vegetable garden. He seems to like it, but I'm thinking on buying him a few cacti while we're hear. If for no reason other than to give him one less reason to complain about the humidity." All completely true, even if I'm leaving out more than half the story.

Gaara and Fuu have hit it off pretty well, but Baki doesn't need to know about Fuu. Temari is also becoming fast friends with Minori, but he doesn't need to know about Minori either. And Aomaru and Kankuro are getting along thanks to their shared love for Kabuki theatre – not my thing, thanks. So much so that they have been putting on professional quality puppet shows, good enough that even Senju-san and Katou-san enjoy it. Kankuro makes the puppets, Aomaru does the sets and the costumes.

To be fair, I'm not sure if it's because the puppet tends to pour Senju-san another drink when she starts laughing.

Still, all in all, they're right at home with us. Their quirks don't even stand out all that much anymore, really.

"… Good. Thank you. Do you think you could arrange an audience with them? I'll be in Konoha in two weeks… I… would like to see them, if I may?"

"Not my call to make, Baki. However, if you ask at the Tower, I'm sure Senju-san can point you in the right direction."

"… Senju-san?"

"She means Hokage-sama. Aya has… a thing with names." Hitomi explains. "You get used to it eventually, I'm told."

"Ha ha. Cute, 'Tomi."

"My point exactly."

"What? I suppose you want me to call you Hyuuga-sama then?"

"Thanks, no."

"'Tomi it is then!" She sighs, probably asking herself why she bothers. "You know you love me, darling. So there's no need to be shy about a cute little nickname." She blushes a deep crimson.

"Sometimes I wonder how I got stuck with you." She teases, but she still scratches my scalp lovingly.

"Fate, obviously. Is that what what's-his-face keeps babbling on about?"

"Who, Neji-san? You learn to filter it out eventually." Tsu and I giggle at Hitomi's dry monotone. She **really** doesn't like _that one_.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Nine in the morning. Council Chambers. Forty headless chickens, all clucking and pecking for the bigger the worm. We're not here to make friends though.

Baki seems curious that our whole group is here, but I don't care. I am grateful that he showed me where I can buy some young cacti, and he knows which ones are Gaara's favourites. He's a decent man, I'll give him that.

"Honoured council. As you no doubt have guessed, there are matters that need to be discussed. However, not all of these matters are mine to discuss." Daddy begins professionally. I can tell just by looking at him that he's comfortable even in this kind of situation. "There are four points that Hokage-sama wishes to be hashed out. And unfortunately, today is the only day available for this. I ask that you be patient as we lay out the problems we've encountered one by one."

There is some murmuring, but mostly they seem fine with how daddy lays it out. "Thank you." He bows low to them. "To start off with one of the more… troubling issues, I pass the floor to my daughter. Aya?"

"Thank you, daddy." I say, my tone and body language every bit as professional as daddy's. "I'm sure most, if not all, of you know much of what I'm about to say. However, I believe it important to the problem. As such, I find it important to explain to offer the problem some context."

"Temari and her brothers were captured during the failed invasion of Konoha." I don't show how pleased I am with their discomfort. "As such, they were detained for quite some time. Given their pride and status in Sand, they were… not cooperative with our people. As such, I was called in. I spoke with them privately, to explain my views on their situation and to offer them arrangements more fitting their status, should they cooperate with us."

"Days later, daddy returned from Sand with three delegates to make arrangements. One of which includes a proposed arranged marriage between Temari and my brother, Shikamaru. I cannot say why, but Temari and her brothers eventually requested my presence to advocate for them. As such, I was called in a second time to provide aid to the Sand Trio – as they're called in Konoha. I suggested putting aside marriage talks, to offer Temari more say in who she marries, to offer her and Shikamaru a chance to fall in love on their own, should that even be possible."

I pause, studying the unfamiliar faces. Most seem vaguely interested in my story. One seems nervous.

"Temari agreed with my proposal, as it agreed with her pride as a kunoichi and to honour her loyalty to Sand to offer her life for the sake of peace." I like how daddy suggested I say it just like that, to really stick a dagger into the guilty party now mutely fidgeting. "So imagine my surprise when, after relocating Temari and her brothers, she's asked to attend a private meeting with your delegates. I say surprise, because said delegate attempted to give Temari a suicide mission and weapons."

There's an air of discomfort sweeping across the room. They don't like where this is going, and we haven't even gotten to the worst part. "What's worse, is that this mission, given to the Fourth Kazekage's daughter, this suicide mission… is the assassination of three clan heads of Konoha."

The silence is deafening.

One of them looks confused, and more than a little worried, so he asks, "I'm sorry. I'm not sure I understand, Namiki-sama. You're suggesting that one of our delegates was trying to order Temari, a political prisoner, to assassinate three clan heads? How would she accomplish this?"

"Because of Temari's convenient placement amongst us. You see. These three are none other than Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto and myself. We are, respectively, the clan heads of the Hatake clan, the Uzumaki clan and the recently instated Namiki clan. Given our close ties, we and the head of the Yuki clan, are constantly together. It would be a simple matter of timing to try take us out, should the assassin be skilled enough." They REALLY don't like the sound of that. And the presence of all three intended targets isn't helping their nerves.

"So. After Temari's willingness to offer her life for the sake of your village. After I aided her and her brothers, took them into my home and provided for them. Three members of this council conspired to ruin not just the lives of the Sand Trio, but wished to assassinate three clan heads and ruin peace talks between our villages."

I look around, not hiding my disappointment or annoyance. "But, by all means, don't take my word for it. I'll bring out the missing delegate involved." I unseal the prisoners' scroll, and unseal the delegate. He wobbles a bit, so I gently grab him by the arm to help steady him. "I'm sure you all recognize this man. And I know he recognizes all of you. So, my good sir. I would ask you do not lie, and tell you story. Please keep it short, and indicate who gave you the scroll and the mission to kill peace talks between our villages."

Many of the council wince at my wording, but everyone looks uncomfortable. The delegate tells his story, but I don't listen to most of it. In study to councilmembers, trying to pick out who's reacting worst to what's going on.

"And who gave you this mission?" One of the councilmen asks.

The delegate points as he calls three names.

 **Snap! Snap! Snap!**

Three indicated idiots are now chained to the ceiling. Everyone bristles and starts shouting this and that, the Anbu guards look like they want to do something stupid. "Hold!" I warn, holding up my hand to stall them and outshouting them all. " **Your** delegate is the one that named and pointed at the three I've detained. Has he not?"

They all look uncomfortable, but no one has anything to say about it.

"So, the first issue to deal with is interrogating the three indicated to see if there is truth to the matter. Naturally, you understand that I will not allow these three to simply… walk away and disappear. After all, they risked not just the Sand Trio, but your village's very existence. To risk a war so soon after losing so many shinobi, let alone your Kazekage? Is that the type of person you wish to defend when my actions are both legal and justified?"

Murmurs go back and forward again. I seal the three councilmen away, sealing the scroll into my glove once again. "Furthermore, I will only warn your Anbu guards once. Should they draw steel in my presence again? Theirs will be the first heads to roll." The change is immediate.

 **Shing!**

 **Snap!**

"That's one that wishes to forfeit his life." The Anbu that wishes to test me is now on the ceiling, just as the councilmen were not a moment ago. "Any other takers?"

"You would dare threaten us in our own village!?" One of the councilmen, a jounin judging by his scent, is pissed.

"How is that any different from your village invading ours?" I ask meeting his gaze easily. " **You** started this. **You** allowed **your** councilmen to try to incite even more bloodshed. **You** allowed a mission to bring **my** head back to Sand. I am merely cleaning up **your** mess."

He isn't backing down. "So you feel justified in bullying us."

"Let me put the shoe on the other foot. Say Sand was the victor of that invasion. And we tried to assassinate your Kazekage as revenge? Or perhaps a little lower, just you. Say it's your name in that scroll. Would you react any different?" He blinks, but still isn't backing down. "Yes, you would. You wouldn't care for investigations or laws. You would hunt me down and kill me yourself. Be grateful I am not like you. Because I assure you…" My fingers are poised to snap once again.

"If I want you dead. You're dead."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 66_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I suck at not updating. I really do. A bit of a cliffhanger, but still a good place to end this.  
_**

 ** _I've been bugging poor Setokaiva again abut the last major plot point. WHAT!? Yes, I said that last major plot point. We're at the end of pre-Shippuuden, more or less. Everything left is mission filler arcs. There's just one thing though... Seto suggested (without knowing it) a VERY vital plot point that I wouldn't have thought of without him. You'll see what that is when the time is right._**

 ** _Happy holidays, guys! Enjoy it!_**


	80. Little things

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 67 – Little things_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Silence isn't an answer this time. I will ask you to verbally acknowledge that you are standing down and will not hamper further talks to solve the problem." I gaze at the councilman, who is obviously still seething.

He grumbles.

"Speak in a manner befitting your status, councilman. Or I will treat you in a manner befitting your speech." I warn, hating that I'm talking so prim and proper.

"Hey, moron!" Naru-nii decides to put in his two Ryou. "She usually doesn't warn this often. So trust me, she is trying to work with you. Push her any further, and I don't think you want to know where this will go."

The man eyes 'Kashi-nii and Jiraiya, then closes his eyes. He takes a few deep breaths, visually calming down. "Namiki-sama, I apologize. I assure you, peace is at the forefront of my mind." I could pick on his word choice, seeing as that doesn't mean slitting my throat isn't in the back of his mind. Honestly, it probably is. I can't say I blame the man, I wouldn't be any different.

I nod, accepting it for what it is. "Very well. I believe my portion has been handled. Daddy?"

I step back, out of the limelight, and I let daddy and Jiraiya handle their bits. Tsu and Hitomi flank me once again. But I keep noticing how one of the remaining three Anbu keeps skulking closer to me.

 **Snap!**

Another Anbu is shackled to the ceiling. "Princess?" Daddy asks, wondering what's going on.

"Sorry to interrupt. Not the intention." I say, meaning it. "Anbu-san, is there a reason you keep coming closer and closer to me in a sneaky, assassin-like manner?"

"…" Silence isn't golden. Unless it's a golden kunai pressed against your throat.

"Daddy. Really. I'm trying to help these talks stay peaceful, but we both know I'm going to start breaking people if this keeps up." I warn one last time, my tone souring.

"If that's what it takes for those present to understand the situation?" Daddy shrugs, acting like he doesn't care. "So tell me, esteemed council, and present Anbu. Do we need to start executing people for us to be taken seriously?"

"Nara-sama, you have my word that should another Anbu try that again, I will be the one to execute them." The jounin councilman from earlier assures daddy. "So I trust the remaining two will not make the same mistake." His tone is sharp as a kunai, as are his eyes. I think he understands that we really are here with peaceful intentions, even if our methods are crude and harsh. After all, two Anbu Operatives initiated an attack, and there are still no casualties on either side.

"Very well, I will hold you to that." Daddy nods, his posture more alert than it usually is. His tone is just a little sharper than usual as well. This isn't the lazy, laid back man I've come to know, this is Konoha's Jounin Commander. A man that knows the power he wields, and how to use it.

"As I was saying. The three detained will be interrogated in Konoha. Should we find them guilty of crimes against Konoha planned and put into action after the invasion, they will be put to death immediately. However, there is still the matter of ensuring not just this Council, but all of Sand is aware of just how delicate your situation truly is. As such, Hokage-sama has asked that the following demands be met immediately."

Daddy starts listing things, materials to be delivered, meetings between the Wind Daimyo and Fire Daimyo that Sand must arrange. The hefty price tag, not including the cost of this S-rank mission that Sand will be pay before the day is through.

"However, I am not without sympathy for your situation. I am aware that the true reason behind this was a show of strength because your daimyo has been outsourcing missions to our village. As such, I also bring good news. An offer of trade from the Naras, Yamanakas and Akimichis. We grow, among other things, herbs and spices you would consider exotic, and you could perhaps use this either to sell to your own people, or to other villages here in the Land of Wind. Though the short term gain is limited, it has many potential long term benefits, should you be interested."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The meeting is dragging out. Eventually it's time for a break, so I shuffle my two Anbu 'buddies' to me.

"I'm tired of polite and proper. If I let you go, will you give me a reason to kill you?" I ask point blank.

" **No, Namiki-sama.** " They answer as one.

"I suggest you don't. Mind your step." I say, releasing them both instantly. They drop, already in a kneeling position and facing me.

" **Thank you, Namiki-sama.** " They intone, moving WELL away from me and mine.

The jounin I'd spoken to before cautiously walks up to me, his steps measured, his hands visible and held up as a sign of surrender. "May I speak with you?" He asks politely.

"Only if you can stand me speaking plainly. I'm done with the crap I've had to put up with." I glare at him dully, wondering what he wants. "So speak. What's on your mind, mister…?"

"Call me Taiju. I… want to thank you." He says, his tone humble, his eyes downcast. "Your people are in a position of power, and yet you play by the rules. You defend your own, but do not spill Sand blood. There aren't many, not even of the Council, who would do the same." He looks hurt to have to admit that.

I shrug, not caring. "Namikis have always been different. My honour and my pack are all I care about."

"I understand." He nods. "Thank you again. And please, should something upset you? I would deal with it personally to ensure these talks go as smoothly as is possible."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Nara-sama, please let me assure you that we will meet the demands without question. We also have gathered the funds, as requested." Here one of the Anbu brings a suitcase and offers it to daddy.

"I'll take that, if you don't mind." Jiraiya steps in. He makes a show of counting the money, checking the suitcase for traps, seals and whatnot. Satisfied, he seals it away.

"As well. We would like to assure you that there will be no further… incidents in the future."

"I should hope not." I murmur, knowing that only the jounins would hear me.

"We, however, do have a request?"

"… Being?"

"Would it be possible to arrange for the brothers to be returned to us?"

"No." I answer. The room drops into silence as a little killing intent leaks out, unable to contain my anger entirely.

"Namiki-sama, might I know the reason?" Taiju asks.

"Because Gaara is now finally finding peace." I say, my tone unbending. "He is making friends, people that know he's a jinchuuriki and couldn't care less. He is finding out that he has a passion for music, and is learning to play the koto. He is discovering his passion for Kabuki theatre like his brother. He is discovering his talents as a writer."

They look at each other, unsure if this is the same Gaara they once knew.

"Whoever sealed the Shukaku in him did a piss poor job. The One-tail was constantly trying to drive him insane, never letting him rest. And your treatment of him only made things worse. Returning him to you now is like sending a wounded rabbit into a wolf's den." Or telling me not to eat chocolate – bad things are bound to happen.

"… I see." Taiju says, sorrow in his eyes. He's letting me see that.

"As I understand it, Baki will be travelling to Konoha soon. Should he be allowed an audience with the Sand Trio, he will be able to see for himself just how different Gaara is from the supposed monster you hated and abused." I keep my tone completely neutral, even though more and more killing intent is seeping out without me wanting it too.

"Sis. It's alright." Naru-nii wraps an arm around my middle. I close my eyes and take a few dep breaths. "Please understand, Aya has taken the Sand Trio into her home, not into her house. If she feels they will be treated unfairly, she'd sooner die than let them return."

"I understand." Taiju says, his tone solemn. "Please, Namiki-sama. What would you require to believe we wish for the brothers to return so that we might have a chance at selecting the next Kazekage?"

That throws me for a loop. "Gaara isn't ready to be the Kazekage." I say.

"You believe him the better candidate?" He asks, curious but also shocked.

"He will be, given time." I tell him honestly. "Gaara is the ultimate defensive fighter, now that he isn't trying to kill everything that moves. He is starting to connect with people, starting to learn how to love others. I do not doubt he would give his life in a heartbeat, if it meant protecting people he cares for. However, it will take patience and strong bonds. He has neither here in Sand."

"… You seem to understand jinchuuriki quite well." Taiju smiles a little, eyes focussed on Naruto-nii.

"Maybe I do. But the results speak for themselves." I give nothing away, but I'm sure he already knows what he needs to. "As for what I would need? Hmm. Naru-nii?"

"He'd need someone from Sand, other than his siblings, he can grow close to. Someone loyal to Sand, and still able to look up to Gaara as a person, and not just a weapon." Naru-nii says, shrugging. "Not that you idiots could find someone like that, but… I don't doubt sis would trust Sand more if that were offered to him."

"… I see. I have a suggestion." Taiju says, smiling a little. "What if we were to offer Gaara-dono a team of fresh genins to train? They could move to Konoha, temporarily." Wow. I'm actually impressed that he used the 'dono' honorific for Gaara. That's usually reserved for lords and noblemen. He doesn't hate Gaara. That's a start.

"Hnn? Fresh genin would be the lowest possible security risk. And the bond between student and sensei is something you're looking for, isn't it, Imouto-chan?" 'Kashi-nii thinks out loud.

"I pick the three." I demand.

"Of course." Taiju smiles warmly. "I would offer the same to Kanuro-dono as well. And, should you be willing to offer just a little trust to me personally… I would like to offer two ladies in waiting and a manservant to Temari-dono."

"Personal opinion." I begin, meeting his gaze. "Kankuro has a long way to go in his own training. Offering him a team now might hamper that. Then again, it might be the push he needs to bloom. Either way, he's not taking a team to Konoha. I would trust returning him to you on Baki's return from Konoha, should Senju-san approve, of course. As for Temari…? Why? You know you're essentially sending three people to Konoha without the choice of returning."

"Because she deserves as much." Taiju says, his eyes downcast. "She would have died during the invasion. She would have remained in prison. And she certainly would have been executed for the assassination attempt. And yet, she lives. We owe her nothing less."

"… Show me the three you have in mind and I will consider it." I tell him. "But, frankly, I have spent enough time here. Daddy, let me know when you're ready to come home?"

"Will do, princess."

 **-Asami?-**

I feel the pull, giving in instantly. I'm in my office, back in Konoha. Asami's relaxing on the couch. Yuzuki is taking on nap with her head on Asami's chest. Chouji's sitting with Tsuren and her pups, who are also taking a nap.

I take a seat at my desk, and take out the summoning scroll. It takes me a second to isolate Tsu and Hitomi, but I summon them without too much trouble. They nod to me, happy to be home. Hitomi heads out, but I'm not sure what for. We're in the den, so she tends to just disappear for whatever reason. I trust her.

 **-Keep me posted, Naru-nii. I will be here in my office waiting.-**

 **-That guy wants to know how you're supposed to select the three if you're in Konoha.-**

 **-Easy, he's supposed to select a group worth my time and bring them to Konoha for me to inspect and select from. So there had better be more than three for me to choose from. Did he think I'd give them back their future Kazekage without them putting in some serious effort?-**

 **-Sounds about right. Kakashi's bored though. You mind bringing him home?-**

'Kashi-nii is in front of me not a moment later. "Miss your darling already?" I tease.

"Of course."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's almost dinner time when Naru-nii tells me they're ready to come home. So I summon him, daddy and Jiraiya. And just in time for Senju-san to knock on the door, too. "Ah. There you are." She says, seeing the last of the team arriving. "How'd it go?"

"We got everything we demanded and some bonuses. However they want to negotiate to get Kankuro and Gaara back." Daddy explains. "Aya has the three from the council for Ibiki's entertainment. And Sand should be sending a few teams to Konoha in the near future. Including Baki, who'll want to see the Trio. No promises were made, it's all your decision."

"I see. And how did our little princess handle her first shakedown?" Senju-san is amused.

"Pretty well. You know her, she went and made a new friend. Taiju, the late Kazekage's personal Anbu guard." Daddy is just as amused.

"So that's why we got along so well." I muse, but shrug. I really don't care. "He'll probably be with one of the teams coming. Part of the conditions for me to consider sending Gaara back includes them giving him a genin team while he's still here. Funny, that I didn't promise I'd convince you though. Hmm. I'll have to work on that."

Senju-san is not disappointed with the report, it seems. "Now if you all don't mind, I need to talk to daddy, Jiraiya and Senju-san about something I believe is important." Naru-nii nods, already heading out and taking Chouji with him.

I walk over to my wolves, petting each of the pups and thanking them. "I hope you'll stay for dinner?"

"Thank you, Aya, but no. We must head back. I miss hunting." Tsuren says. I can't say I'm surprised.

"Tsuren, thank you for your help me these past days." I say, meaning it. "I'd never have managed without you."

"For the pack." She says, before turning to her pups and they poof away as one. I'm not sure why she was willing to stay the extra four hours, but I'm not complaining. I nod, sealing the room and activating the privacy seal.

"Please have a seat." I motion to the couch and the two regular chairs. "I'll get straight to the point. Hitomi's Caged Bird seal is no more. I've discussed it with her on the way to Sand, and if I can come up with a way to permanently keep her away from the Hyuugas, she's all for it. Is there any way your three can think of to get this done?"

"A really simply way, actually." Senju-san says, looking at daddy and Jiraiya, obviously wondering why they didn't bring it up already. "All she has to do is denounce them publicly and on paper, and she's a free agent. You could then offer her asylum within the Namiki clan, or hire her on as a retainer. Or she could just move in and you could not care what to call it."

"But… that would create a problem with Namiki-Hyuuga relations." I point out. Not something I want. "That could spill over into Uzumaki-Hyuuga relations, and ruin Naru-nii's chances for marriage talks without Hinata having to do exactly that. And that would kill her."

"Ah… I didn't know things were that serious between them?" Senju-san narrows her eyes, wondering what else she's missing. Something clicks though. "Is that why you two didn't suggest it?"

"It is." Daddy admits.

"Nn." Jiraiya nods as well.

"… What if I make a backroom deal with Hyuuga-sama himself? I mean, with the magic we're working on his daughters? With the relationship between them growing stronger every time he visits? That has to give me some leeway, right?" I think about that. "Daddy?"

"Plausible, but risky. If he's against it, that could create more problems than it solves."

"… True… But if it does go south, I could ask Dragon to station her here semi-permanently, and it works out to the same thing?" I wonder about that. "… But Hyuuga-sama might start trying to actively work against Hitomi being in Anbu… wouldn't he?"

"He can't. Joining Anbu is a personal choice, not something he can legally influence." Senju-san counters. I breathe a little easier.

I think about that. "Okay. So what we're looking at is two options. One is talking to Hyuuga-sama and seeing if he's receptive. The other is having Dragon station Hitomi here and things staying exactly as they are. Right?"

"That about sums it up, yes." Daddy agrees.

"Alright, thank you." I unseal the door and deactivate the privacy seal. "Tsu, I need you to find Hitomi for me. I need to talk to her."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

As luck would have it, Hitomi isn't against talk to Hyuuga-sama, and the man himself happens into our den on his own not an hour later. So I invite him into my office for a private chat. Just him and myself. Not even Tsu is allowed.

"Please have a seat." I motion to the couch and activate the two seals once again. I seem to be busy for someone that just got back from Sand. "Hyuuga-sama, I wish to discuss something I value. Hyuuga Hitomi's freedom." I don't beat around the bush.

"I see…" He doesn't even vaguely hint at what he's feeling.

I sit down on the couch beside him, turning to him while still sitting comfortably. I think I'll go buy that extra couch tomorrow, after I get paid for that mission. I could really use it. "Is there an agreement we can come to, to allow for her to be free of the Hyuuga clan?"

"You don't beat around the bush, do you." He sounds amused.

"Not when it comes to my pack." I meet his gaze. "Hitomi would give her life for me. That kind of loyalty deserves to be rewarded."

"Has she told you? Why there's so little love between the clan and herself?" He wonders.

"I can guess, but no. She doesn't talk about it, and I don't need to know." I wait; he seems to be thinking about something. "I'm not interested in hearing about it from you. If she wants me to know, she'll tell me."

"… Even if it puts you at risk?" He asks cautiously.

"Is your clan likely to retaliate?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow.

"… She's a lesbian."

"… So the Hyuugas aren't going to retaliate?"

"Aya-san, be serious. She could… try something untoward."

I blink…

I blink again…

"You're serious."

"Yes. It's why the women of the Cadet Branch avoid her." He's serious. Oh my Kami. He's actually serious.

"Then I'm twice as glad she wants to get away from your clan. What do you want for her freedom? It's obvious she won't do anything to get pregnant, so you don't have to worry about the Hyuuga genes or secrets falling into my hands. So I think we can not worry about that, correct?" He's just gazing at me. And not blinking. "Something on my face?"

"You're serious." He sounds surprised.

"She bathes with me and my packmates twice a day. Nothing 'untoward' has happened. I think I'll take my chances. Now, what do you want in exchange for her freedom?" I wonder if I should point I that I won't stop her from dating whoever she pleases, but decide it's better not to.

"…" I think I broke him. "…" He's just sitting there, staring. "…" He opens his mouth to speak a few times, but the words just won't come out.

"Hiashi." He blinks. "Hitomi's freedom. Name your price." He blinks again. Yup. He's broken.

"Nothing." He eventually manages. "Only… I cannot reveal how to remove the Caged Bird Seal."

"So, just to be sure, Hitomi is now freed from the Hyuuga clan and may continue to live among the Namikis or wherever she pleases. Correct?"

"Well… No. I still have to fill in the paperwork and file it at the Tower. But, in actuality, yes. She is." We shake on it and I –politely– kick him out of my office, already calling for Tsu and Hitomi, who were waiting right outside.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes me almost fifteen minutes of pacing back and forth to soothe my nerves. I've been mumbling and cursing stupid idiots the whole time, but that isn't very soothing, so it takes longer than it usually would.

"Is everything alright?" Tsu asks, worried.

"I'll know for sure in a few days, but as things stand he's going to file that Hitomi be freed from the Hyuuga clan." I say, still pacing and muttering. I can't believe that man –their whole clan– treats her so poorly because of who she's attracted to. It's disgusting!

"That's… good, right?" Tsu is even more worried now. But poor Hitomi is closed to tears; in a good way.

"It's wonderful." I say. "It just pisses me off."

"What does?" Tsu is really not liking this. She's looking between me and Hitomi, wondering what's going on. "And why are you suddenly so nervous, 'Tomi?"

I stop pacing, heave a sigh and turn to Hitomi, sorrow in my eyes. "He told me. How those idiots treat you and why." She looks ready to cry, in a bad way. I walk up to her, hugging her. She's stiff from shock, unsure what to think. "… I'm sorry. That you had to put up with them. I'm… I'm so sorry."

"… I… huh?" Oh kami, poor thing. She probably understands that I accept her, but is so used to not being accepted that it's too weird to come to terms with it.

"I don't know if it's true or not. But he said that the main problem has been your sexuality. That you're attraction to girls." I say, still hugging her tight. "I don't know if it's true, and I don't care. I trust you, Hitomi. And I want you to be happy."

She starts crying. Her tears cascade down my cheek, her chin quivers, she starts clutching my kimono top and refuses to let me go. I hold her just the same way. "It's alright, 'Tomi. We're here for you, okay?" Tsu gets in on the action, sandwiching Hitomi from behind. "We're not going to let those idiots ruin your life anymore. I promise."

"I… you guys…" She tries saying something over and over again, but the words just won't come. "Thank you." She eventually manages.

"For what? Our work is only just beginning! We need to find you a worthy mate now!" I tease, hugging her a little tighter. "I have no idea how hard it's going to be to find you someone you can connect with, but I won't give up on you." I thought she was emotional before, but she really starts blubbering when those words sink in. Poor thing. Kami, people can be so stupid sometimes! Not Hitomi! I mean those idiots from the Hyuuga clan!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next day. The big day arrives. The entire Namiki compound is decorated, white and green ribbons are everywhere. Kashi-nii's eight ninkens are helping with whatever they can. The Anbu Operatives are helping to decorate – and taste if the food is good. And sampling the sake, wine and champagne. You never know, after all.

Mom and I are mostly focused on the bride, so mom left Mariko-san and Remi-san in charge downstairs. The three of us are doing all we can to keep each other from crying, and sucking at it.

At least Yasu-nee has pregnancy hormones to blame.

Yasu decided that mom, Sakiko and I need to dress up supremely over the top, so we spent well over fifty-thousand Ryou on each of our kimonos. Each. Seriously. I didn't know you could spend that much on a kimono. The Uchikake –or wedding– kimono, sure. That's a special occasion kind of thing, so spending that much isn't that big a deal.

However, Yasu-nee refused to let mom even consider wearing anything other than kurotomesode kimono – traditionally worn by the mother of the bride and groom. And let me tell you, those things are. **NOT. CHEAP**!

My sister's worth it though. She is so worth it.

She even convinced me to splurge and buy Sakiko and myself an irotomesode kimono. So many fricking types! But, this type is worn by close relatives of the bride and groom. Sure, you could –technically– wear them for any occasion, but considering the price, the dress code needed for such a thing? Unless you're a daimyo's daughter, odds are it's just for weddings of close relatives.

"I can't believe it's happening." Mom covers her nose and mouth, obviously trying not to burst out in tears again.

"Mom, please. We just fixed her makeup for the fifth time. Stop making her cry!"

"Oh, hush you! It's not every day a daughter of mine gets married!" Thank heaven for that! We'd run out of makeup!

"You're going to be the one to fix her makeup. And I'll make sure you're the one that explains why we're running late." I point out. "See! Aw, sis, come on don't cry." I rush to her, handkerchief ready to save what I can of her makeup. Again!

"Sweetie, it's alright. It's not like I need much of a push." She rolls her eyes, but she isn't fighting me. Luckily, I got to her in time, for once. So we don't have to reapply.

"I still can't believe you wouldn't let me do your hair." Mom complains.

"Kashi-chan won't care. The uchikake is already over the top enough." She says, smiling and rolling her eyes. "I like it more this way." She takes my hand squeezing it. We share a smile.

"You look beautiful." I tell her.

"Thank you… Aya…"

I have no idea what she's thanking me for, but the depth of emotions in her eyes tells me it's not for the compliment. I'm not sure I care. Whether this is about the money spent on the kimonos, the decorations, the rush order wedding cake. I don't care. "You're worth it." I say, meaning it with all my heart. She almost bursts into tears again.

"Now look who's making her cry."

"Hush."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The practical part that, as discussed, takes place first to get it out of the way. The official signing of the papers. Kakashi signs, both as husband and as Hatake clan head. Yasu signs as bride. I sign as Namiki clan head. Senju-san signs as Hokage, then stamps it with her rubber stamp to make it legal.

The rest of the ceremony is short, sweet. Senju-san actually wears her Kage robes this time, too! The entire pack is here to bear witness to the least likely event in history: Hatake Kakashi is getting married!

I'm the maid of honour. Tenzo's the best man. Sakiko is the flower girl. Katsuo the ring bearer. Daddy walks her down the aisle. It's… so not your usual traditional Japanese wedding. Still, it fits. We're not your traditional Japanese family, after all.

The vows are short, to the point, but deep and meaningful all the same. They vow to stay united, faithful to each other, until death do they part.

Yasu-nee's hand is trembling as she fumbles with his ring. Eventually, he decides to help her, sticking his finger into it. She smiles, takes a deep breath, and she slides his wedding ring on his finger.

He takes her ring from Katsuo, saying his vows, and effortlessly slides it onto her finger.

Then comes the part I know mom and I are going to be in tears over.

"I now pronounce you… husband and wife." Senju-san says, her tone solemn to match the seriousness of the situation. "You may kiss the bride."

They kiss. And they kiss. And we howl to show the pack will always be there to support them.

The Namikis howl. The Uzumakis howl. The Yukis howl. Kakashi's dogs howl. Everyone else cheers, but that's okay. Bride and groom turn to the crowd, ignoring the overzealous Minori taking pictures every other second, and they walk down the aisle together, united… married.

Part of me sees my big sister walking away from me as being symbolic. I'm too happy for her to care.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After dinner and the whole cake cutting thing, with her sitting between Tsu and I for support, Hitomi gets everyone's attention. "Hey, guys? I… have an announcement to make." Everyone quiets down, giving her the attention she deserves. "Thanks. Umm… I'm not sure if you've already heard or not, but the paperwork was finalised today. Senju-san confirmed it when she arrived."

I shake my head, amused. I bump her with my shoulder, smiling when she turns to me. She smiles a little as well, unsure and nervous, but a smile. I hook my arm around hers, hugging it to let her know I'm here. That I'll always be here for her.

"Sorry, this is a bit much for me right now." She says, her gaze not wavering from mine. She sighs. "I'm officially no longer a Hyuuga. Hiashi signed away all claims to me, essentially disowning me."

Most look confused, some look like they're about to blow a fuse. But Hitomi looks relieved. Overwhelmed, emotional and a half second from crying, but still relieved.

"I know you think this is a bad, thing, but it isn't. It's the best thing that ever happened to me." She admits, smiling through the tears. "They couldn't accept me because I'm a lesbian, so Aya talked to Hiashi. She was… and still is… willing to pay any price for my freedom. Even after he told her why I'm treated so poorly."

I'm sooooo glad I removed my makeup already. Now I don't have to worry about mucking it up.

"Aya-nee, what's… a levbian?" Sakiko asks, confused. She 'borrowed' my lap during dinner again.

"A lesbian, sweetie. It means that she's a girl that like girls. In the same way I'm a girl that likes boys." I say.

"Kinda like how Ao-chan is a boy that likes boys?" She asks, uncertain.

"That's exactly right, baby girl." I pet her hair.

"So… why don't the Hyuugas like her?" She's really confused now. "I mean, Mimi-nee's been the nothing but nice to everyone, hasn't she?" What is it with Saki and these nicknames? Whatever, I can't say I'm much better.

"Some people are just stupid like that." I explain, petting her hair.

"I couldn't agree more. That's stupid! Don't worry, Mimi-nee! You're safe with us! We'll love you no matter who you like!" Saki glomps the –once again– overwhelmed Hitomi.

"A toast!" Kashi-nii raises his saucer. "To Namiki Hitomi. May she fall in love with the best girl for her!"

" **Namiki Hitomi! Kanpai!** " Everyone toasts, sips their sake, and take turns telling her how they think guys suck too.

"Uh, guys? I'm not a Namiki." Hitomi tries.

"Yet." Chouji points out, his cheeks and ears red from drinking sake for the first time. "You really think Aya's gonna to let you walk around without a sense of family?"

"To family!" I raise my saucer. It's my sister's wedding. Of course I'm going to have a drink. Or three.

" **To family! Kanpai!** "

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 67_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Not the action you were expecting, I'll bet. Don't worry. I (usually) stick to my word. Just not when it comes to updating, it seems.  
_**


	81. Chouji: The more they stay the same

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 68 – Chouji: The more they stay the same**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Medical jutsu. I always used to think it was a thing for smart people. I used to think that, now I _**know**_ it's true. How Aya and the others can cram all this information into their brains…

Nervous system – sympathetic and parasympathetic. Cardiovascular system. Lymphatic system, which then automatically ties into the autoimmune system. Digestive system. Endocrinal (or internal hormonal) system. Exocrinal (or external hormonal) system. Even the senses are covered in great detail!

And those are just subjects within the theory! Each has a section within this book Aya has me studying! A **SECTION**! Meaning it has chapters, each describing another aspect of those systems in even greater detail!

Kami! You'd have to be a genius to keep track of all this!

Okay, buddy, breathe. Breathe. It's not that bad. And frankly, Aya has Sakiko and Katsuo studying this too. Same book. Same theory. If they can manage, you can manage. It's okay. Take it one chapter at a time. One page at a time. You can do this.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Not bad, ya know." I feel like a total amateur. Sakiko's working me in with the shinobue, but no matter how hard I try, no matter how much I practice, I can never play a song the way she can.

"Thanks." I say, trying to smile but I think it's coming out more of a frown than anything.

"Don't be like that! Aya-nee's been teaching me every trick she knows, for months, ya know! You've been practicing for just over a week! You'd doing amazing, ya know!" She tries comforting me. And I really appreciate it, I do. But… It's frustrating. I can play a song just fine. Playing notes isn't exactly easy, but it's easy enough to get right.

Sakiko doesn't play notes, she makes her flute sing. Sing! I can hear what her heart is feeling when she plays. All I hear when I play… is notes strung together in a rhythm.

"I've got an idea!" She shouts, taking out a scroll; seemingly from nowhere. She unseals the pellet drum Aya bought her for New Years. She stuffs her flute into her sleeve and puts away the scroll. She grabs the pellet drum by the stick it's mounted on and starts twisting it back and forth to let the pellets strike the little drum. The rhythm is pretty fast, the sound coming from it almost constant. "Aya-nee's been teaching me how to use this as well, ever since I got it. It's not as much fun to play, but it does the job, ya know."

Meh. It couldn't hurt to try, right?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"… Who are you?" A new face? Again? Well, it's not exactly surprising.

"Akimichi Chouji. And you are…?"

"Tsuchi Kin." She answers. Hmm. Same shade and texture hair as Aya's, though a good bit shorter. Black eyes. Just a bit shorter than I am. Good posture. Decent muscle tone. Nondescript civilian styled clothing. No headband, even though I can tell she's a kunoichi. "What's with the look?"

"I know everybody around here. I don't know you. Aya knows you're here?" I study her, trying to figure out just what is going on.

"Chouji, relax. Imouto-chan brought her here." Shika says. Ah. That makes sense. I go back to the book I'm studying – geology this time. It's incredible just how much you need to be mindful of as an earth release user.

"… Hold on. You find out that Namiki-san let me in and you're cool?" Kin doesn't seem to understand just how protective Aya is of her pack.

"Yup. And don't call her that. She likes being called Aya." I say, wondering about denser rocks. Same chemical composition, more or less, but created under immense pressure and often at ridiculously high temperatures.

"So what is she to you?" Kin asks. I look up at her.

"… So Shika, you spending the afternoon with Temari again?" I change the subject.

"She wants some quality time with her brothers. I had to help her hide _his_ puppets before he woke up." He sounds amused, even though his face is completely neutral.

"Makes sense." I say, getting back to my reading. I'm half tempted to ask what he thinks about her, but… honestly the fact that he helped her so she could spend time with her brothers? That says a lot. To me at least.

"…" Kin's gaze is a little intense, but frankly it's not nearly as bad as Anko-san when she's upset about something. Like Aya being a little too friendly towards me – not sure why that would upset her, but…

"What they are is none of your concern." Shika glares at her dully. She glares at Shika, but he doesn't seem to care. "You feel like a game of Shogi when you're done?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's… weird. Sitting with Tsuren and her pups, in Aya's office. No Ryuuzetsu. No Hitomi.

No Aya.

I've… gotten used to seeing Aya here. Gotten used to our daily talks, to sitting on the couch Asami's laying on. Gotten used to hearing her tell me all the things on her mind. Gotten used to telling her what's bugging me. Now… being in her office without her is… weird.

Asami doesn't seem to mind, reading some book on sealing, I guess. It's a little weird to be in here, alone, with Asami. Really weird actually. Still. It's not as if she's distracting me.

Yuzuki-chan is a bit more attention grabbing though. She sometimes runs out of the room to go play, but she always comes back with a snack or something for Asami. I could swear she's a mini Sasuke sometimes, but I can't quite figure out why I think that. Well, it's obviously not the dark shades she always wears, that's for sure. And she's usually wearing a deep red skirt with a deep blue top. Still, there's just something about her that makes me think of that boy…

None of my business, of course. I'm sure Aya will tell me when she thinks I need to know.

Great. Now I feel annoyed, trying to figure out something I can't. Maybe I just need to work out a bit.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Tsuren? Aya's ready." Asami says out of the blue. And poof! Aya's standing in the room with us. Alone. I blink. Somehow that just seems wrong.

She walks over to her desk, lays out her scroll and in short order Ryuuzetsu and Hitomi are in front of her. Ah, that's better. Hitomi, as always, heads out to do whatever it is that she does when she's home. Tsu, as usual, flanks Aya and doesn't seem to notice us here at all. I wonder at that. It's doubtful, seeing as she's hyperaware of anything and everything around her. Still, that's how she looks.

"Hey, welcome back." I say grinning. She doesn't answer immediately. Instead she does the same handsigns again and Kakashi-sensei poofs into the room. She teases him about missing Yasu-san, but he doesn't bother denying it. He waves lazily, seeing himself out.

"Hi, Chouji. Thank you, it's good to be back." Aya says, smiling. "When the pups wake up, I'm going to want to check you." I smirk, curious about how she worded that.

"Now, doc. Are you checking out one of your patients?" I tease. She opens her mouth to say something, but no words come out. Her eyes wide from surprise. She blushes. I grin. It isn't often you find her at a loss for words anymore. That I can do that to her is... interesting.

"Alright, alright. I'll leave you two alone. You only had to ask, you know." Asami says, dog-earing the page in her book and closing it. She eases herself into a sitting position, Yuzuki still fast asleep in her arms. She carefully wraps her arms around the sleeping girl, holding the book under her backside so she'll drop neither of them. She looks at the closed door, wondering just how she's going to manage this miracle. Tsu runs over, opening the door for her. "Thank you, Ryuuzetsu."

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

An hour later, the pups wake up, and Aya calls me over to her for inspection. She scans me, twice. I'm not sure why. "Everything alright, doc?" I ask her.

"Everything's fine. I think you should be able to start some light training tomorrow. I'm going to give your mother some very specific instructions though. And you will only be allowed to train when she's there to keep an eye on you. If she has to leave for whatever reason, you're training automatically gets cancelled. Do you understand?" She really doesn't want to take chances with me.

"No problem. You mind recommending some trainings you think I can handle?" I ask. She thinks about that for a second, before taking a scroll out of her drawer. She hands it to me, her eyes studying mine for a long moment, but not letting go of the scroll.

"Stop the second you become short of breath, light headed, or just feel like you need to rest. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am." I smile, grateful she's taking such good care of me.

"Good." She lets go of the scroll. Curious, I open it and start to read.

"Mud bullets." I read out loud, smirking. Yeah, I think I'm going to enjoy this.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 68_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Having a bit of an off day, recovering from Christmas with the family. Sorry for the lack of action (again) and the short chapter. However, it was either this or make you guys wait until tomorrow._**

 ** _At any rate! Butterflies is coming to a close in the next ten chapters. I know, I know. Horrible! But! BUT! Check my profile page under Butterflies' notes. There is something interesting there you might like. I won't spoil too much, for those uninterested, but the third option is really catching my eye right now (read and you'll know what I mean)._**

 ** _Until the next update!_**


	82. Stories only eyes can tell

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 69 – Stories only eyes can tell**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Good morning, Aya. Ryuuzetsu. Hitomi." Senju-san greets us as she arrives at the office, her eyes smiling. Katou-san is right behind her, as usual. Three Anbu shadows pretend I can't smell them. Her usual three, so I'm not worried. "Aya, I need to speak with you." I nod, leaving Haruno-san to start things up for the morning.

In her office, Senju-san behind her desk as usual, she nods to Hitomi. I think I already know what this is about. "Do you want her to take your name?" She asks. I was right, of course.

"Is that a question?" I ask, smiling a little myself. Senju-san takes out a form and offers it to me. The same form I filled in for the other Namikis. Once completed, I offer it to Hitomi. Tears in her eyes, she fills in her name and signs. "Namiki Hitomi." I say, smiling warmly at her. She turns to me, eyes swimming with a million emotions at once.

"Aya… I…" Words fail her.

"You training, your Namiki training, starts tonight. As will yours, Tsu. I need both of you to be at your best at all times. Do not let me down. Is that understood?"

They both glomp me, sandwiching me in their love. I pray… that this is just the beginning of their happy stories.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The day goes, more or less, like it always does. Idiots try filing idiotic paperwork. Some of them deserve a timeout, so they think about their own stupidity on the ceiling. Or count to fifty-thousand, whatever works.

By some coincidence, the realtors come by with their paperwork. No idea, but I'm not complaining. I sign for the all the properties and tell them that I'll be sending Maki and Akari by to finalize payments and whatnot. Sure, this way the properties will all be in my name, but that isn't something we haven't discussed. The others know I won't hold out on them, even if I start hating their guts for whatever reason. I smile, grateful they trust me so deeply.

No one dies during our rounds at the hospital. Haruno-san starts taking more specialised lessons from Senju-san, which I end up having to plan into her agenda. I don't mind, it's just once or twice a week.

Katou-san, however… I'm grateful I don't have to manage her agenda! She's been in and out like her tail's on fire! Kashi-nii tells me how often she's in the Jounin Lounge, talking to everyone, soaking up the latest gossip and dishing out a bit of her own – all Senju-approved gossip, from what Katou-san tells me. Even Momochi-san points out how Katou-san is on a first name basis with almost every jounin in the village; nothing to sneeze at!

Shimura-san comes by around two. He eyes me before walking up to me. "Namiki-san, a word if I may."

"What's on your mind, Shimura-san?" I don't like it when he wants to talk to me. If he wanted Senju-san, he'd cut straight to the chase and ask when she's available.

"You are starting to make enemies in all the wrong places." He isn't beating around the bush. I can appreciate that.

"How sad. But thank you for the update." I drone sarcastically.

"You misunderstand me, Namiki."

"I understand you all too well. Why do you think I'm so paranoid?" I turn to the 'invisible' idiot trying to sneak past.

 **Snap!**

Another moron on the ceiling. Unfortunately for him, his camouflage jutsu wavers because he can't focus it while his chakra is being disrupted by my Devouring Shackles. I'm soooooo tempted to use the second step of the jutsu when I see no identifying marks or headband.

Hmm, smells like dirt and pebbles getting kicked around. Possibly a Stone shinobi. "Hitomi?" I hand her three suppression seals. One to be placed on the back of the neck to prevent roughly ninety percent of the electrical signals from the brain to his body. Another for the forehead to prevent chakra manipulation. The last simply to knock him out and keep him knocked out.

What a moron, trying to assassinate Senju-san in the middle of the day. He must have been desperate, or bored.

Once the seals are in place, I release him from the Devouring Shackles and Hitomi takes him to T&I. Ibiki will have so much fun with that one.

"With the missions assigned to me, the duties assigned to me, there is no doubt in my mind I'm going to upset all the wrong people eventually." I turn my attention back to Shimura-san. "What of it?"

"Your guards are loyal, but lack the proper training." He tries.

"Shimura-san." My tone is cold, almost dark, my eyes hard and unforgiving. "I will not have you looking down on my pack. I will not have you looking down on their skills. And I certainly will not tolerate where this is going. I turned down the elders already. I have guards I trust. If there's nothing else?"

He eyes me, but doesn't answer. He walks off without another word.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You know. I'm starting to lose patience with people." I intone as we turn onto our street. Tsu and Hitomi tense. I don't. There's no point. It's only four of them. "We need them alive. Ibiki will get bored if we don't bring in new faces for him to meet."

Seeing as their 'cover' is already blown, the four drop their camouflage jutsus and attack. Two with swords, the other two with kunai. They're obviously under orders not to implicate their village. Poor them.

We're not under any such orders.

 **Snap!**

The first one, that Hitomi 'Hyuuga pokes', is on the floor, struggling with his shackles. I unsheathe one of my kodachi and block an incoming strike. A woman from the scent of her. A strong woman. She's actually coming close to overpowering me, even with my chakra enhanced strength. Sure, I'm not on par with Senju-san, or even Katou-san, but I'm no slouch either. She's a medic worth her salt.

 **Snap!**

And now she's a medic in shackles. Poor her. Tsu is holding her own against one with a sword, but I believe she'd need my help quicker than 'Tomi would. So when their swords clash:

 **Snap!**

The funny thing about trying to overpower what you see as a weaker opponent? It leaves you open. That opening can kill you. Don't do it.

The last one tries to turn and run, but runs right into the Yuki compound's barrier. That's not a fun sight, seeing someone turn to ash and seeing that ash be ripped apart on a molecular level. I shiver. Better him than me. I wait a full minute for the scent of ash to waft away.

 **Sniff, sniff.**

"Waterfall." I say. The three of them look away from me. The scent of a waterfall in your chakra is damning enough, but thanks for the confirmation. "I think this is the beginning of a very troublesome time. Don't you?" I nudge Tsu. She rolls her eyes, trying not to smile at the Nara-esque announcement.

 **Sniff.**

"Shimura-san… what have you done?"

 **Snap!**

The hidden on in the tree drops to the ground, in shackles of his very own. He smells of fresh leaves and shrubs –so I know he's from Konoha– but there's also the scent of ink about him.

"No mask, no identifying marks." Hitomi announces. "And he knows how to hide from the Byakugan. How interesting. I'm sure Hiashi and his elders would _love_ to hear about this."

"Mitarashi-san!" I holler. In an instant there are at least six out of uniform Anbu filing out of the four compounds. They carefully close the gates behind them, already taking the idiots into custody. "These three are suspected Waterfall shinobi. The woman might be a medic, be extra careful with her. That one is Shimura-san's. I'm certain of it. You mind returning him to his owner?"

"… Danzo's interested in you, Aya? That isn't good." Tenzo points out.

"He'll have to take a number. Come on, hurry up. Yasu-nee won't be happy if you guys are late for dinner, you know."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After dinner I get down to Namiki clan training. Katsuo, Sakiko, Ryuuzetsu and Hitomi are all in the dojo. I cast a privacy jutsu so that everything I explain stays here.

"The Namiki clan. We are famous for our berserker rages." I begin seriously. "The pinnacle of our Hidden Jutsu is call the Okami jutsu. Now, do not confuse this with being called a wolf, this goes so much further. Okami does mean wolf, but this is something that… is a double edged blade."

They look at me, worried at how vague and how over the top serious I am. "The Inuzuka have something similar, called Beast Mimicry: All-Fours jutsu. It allows them to mimic their canine companions, allows them to reinforce their muscles and bones, their sense of smell and hearing. In short, they become much more dog-like." Hitomi nods, but this is news to the other three.

"Our Okami jutsu is… on a whole other level. It's mimicry done right." I explain seriously. "I've never seen it in battle, nor have I ever used it in battle. This is because I am not yet ready to use it. But the stories I've heard and read…"

They don't like where this is going. "In the simplest terms, you turn into a wolf. Your mind, your senses, your very being. None have ever managed a complete transformation, though. We always end up halfway in between. In a form neither wolf nor human. I will warn you now, unless you master your emotions in a berserker state I will teach you first, I will **never** teach you the Okami jutsu. What we will work on tonight is a special meditation, a mental conditioning all Namikis need to go through in order not lose ourselves completely during a berserker state. You will each have to do this meditation in the morning just as you wake up, and at night just before you go to sleep."

They look at me. Katsuo seems worried. Sakiko looks excited. Hitomi and Tsu are just… weary.

Hitomi swallows painfully. "Aya… you would… teach us this?"

"You've heard of it." I don't ask.

"Nn. I worked with your mother for three years. I've… seen it first-hand." She shivers, obviously thinking about what she saw.

"What's it like?" Sakiko asks excitedly.

"… Miwako would… turn into a wolf, basically. Only one that stands on its hind legs. Her face was completely wolf-like, but her chest was still human. She would be covered in silver hair, other than the black patch on her head. Her nails would grow dangerously long, and hard as stone. Her teeth sharpened. Her muscles didn't bulge up, usually. That only happened when she got really upset about something. It's as if she was able to do with her body whatever she wished."

"So… why are you so freaked out?" Tsu asks, a bit freaked out herself.

"She would… lose herself. In fact, if she was teamed up with someone she didn't like, I'm sure she'd have killed them in an instant."

"No, she wouldn't. All Namiki are required to master their urges before they can learn that jutsu. If they are stupid enough to provoke her, however…" I leave that hanging. Provoking a Namiki is dumb at the best of times, but during that jutsu? They'd deserve whatever they got.

"Now. The only reason I wonder if you will master this isn't your lack of Namiki heritage." I say, not bothering with being polite. "It's because you need a very specific kind of mentality. One which the Namiki are known for, bred for, and cultivate in our young from the time we're crawling around. It's the wolf mentality: pack above all else."

"During any berserker mode, you lose rationality, caution, reasoning. Everything that makes up your public persona is washed away. All that remains is the core of your being. If that core would allow you to hurt a packmate, you will. Without hesitation."

"How… do you return to normal?" Tsu asks, a bit worried.

"You have to undo the stages of the transformation." Hitomi answers. "Your body won't return to its regular state, even if you're knocked out or… killed." Mama died fighting, just as she would have wanted. Good to know.

I nod. "Nn. That's why I'll be so careful with you. If you lose yourself completely, nothing can bring you back."

"… Have you… done it?" Hitomi asks. I nod. "How long did you stay like that?"

"Two hours. Tsuren said that I was able to use all of my regular jutsus. I was even able to speak to her via Whispering Winds." I say, smiling. "Naru-nii gets the creeps whenever I use that jutsu though. He says I look like something out of a horror movie."

"… That's why he trusts you so completely." Tsu sounds amazed. "He saw you in that form and you didn't even try to harm him!"

"Not really. It confirmed some things, I guess, but we were like that even before I tried that jutsu. Anyway! The point is, you must absorb the Namiki way of life so deeply into you, that your very core must cringe at the thought of harming a packmate. Now, get comfortable and focus. Your training starts now."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"So we won't transform with a full moon?" Tsu is being annoying. And paranoid.

"Why would…. You've been looking at way too many horror movies. It's voluntary. Completely, totally, irrevocably voluntary. Now stop crazy-talking in public." I tease.

Poor Haruno-san isn't enjoying the tea time chitchat. "I don't want to know, do I."

"How should I know what you want to know?" I roll my eyes. "Oi! If that's another toilet paper request, you'll be crawling around on the ceiling for the rest of the day, you hear me!" The woman turns on her heel and leaves. I thought so.

"It's weird." Hitomi says. "I feel… more myself now?"

"That's the point." I say with a shrug. "Namikis are always exactly who they are, no matter the situation. We can try to fight it, but why should we? Not that people appreciate that, though. Meh, you can't win 'em all."

Hitomi thinks about that. "And the sensory jutsus?"

"What? You're a Namiki now. She's a Hatake. Did you expect to not learn how to sniff like us?" I tease, smirking. "You're actually lucky you don't have to learn the night vision jutsu. That one sucks to master!"

Tsu rolls her eyes, nodding at that. "Suck, it does." She says sagely; I guess. I shake my head, refusing to even try make sense of that. Suck, it does. She must be the one teaching Sakiko the horrid grammar she's been picking up.

Four heartbeats grab my attention. "Ah, meeting's done." I grab the paperwork that Senju-san needs to see and open the door without knocking. The leader from Waterfall and two guards eye me warily. "Something on my face?" They don't answer.

"Aya, Shibuki here would like to see Fuu." Senju-san says, trying to hide her smile.

"That's nice. I'll see if Fuu wants to see him. Now, these reports are vital. You may want to read them immediately. As well, the T&I gopher has been itching to speak with you. It might be worth your time to go see what is going on over on that side. As well, Ono-san sent word that there isn't anything vital going on in the hospital right now, so he believes you'd just be wasting your time there. Haruno-san's training might be more worthwhile, but that's your call to make. Katou-san made arrangements for lunch seeing as daddy wanted a lunch meeting with you. It's the only time he has available right now. And _that one_ 's been sniffing around again. Says he's 'just being cautious'. You may wish to have words with him, unless you want me to go berserk on him sooner or later."

"I see. Have Shizune go to the hospital to confirm this for herself. I trust Mitsugi, but I like being cautious." She makes a shadow clone, which is likely going down to T&I to see what all the fuss is about. "Ah, and he has a point."

"Senju-san. We've been over this."

"And I will continue to agree with him on this." She counters, her eyes just barely showing concern for me. "A little caution never killed anyone."

"Do you really think there'd be no hidden agenda?" I raise an eyebrow to show just what I think.

"Has that person been on your property?"

"He's still breathing, so no." The Waterfall group doesn't seem to like our little chitchat. Obviously they were hoping to get Senju-san to force me in one direction or another. Simpletons.

"So long as there's no security breach, I see no reason why there shouldn't be extra eyes to keep you and your pack safe." She smiles, serene and completely unbothered by this.

I narrow my eyes, fighting the temptation to growl. "Whatever." I hate that I can't argue against that! The street is still public terrain, so there's nothing I can do legally, no matter how much my skin crawls at the thought of some guy camping out there around the clock. It's just… weird!

"Good. Do you know where Shizune is?"

I sniff. "En route. ETA, just shy of two minutes. Maybe longer, depending on whether or not she takes… _that route_." I smirk. Those two hit it off. I wonder why Katou-san is still denying that they're a thing.

"I see." Senju-san tries to hide her knowing smile, but I know her well enough to notice it anyway. She's happy for Katou-san. "Well, gentlemen. You'll still be in town for a few days. I'll contact you when I hear what Fuu has to say."

"… And if she refuses?" This 'Shibuki' sounds sore about his lack of power.

"Then you won't see her." I answer. "Wasn't that obvious?"

"… How will I know it's not you denying in her name?" I feel my lip twitching, wanting to sneer at him for doubting my honour.

I step up to him, nose to nose. Enjoying his nervousness and his bodyguards on the verge of attacking. "You won't. But don't worry… I don't mind."

"Ah, there you are, Shizune. I need you to head over to the hospital. Mitsugi says we'd waste our time there. I want you to confirm that. If there really isn't anything interesting going on, book the training room and bring Sakura there. I want her working on the new jutsu." Senju-san seriously isn't bothered by these idiots being here.

"As you wish." And Katou-san is gone, but not before, "Aya, you really won't make any friends like that you know."

I snort, not caring. "So, 'Shibuki'. Are you satisfied with my answer?" He smells like a chuunin. That's got to be hard on his bodyguards, to work for a 'boss' weaker than they are. "And for the record. I do not appreciate you sending assassins to my home. It makes me itch." I take out my kodachi with my left hand, rubbing the edge of the pommel against my neck. The tip hovers over his shoulder – no doubt setting his guards even more on edge.

He's going to deny it in three, two, one: "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't." I smile. Not a nice smile mind you. A cruel, evil, seconds away from cackling like a madwoman kind of smile. He shivers, clearly uncomfortable. "Mind what I said. I won't repeat it."

"Are you threatening me, Nam-"

"I was warning you before. This is threatening you." I correct, the sharp edge of my kodachi against his windpipe.

"Aya…"

"Senju-san, you know I don't care if beheading him causes you a headache. You should have warned him about me." I say, not a care in the world. I cast an underpowered genjutsu to make it look like my eyes are completely yellow and my irises far larger, like a wolf. "If you talk down to me or my pack again. I promise you, there won't be any evidence of what killed you. Do you understand what a threat _sounds_ like now?"

I remove my kodachi, sheathing it. "Good day, gentlemen." I turn on my heel and walk out.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Shibuki. Namikis are never tamed. It's why I wanted her as my secretary in the first place." I hear the amusement in Senju-san's tone. I can imagine her, sitting there with a cocky grin on her face, rubbing salt into his wounded ego. "Now. I think you gentlemen could use some fresh air, and I need to get back to work. We'll be in touch." Just as I'm sitting down, three Waterfall shinobi take their leave. The two bodyguards leer at me, but say nothing.

That was fun.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The rest of the morning is pretty boring. No hospital round, so Senju-san decides to drag me and my shadows along to see if there's anything she can teach us. Not the best way to spend the morning. She's a **demanding** teacher.

I eat lunch with daddy and Senju-san, because it seems a border patrol spotted two dozen Sand shinobi en route to Konoha. Senju-san confirms, seeing as they'd 'hawked ahead' – I giggle at how she words that.

"Aya, I think it's safe to say that you're going to have to set up this meeting yourself." Daddy tries.

"Nope. Senju-san needs to be there to approve of anyone that will be staying in Konoha for a while like that. Especially given the situation." I counter. "I'll reserve somewhere and arrange for snacks and the like afterwards."

"Oh? Is your office ready?" Daddy wonders. Senju-san narrows her eyes, wondering what he's talking about.

"The four clans bought a few properties recently. One of them is an office we intend to use for meetings just like the Sand shinobi coming. And yes, it's ready. Maki and Akari are very efficient." I point out. "In fact, we even have business cards with our telephone number and the four clans' crests are painted onto the windows so no one doubts where it is. But this meeting must be about something else?"

"It is." Daddy agrees, chewing on a big piece of chicken to buy himself some time. "I've been hearing rumours about the Artisan Village requesting aid without being able to afford the A-rank mission to defend its village from… rogues?"

"Nn. I'm not sure what they expect to happen. They'd sent the same request to all five Great Villages. If we all respond, it'll sooner end up a battle started by those they invited than those they already know are coming." Senju-san makes sense, but…

"What if we send a small team that can get in and out without causing too much trouble? Just to see what the situation is? I mean, what if no one sends help on the basis of someone else might?" I voice my opinion.

"… That's a scary thought." Senju-san agrees with me. "Hmm, we might be able to arrange a more… profitable arrangement if we end up being the only village that sends help."

"Theoretically. They'll still take orders from other villages, no matter what we say. It's how they survive." Daddy points out. And really, he has a point.

"Maybe, but they are still the best blacksmiths around. They would be well worth the investment if we could… come to an agreement?" Senju-san seems to be thinking about that. "Yes. That's what we'll do. Aya, I'll need you to assemble a team you think can handle this. Bring the Sand Trio with you as well, but not Fuu. You will leave after your meeting with Taiju."

"… Is that a nice way of telling me not to open my big, fat mouth?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Thank you, Cat. I can take it from here." Cat bows and disappears. I open the door wider to welcome Taiju and the… twenty-one people with him. "Taiju, you and anyone not meant to be screened will please take a seat. Those here for the genin team selection of Gaara will line up against that wall. Those here for Temari, will line up against that wall."

Three walk to the couches I'd pointed out for Taiju. The six here for Temari line up against the wall to my right, the rest line up against the wall to my left.

"Alright, I'm a busy woman so I'll make this quick. I am Namiki Aya. I am asking the questions, I am making the decisions. You are here because Taiju believes you are worth my time. I don't know your names or your files. And frankly, I don't care. I'm picking you for reasons I won't explain, and even if I do, you'll just think I'm lying. So don't ask." These people really seem nervous. "We'll start with the six for Temari. Two females one male will be chosen. The four ladies, step forward please."

They do, though only two of them bow. The tall one and the short one. Hmm, interesting. "You are aware that if I choose you, you will not return to Sand. Ever." They all nod seriously. "Good. You reasons are your own. Anyone with medical training step forward."

The short one that bowed steps forward. "Your connection to Temari?"

"We were close in the academy." She answers simply.

"Any family?"

"None, ma'am."

"Sorry to hear that." I study her. The way her two ponytails seems to corkscrew down into a single point, the permanent blush on her cheeks. Her big orange eyes. She's shorter than I am, but I can tell she's years older. The midriff shirt and short skirt. She's… not wearing that in my house, is she? "Your name?"

"Yome."

"Yome, please understand that you would have to change your wardrobe. I have no idea why you think that's practical, but…" Two of the girls laugh, but the tall one looks peeved. "I would be careful if I were you. Coming over as giggly gossips is not in your favour." The tall one smirks this time.

"You. You specialization?" I nod to the tall one.

"Genjutsu, but I'm good enough to survive in a straight taijutsu fight." She claims. Then again, so can I. Best not to judge by appearances.

"Very well. Your connection to Temari?"

"Same as Yome. We were close in the academy." She answers. I turn to the short brunette, who nods. "You can ask Temari if you'd like. She isn't the type to forget a face, ever."

"Your name?" I study her as well. The wild, puffy hair, the narrow, mature face, the intense brown eyes. She's a serious person, but seeing as she got upset when she thought I was insulting Yome, I can guess she's protective.

"Sen." She answers proudly. "No family either, I'm afraid."

"Hmm. Very well. If the gigglers can kindly step back. Yome, Sen, please have a seat. And the two gentlemen, please step forward." A medic and a genjutsu specialist. They'd need a heavy hitting taijutsu specialist to complement their styles. "Again, you are aware that, if chosen, there's no returning to Sand?"

They both nod, but the grey-haired one is more hesitant. "You, what's with the hesitation?" I ask him.

"My parents."

"Tough. If you're picked, and you agree, you're at the mercy of the tides." He doesn't like my words, but he nods agreeing with them nonetheless. "Your specialization?"

"Taijutsu." He doesn't even think about that.

"And yours?" I ask the other 'man'.

"Long rang ninjutsu." He answers. Nope, you lose.

"Your name?" I turn back to the grey-haired one.

"Shira."

"Shira. Take a seat." I then turn to the other one. "You may step back."

Once Shira is sitting I walk up to the three chosen. "I'm going on a mission. A plausibly dangerous one. You three will join me so I can see you in action. Die, and you're getting replaced." They really don't like how I word that. "Sit tight, I'll explain more in a bit. Now!"

I turn to the wall with the thirteen genin? That's an odd number. One of them is a plant, to test me. Hmm.

 **Sniff.**

 **Snap!**

One of the 'genin' is on the ceiling. "Taiju, Taiju, Taiju. Sending a jounin to test me? How sad." I ignore the amused chuckle.

 **Sniff.**

Yup, these are actual genin, fresh from the academy. There seems to be no clan children, no shining stars. Hmm, not sure how to feel about that.

"You twelve are here for Gaara. Those who do not have a problem with this, step forward." Five step forward. "Honesty, I like that." I smile. "Those who hate bloodshed, please step forward again." Four step forward this time, one quicker than the others. Three girls, one guy. One nervously fidgeting, one carefree, one serious, the last about ready to cream his pants.

"Those who would die for Sand Village, step forward again." All four step forward. I grin. "Good. It's decided. You ladies will be Gaara's genin. You, sir, will be Kankuro's. Questions?"

"I've got one!" The one with long black hair raises her hand. She smells like Taiju's daughter, and judging from his wince, I'm guessing he's hoping for something other than her to open her mouth. "You got any snacks? I'm getting kinda hungry."

"Yukata…" Taiju sounds annoyed, but I'm grinning like I won the lottery.

"You can eat when we get there. Senju-san, are satisfied with my choices?"

"You don't know anything about these four genins." Senju-san tries.

"Oh, but I do." I disagree. "Yukata here is a ninjutsu type. Wind release user. She's obviously a bit of an airhead, and little naïve. But she's got spirit and cares deeply for her village." Yukata shrugs, but smiles. She isn't disagreeing with me, and neither is Taiju.

"This one." I continue, pointing at the shortest girl with brown hair and bright, brown eyes.

"Sari." She says, probably introducing herself.

"She's more of an in-your-face type. I can bet right now she's decent in taijutsu, and should consider taking up a weapon. She's conditioned for it, after all." Sari smiles and nods, agreeing with me.

"And the last lady."

"M-matsuri." Short brown hair and shy, black eyes.

"She was the quickest to step forward when I asked if they hate bloodshed. She dislikes violence, and no doubt would make a decent medic with the proper training." She smiles, nodding. "So you've got close range, mid-range and a medic. A balanced team."

"And the boy?" Taiju is curious. I can hear it in his tone, but his eyes are by far more telling.

"Puppeteer wannabee." I say. The boy grins.

"What makes you say that?" Taiju narrows his eyes a bit.

"The way he reacted when I appointed him as Kankuro's genin." I say, shrugging.

"And how did you know about the others?" Taiju really seems curious about me.

"Eyes and their scent. The two tell me more than your files would have." I say, shrugging. "Anyway, if we're done here? I'm going to need you seven to come with me. And Taiju, you'll need to come alone as well. I'll explain when we get there. Senju-san?"

"I'm coming as well. I want to see the team you have in mind."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 69_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: So... For those who don't know it. Matsuri, Yukata and Sari are three of Gaara's more vocal supporters. All three happen to be good friends as well. Yome, Sen and Shira are from that interlude Arc (mostly done for fanservice) where the Konoha 11 (not including Naruto) get promoted. None of them will play a major role in this story. But they will play a role. If I do a Gaara Spin-off (and I'm tempted to) it would likely focus on the four of them.  
_**

 ** _Anyhoo! Now you guys know what's going on. Action is coming. And I promise you... action is going to be a bit prominent in the coming chapters. You'll see why._**


	83. Hunting pack

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 70 – Hunting pack**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Listen up, and listen well! We've got less than an hour before we need to hit the road! Shika-nii, you're the Sand Trio's fourth member. Naruto-nii, I'm going to need you he-"

"Forget it, sis. If you're going, I'm going." He glares at me, daring me to argue with him.

"Fine." I shrug, seeing no point in getting into a fight when I should have seen this coming. "Sakikko, what do I need from you?" I look to my little sister, smiling.

"Keep Kin out of trouble and keep Yasu-nee safe." She saying, grinning proudly.

"Atta girl. Get Katsuo to help you when he's home, okay?" She promises she will. "Good. Taiju, I need you as well. We don't know the numbers we're up against. I need you to lead Yome, Sen and Shira while we're out there. Are you willing and able?"

"I am." He nods seriously.

"Good, I-"

"Oi! That's no good! Kakashi needs to get back out there as well! And we all know you're luck when it comes to missions. I'm coming." Mitarashi-san sounds annoyed.

"This isn't something that calls for the big guns. If we need back up, you'll know. Be ready to move out if it comes to that." I turn to Senju-san, to see if she agrees. She nods. "Alright, you have forty-five minutes to prepare for war. Hop to! Anyone that needs extra weapons, let me know now or don't complain when you get there unprepared!"

No one says anything.

"Tsu, you've got yours already?" She shakes her head, no. "Alright, you and Hitomi, with me. The rest of you pack for at least a week. If you're smart pack for two. No camping gear though."

Up in my room, I open my private cache. Tsu is quick to grab her chokutou and I grab an extra scoll I have prepared for missions with the rations bars, water bottles and chocolate we(I)'ll need. Let's just get going already! And I better make sure I pick up enough chocolate as backup!

At any rate, I change into my Anbu gear, but with my standard flak jacket. Strap my weapons and summoning scroll on, and I'm good to go. I just hope I don't regret telling my usual backup that we got this…

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We're at the gate in forty-five minutes. Everyone looks ready. "For those wondering, I have tactical command during this mission. If you have a problem with this, you can stay here." I say, my tone serious. No one backs out. "Good. We head out now. Keep up, I'm in no mood for slackers."

We head through the gate. The Sand shinobi all get bugged for documents, but I saw that coming so I don't make a fuss. Once through, we head out. I make sure Taiju's in the lead with his team – seeing as he's been to Artisan Village before, and we REALLY don't want me getting us all lost.

We leave around one in the afternoon. Yome, Sen and Shira are already a bit worn out seeing as they arrived in Konoha around ten. No pushing them too hard. We'll need them well rested when we arrive.

We take a break around four, so everyone can see to their needs and get a drink. Then we head out again and continue until going on eight. The sun is long set, but we ran on the forest floor so we don't have any 'oops' moments. I hand out dinner, as I usually do, both to the Konoha and Sand shinobi.

"I'll take first watch. Hitomi, you'll take second. Naruto-nii, you've got third. Temari, you'll take last shift." All Konoha shinobi look like they want to argue with me, but I glare at them.

"Namiki, it's a Konoha tradition that the medic doesn't take watch. I'll take first watch." Taiju offers.

"Not you too! And how do you even know I'm the medic!" I complain. He points at the grinning Konoha idiots. "Fine! I can't win no matter what village I work with."

"Give it up, sis. You should know by now that you're just not allowed to take watch." I glare at him, but he just smiles. I roll my eyes, unsealing my chocolate and blocking out the idiots.

I wave him off. "Whatever. Make sure everyone gets some rest. I don't plan on having to put you idiots back together, so no one better mess up!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next morning, just after sunrise, we're ready to go. I'm especially grateful for my team, because I don't have to explain just how important a washdown is. At any rate, we break for lunch, but I'm starting to notice that Yome is lagging behind. Hmm, need to work on her stamina.

"… I… don't… get it…" Yome says, breathing hard.

"What, how I keep up?" I ask. She nods, and she's sweating pretty badly too. "Easy, I don't have a choice." She looks at me, shocked.

"Tell me, Yome, if you're tired and one of your teammates is dying… what do you do?" She flinches, almost jerking back as if I'd physically hit her. "As a medic, I need to make sure I'm the last one alive, but also the last one standing. Even if they're so worn out they can't stand, I need to still be able to keep going. And seeing as Naruto-nii is… impossible when it comes to that, I've had high standards to live up to."

She nods, not liking it but understanding where I'm coming from.

"Don't worry, when we get back to Konoha, we'll get you sorted out." I tell her, patting her shoulder before heading over to see how everyone's doing. "Shira, about Yome. She can't keep up and we'll need her as well rested as possible. Can you help her out?" The grey-haired boy eyes me, but as soon as he looks to his teammate, he nods. "Thanks." I nod to him, heading over to Shika-nii.

"You're here to bug me about figuring out a plan. But I need more information before I can come up with one. Ask me again when we get to the village." He doesn't wait on anything from my side. I nod, thanking him and ask if everyone's ready to go.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's just after sunset when we arrive in Artisan Village. I can't say too much about it, really. It looks like your average sleepy little village, just with a lot more blacksmiths. There's an outer wall with two entrances from what I can see, but that wouldn't keep out genin. We make our way to –what Taiju claims is– the village leader's home.

Seeing as everyone's still alive, I'll just guess the rogues didn't attack yet. But we don't know if we're the only teams here.

"Hello, welcome. What can I do for you?" An elderly man, perhaps in his seventies, greets us.

"Hello. I'm Namiki Aya, leader of a joint battalion sent from Sand and Konoha. We understand there is a group hassling you?" The man looks close to tears. We're invited in immediately, and his daughter, I guess, offers us tea and something to eat if we're hungry.

I look to Taiju, who shrugs. "That would be lovely, ma'am." I say, smiling. She beams, heading into what I can only guess is the kitchen. "If you don't mind, mister…"

"Please, call me Hidetsugu."

"Hidestugu-sama, could you please explain the situation. I need to know if we have enough people or if we need back up." He seems even more excited by that.

"I… The others were unsure if anyone would come to our aid." He says, bowing his head and saying a silent prayer; of thanks, is my guess. "… Very well, Namiki-san. I will tell you everything I know. A week ago there was a group of shinobi that approached us, demanding weapons for their rebellion. I don't know if the whole group came, but I saw fifteen of them with my own eyes. No famous ones, and certainly no known clients of ours. Each wore a flak jacket, so I assume they were at least chuunin level, and none wore a weapon. They only had leg pouches. The demands were, among other things, a few thousand kunai, over fifty custom made weapons, and some things I'm not sure what they'd even have need of."

"I understand. Do you have a list of the weapons? Or were they offered to you verbally?" I ask.

"Oh no, they had three scrolls full of demands." He moves into another room, probably to go look for them.

"Hitomi?" I don't have to explain what I need.

She focuses for almost two minutes, going over the terrain. "No groups within two kilometres."

"It's a start. After dinner we're going to start rallying to local shinobi, if they have any. We're also going to need to coordinate everything. Taiju, you have the most experience among us, you're input will be greatly appreciated. Shika-nii, you're our brain, so I don't need to explain what I need from you. Naruto-nii, I need you to get busy with setting up a network of seals to alert us if someone is getting close and as great a radius as you can. The more time we have before they get here, the better. We can't rely on Hitomi's vision around the clock."

Everyone nods. Naruto-nii excuses himself, and there's the tell-tale sign of him spamming clones again.

Just as Naru-nii sits back down, the old man comes back with three smalls scrolls. He hands them to me, so I sniff them to get a try to isolate the scents on it. The old man's is the most prominent, but… there are three others. Chuunin level, like he said.

"Did anyone but you touch this scroll?" I ask. He assures me that he's the only one. I hand them to Naruto-nii so he can memorise their scents as well. "Good. Three scents, mid-chuunin level. Shika-nii, I want you to go over the lists, see if they hold any clues."

Naru-nii hands the scrolls to Shika-nii.

"Hidestugu-sama, are there any shinobi living in the village? Chuunin or higher, preferably?" I ask.

"Hmm? I can't tell you how they'd rank, but we have quite a few that are skilled with their weapons." He says.

"It's a start. I'm going to need you to call a meeting with them, so that we can start organizing and figuring out how we're going to do this. As well, I'm going to need to know what headbands those shinobi were wearing, because I smelled two different villages on those scrolls."

"Hmm…" He thinks about that. "You're right… Grass, Waterfall, and Valleys headbands were among them. All with a scar through the headband. You know, I'll never understand why they'd wear the headband like that? It's like being a rogue is something to be proud of, or something."

"You got me there." I snort, amused. "Anyway, introductions. From Sand we have Taiju, Temari, Kankuro, Gaara, Shira, Sen and Yome. From Konoha are Nara Shikamaru, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Ryuuzetsu, Namiki Hitomi and myself."

"My, my. So many, and such big names as well. You three are Rasa's children. And a Nara, an Uzukami, a Hatake and two Namikis. I can't thank you all enough. Truly." Hidestugu says, obviously overwhelmed.

"Imouto-chan. We're facing at least fifty shinobi. No doubt about it." Shika-nii announces. "I can't tell what rank based on the weapon choices, but given that Hidestugu-sama recognizes most people on sight we can assume there are no big names to worry about. That still means we're hopelessly outnumbered."

"No, we're not. Not by a longshot." I tell him.

"Sis, that isn't combat ready. You know better." He warns.

"I don't plan on dying here, and I'm certainly not risking those that came with me. So if you've got a better plan, I'm all ears." He thinks about that, but doesn't seem to have answers yet. "I'll give you time, it's not something I want to use if I can avoid it. But what we need right now is intel. My team and I will head out to try to track these guys down. Taiju, I'll leave you and Shikamaru in charge to organize the village shinobi and get a workable defence plan up and running. Hidestugu-sama, do we know when they'll return?"

"I'm afraid not. They gave us two weeks, which is completely unrealistic seeing as most of those weapons would need at least a month to complete, let along the materials we'd need for them."

"So we might have another week, or they might come kicking down doors sooner to make sure you're all working as fast as you can." I muse. Shika-nii nods, agreeing with that estimation. "Shika-nii, while we're out I want you to bug Hidestugu-sama about every detail he remembers. Sorry, but every detail might be hold a clue. And if anyone else interacted with those people, or overheard anything, we'll need to talk to them too."

"My, my, such an industrious young lady." Hidestugu says, smiling warmly.

"There are lives at stake. We want to ensure that the only ones to fall are those that would try to harm your people and us." I tell him seriously. "We will, of course, have to discuss a payment. Regrettable though it may be."

"I see." He's not impressed.

"You don't like it, Hidestugu-sama. I understand. Luckily we've been given the leeway to make more agreeable trade arrangements between our villages, so the payment doesn't have to be written with Ryou signs." I soothe.

"… I see." He sounds far more thoughtful now. I can understand that. That means not just having more customers, but bigger orders as well. This is two Great Villages asking for trade with his village, not shinobi placing an order with the blacksmiths. "That would be most beneficial to all parties. Yes, I would gladly agree with those terms."

"I'm glad to hear that. Now, if you'll excuse us. My team needs to-"

"Please, stay at least for dinner. My daughter loves it when we have the company."

"I'm afraid we cannot, though I wish we could. Too many unknowns, and I like knowing."

"I understand." He says, nodding solemnly.

"Be safe, all of you. That's an order."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Picking up their scent is ridiculously easy. But tracking them down… not so much. "Travelled by boat. A deep sea fishing boat, judging by the smell. I'm not sure if that's intentional or not, but it does show some level of planning." I say, wondering how that stacks up against the rest of it.

"Twenty different scents. They wanted to make a show of force, and seeing as no famous ones came forward, that means they don't have any one their side." Naruto-nii points out.

"Maybe, or they're just playing this group like puppets to get what they want. Hitomi, Tsu?"

"Both are possibilities. We won't know until we face them, and tracking them down just got a lot harder. They could be days up or down the river. And we may not have the time to root out all the possibilities." Hitomi offers her views.

"Maybe letting them come to us is easier? I mean, I'm no star with tracking, but if you three say tracking them will be hard and we know they'll be back?" Tsu offers.

"There's that. Well, this is more or less a dead end. Let's head back and update Shika-nii, see if he can come up with anything." I say, already jumping up to a low branch for a leg up.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it back to Artisan Village by ten PM. Shika-nii and Taiju are discussing something with unfamiliar faces, so I invite myself into their conversation.

"No, the others are skilled blacksmiths, but we are the best warriors of our village." A tallish man with shoulder-length brown hair says.

"We don't need only the most skilled, we need everyone good enough to help defend the village." I say, getting a good sniff of the four here. High chuunin. Hmm. If high chuunin is the best, then we might need that backup after all. "How about this, why not have everyone you would identify as warriors that are willing to help us defend the village line up. And you let us decide who we'd trust to watch our back in the coming battle." I purposely use the word 'battle', to let him know this is bigger than four people wanting to defend their home.

"… As you wish." The man caves, heading towards a gathering of people.

"Empty handed?" Shika-nii asks, eyeing me curiously.

"More or less. They took a funny route through the forest, probably trying to confuse trackers. And they got on a boat that had the area smelling like deep sea fishing. My team agrees that letting them come to us is more efficient, even though I don't like it." I explain, hoping he can make sense of what we discovered.

"Hmm. That might mean they either live on the boat, or far more likely, they live on an island in the open sea." He thinks about that. "Aoi Island is about three days away by boat."

"Maybe, but can you guarantee me that that's where they are?" I ask seriously.

"No, they could just as easily live along the coast. And even that's just a guess. Too little information." He thinks about that some more. "It's too far away for Naruto to send clones and we can't risk weakening our defences more by sending a full team there to investigate. You're right, letting them come to us is the safer bet. Although it plays into their hand."

"It does." I agree. I still get the feeling that working with what we have is a losing battle, but… it's a battle we have to fight.

 **-Asami. I need you to talk to Kashi-nii about our odds. Let me know when you have him somewhere private?-**

 **-Hmm? We're having a meeting in your office. What are we looking at?-** She answers quickly enough.

 **-Plausibly fifty shinobi. Only twenty shinobi confirmed.** **Chuunins.-** There's silence for a while. They are obviously discussing that. Good.

 **-Chuunin by smell, or by rank?-** I'm asked.

 **-Both as far as I can tell. No known monikers, no known faces.-** Again there's silence.

 **-Zabuza and Kakashi agree that you should be able to handle that with the team you have if you plan right.-** She explains seriously. **-But Zabuza still demands I point out that he's pissed you didn't bring him along.-**

 **-I'd have to agree, Aya. Just you and Naruto could handle that. We've dealt with worse odds.-** Sasuke adds his two Ryou.

 **-Thanks. Will keep you posted.-**

I nod, feeling a bit better about our odds of survival. "Discussed it with Kakashi-sensei?" Shika-nii asks.

"Nn. Better safe than sorry. Shika-nii, if you were to invade this village, where would you attack from given what we know?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Alright, updates people!" I demand.

"I've got a perimeter set up, we should have at least a five minute warning before anyone arrives." Naruto-nii says.

"We've got the warriors you selected running through setups so that they'll have the best chance of survival. Shikamaru's suggestion to have them mostly on long range support is working out quite well, and it helps that my team is working with them to make sure they're in top form as well." Taiju adds.

"I also have a general idea which direction they're most likely to attack from. Given that they're likely water users, they're likely to attack from the north, as that's closest to the river. If they have to fall back, they're back in their element." Shika-nii, you are amazing! Yes, that makes the most sense. That means they purposely came from the south last time just to throw us for a loop.

"Good. Good. This is good. Perfect." I say, going over a rudimentary plan in my head. "Alright. I don't want us to get caught with our pants down, so here's what I want us to do. We'll set up our four teams to the north, south, east and west of the village. Within the village walls, but you know what I mean. That way, if they come in fast, we already have a team there to intercept and buy the others time to back them up. Since they are most likely to come from the north, my team will stake out the north side. They came from the south last time, and they might be dumb enough to do it again. I want Temari's team on that side. From an earth release user's perspective, the east is the next most likely entry point, given the densely packed earth on that side. I want the four blacksmiths there. Taiju, I want you and your team to the west."

"… Hmm. Not a bad plan." Shika-nii says. That's as close to praise as you're likely to get from him. "I've got a suggestion though."

"I'm all ears." I coo, glad to have my brothers along on this mission.

"If they do attack from the north, our team should circle around them and investigate their boat, if it's in the river. We could take whatever they have on it, and sink their getaway before closing them in in a pincer attack?"

"Loving the first part. The second part however… **Not** a good idea. I'm not holding back, Shika-nii, and I don't want you guys in the crossfire." I point out.

"Maybe, but Gaara's with us. He could protect us from the worst of it." He counters.

"Yes, he could. But you misunderstand what I'm saying." I press. "I'm **not holding back**. It's all in for my team. That means that in all likelihood, it's going to be just Naru-nii and me doing the damage."

"… Ah." His eyes widen slightly as the weight of those words hit home. He's never even heard of me talk of going all out, but he'd heard the stories from the invasion. "Be careful."

"I promised Chouji we'd dance at my birthday, remember?" I tease.

"So… we're really going all out, huh?" Naru-nii thinks about that, a thoughtful frown on his face.

"Nn. I plan on summoning Tsuren and her pups before I call it a night. You know, to give them the heads up." I give him a meaningful look. "I'd advise you do the same."

"Yokoshima and Yokoe are going to love hunting with your wolves." He says, his fist poised for a bump.

"Hnn. I think that goes both ways." We bump fists, grinning like the idiots we are.

"I would advise you two to hang back when the action starts. This could … get ugly, and fast." Naruto warns Tsu and Hitomi. The two swallow painfully, not used to hearing us talk like this.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The next day, I start bugging Yome about her training. I drag her into mine, not caring what she has to say about it. Four hours of training, and she passes out on her feet. I shake my head, annoyed. I'm still rearing to go! And frankly, I'm still considered the weakest on Team Seven, and likely Team Xi as well! Come on!

Still, can't change the past. I know what to work on with her in the future. So I switch to Sen and Shira, after tucking Yome into her futon, of course. Poor thing.

These two are much more my speed! Shira especially! This guy reminds me so much of Lee that I just have to introduce them! Still, that's a worry for another day. I run the two of them into the ground. Apparently, I can outlast them both, even after training all morning with Yome. Whatever.

This is the way we spend the next four days. Training. Then it comes closer to the expected arrival date, so I tell them to just keep up with katas to keep themselves ready. Naruto-nii and I still keep going all out in our spars though! We need to be sharp for when the enemy arrives. Tsu and Hitomi are sparring a lot too.

On the sixth day, just before noon, the perimeter is breached. To the north. My team quickly downs our rations bars and we drink our water. I send shadow crows to the other teams with the update, and we get ready. The battle is coming.

And we are not going to die here!

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 70_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Just 500 words short of my quota, but this is where I want to end this. Next chapter... oh the next chapter... *grins evilly*  
_**


	84. Wolves and Kitsunes

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 71 – Wolves and Kitsunes**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"I smell them. Same group as before." Naruto-nii announces. I nod, agreeing. "You ready?"

I bite my thumb, do the handsigns, and crouch down to idly pet Tsuki and Tsupou. If that isn't answer enough, I don't know what is. "Our prey is coming." I say.

"A good day to hunt." Tsuren almost smiles – not a good thing when you see a wolf smiling. "You aren't nervous. Miwako would be proud."

"Nn." I nod, mostly to show I hear her.

"Naruto. Aren't you going to summon as well?" Tsuren is such a mother hen sometimes. It just goes to show that she knew our mothers so well.

A moment later, a familiar, and brash, little kitsune named Yokoshima is dancing around excitedly. Next to her is her MUCH older sister, Yokoe. The younger still only has one tail, and if she stands on her hind legs she reaches my (MY!) mid-thigh.

Yokoe on the other hand, is what you would expect of a kitsune. Tall as Naru-nii, lithe, three tails, orange-red fur, piercing blue eyes, and wearing a furisode kimono. She sniffs the air, and grins. A cruel, I'll-eat-well-tonight kind of grin. I like her already.

"Naruto-kun, you promised good hunting. You speak truth." Yokoe says, her voice silky and soft. "Tsuren, you look as pleased as I feel."

"I am. To hunt with a Namiki, an Uzumaki and the kitsune clan again. It has been far too long." Tsuren and Yokoe seem to know each other. "Kushina will be pleased when she learns of this."

"She is no doubt cackling in the Pure Lands." Yokoe agrees.

"Sorry, introductions. Namiki Aya, this is Yokoe. She was my mother's personal summons. Yokoe-chan, meet sis. Tsuren you no doubt remember, and these are her pups. Their names start with 'Tsu', and end with something else."

"Ever the Uzumaki." Tsuren just rolled her eyes. She seriously just rolled her eyes! I shake my head, wondering at that.

"Eyes on the prize, guys. They draw closer." I say. Chatter dies immediately. I smile. A soft, warm smile.

Today, we write our own story onto the legend of the Uzumaki and the Namiki. And we do it together.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes just over ten minutes before the first visual of our prey. Single male, Waterfall headband, slashed. He walks over to us, eyeing the wolves and the kitsunes warily. "So, the village broke our agreement and sent for help. Well. I guess we'll just have to ki-"

I don't know what he was expecting. I really don't. But having a wolf pups grab him by the wrists, ankles and throat obviously wasn't it. That they tackle him with enough force to floor him isn't helping his case either. They don't immediately kill him though, even though Yokoshima is whacking his skull with a stick… Not sure what that's about. Not sure I care. And why is she saying 'bad dog' over and over again?

"You were saying something?" I ask, innocent as the day I was born. Not surprisingly, he doesn't speak. I unseal the prisoners' scroll and seal him away. I'm quick to reseal the prisoners' scroll, for safe keeping. "Good. We have one for interrogation later. If we kill the rest, no one will care."

"Yokoe, you got a good read on them?" Naru-nii asks.

"I do. Tsuren?"

"I do. Ready?"

" **GO!** " We say as one. And so, the action starts. Five wolves, two kitsunes, one Namiki, one Uzumaki. This versus… sniff, sniff… twenty-one chuunins. Let's see who will die first.

They are smart enough to group together in fours –more or less– so they are spread out somewhat. However, that isn't helping them. Tsuren and I body flicker in front and behind one group, the pups jump in and tear into the 'men'. They are trained well enough to know to go for the thighs or hamstrings to keep their prey from running, while two others take the hands and the last takes the throat. It's inefficient against groups, but they are still pups, so I don't mind.

Each time someone tries to help their comrade, I slice them down, or Tsuren tackles them and rips their head off with one bite – she's an efficient hunter.

Soon the other groups decide we're not going down quickly enough, so they try to swarm us. An enemy with a brain, that's new.

"Pups. Light 'em up!" Five wolf pups grin –again, not a good thing when wolves grin, pup or no– and all five of them are enveloped with elemental chakra. Two with fire, one with air, one with lightning, and the last –Tsuki– with earth.

Tsuren nods, proud of her pups, and activates her fire cloak as well. I shiver in anticipation.

The first group reaches us, four shinobi. Each gets a pup attached to their throat. Only Tsuki runs and jumps at them in turn and body checks them, landing them flat on their back and trying to get the pup away from them. I see them trying to grab the pup, smell their flesh being burned from either the fire or the electricity, or simply being sliced into ribbons from the sharp wind. The shinobi can't even scream from the pain they're in, before a quick tug and loud snapping sound. Their bodies tense, then loosen. Their lives have ended.

We work through the groups, carefully, methodically. Until at least only one man stands.

"M-m-m-m-m-m-monsters!" His eyes are wide, his mind overloaded with the carnage. He doesn't cry, but he wants to.

"Oh? You threaten to wipe out a village, and **_we're_** monsters?" I counter. "How many others are there?"

"…" He doesn't answer. He just stares at me; mute, deaf and unresponsive.

"Who wants this one?" Five pups and Yokoshima jump up at the same time crying 'I do, I do!'. I make a lazy, have-at motion. And the six of them tear into the man. No cloaks, no tricks. Just good old fashion wild animals tearing into their prey.

"A good hunt." Tsuren says, eyeing the downed shinobi. I can tell she's wondering which to eat, and which to bring home to the pack.

"A swift hunt." I agree. "Thank you for your help." I hug throw my arms around her neck, hugging her gently. "There will be another battle, I'm sure. Take what kills you desire and rest."

She nods, walking up to the biggest, fattest, shinobi and grabbing him by the neck. She nods, unbothered by the weight. She makes a noise, to tell her pups to hurry, and she poofs back to her den. The pups are quick to run up to a kill of their own, and they poof back without a word. Six bodies missing. I grin, shaking my head in amusement. They could have stayed here and eaten. It wouldn't bother me in the least.

"Aya is right. These were the scouting party. The stronger of their pack are yet to come. I shall warn our sisters. Should you have need of a larger pack, we will aid you. Shima! Grab your dinner, let's go!" Yokoe is so proper. And a bit bloodthirsty. I like her.

"I'll keep that in mind. See you girls soon." Naru-nii says, waving lazily. Yokoshima drags three bodies closer to a fourth one and grabs all four of them at once. When she poofs back, all four bodies go with her. Yokoe isn't as fussy, she just gathers the remaining bodies, piles them on top each other, and disappears with all of them. Not fussy, but a bit greedy. Well, if she's hungry, I say: eat.

So long as I'm not on the menu, I'm cool with it.

"So… how about a game of twenty-one questions?" I ask, grinning.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Screaming, cursing, and damning me to the pit of the death god's stomach. Anything useful?

"Hey, idiot. I don't have all day. Either you tell us who to expect for the next wave, or I summon a wolf and let them eat you alive. Pick." I warn, already moving to bite my thumb.

The man blubbers –he's an ugly crier– his eyes show just how broken he is. "This isn't how it was s'posed to be. We were s'posed to get the weapons, to avenge… t-to avenge those take from us."

"You don't get it, do you?" I've officially lost my cool. "You think your boss would have let these villagers live if they didn't deliver? You would have had to slaughter every last one of them. You think I care we slaughtered you and yours first?"

"… I…" He thinks about that. Actually thinks about that.

"To demand fifty-three weapons, each of which takes more than a month to complete. And give them two weeks to complete it? The goal was to make them mess up, to give them a reason to piss you off, so you would have to kill them." I lay it out for him. He shakes his head, trying to deny it. Not to me, he doesn't care about my opinion. He's denying it to himself. "How _cute_. You **actually** believe you're the good guy in this story. Sorry, but you're the scum."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"And?" Shika asks the second I exit the room.

"One elite jounin, six jounins, four tokubetsu jounins, fourteen high-chuunins. The rest, over thirty of them, are specialised chuunins." I say. "We're going to need that backup."

"Yeah we are."

 **-Asami. We've got a confirmation. We need the big guns. Stat.-**

 **-That bad?-** She doesn't like the sound of that. She likes the update even less.

 **-Kakashi and the others are leaving now. They'll be there by tomorrow.-**

"On their way. What did you discover from the boat?" I ask.

"…" He opens his mouth to answer, but blushes and looks away.

"Shika~aaaaaa…"

"… Sex slaves…" They're dead. All of them. Dead. "Eight of them. Three of which are pregnant. Hidetsugu's daughter is taking care of them."

"How old?"

"… You… you don't want to know, Imouto-chan."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

As promised, Kakashi, Momochi, Mitarashi, Haku and Tayuya arrive the next day, almost in time for lunch. I nod to them, but say nothing. They take one look at me, not too happy with what they see.

"What's with her?" Tayuya asks, not used to this side of me.

"She's pissed. I'd avoid her if you enjoy living." Shika answers seriously. Kakashi glances at him, an unasked question in his eyes. "The scouting party had… eight to fourteen year old sex slaves. Three of which are pregnant."

Mitarashi and Tayuya look about ready to erupt, just like I feel. "I'm glad I came then." Tayuya's the one to speak. I nod, anger burning in my eyes. "When can we expect the corpses?"

"We don't know. We know their location, and we have their boat. It could be another week, maybe longer depending on how long they take to notice their missing comrades."

"We know their location. I say we take the fight to them." Mitarashi suggests. I crack my knuckles, all for it.

"Kakashi-sensei is the highest ranking now. Imouto-chan refuses to speak, so she won't care if he takes command." Shika says.

"Location." Kakashi demands in his 'mission voice'.

"Aoi Island. North-eastern side. An abandoned fishing village." Shika answers.

"Jubei Village." Kakashi says the name without thinking. He's been there. Good. Let's go. "We leave immediately." Couldn't agree with you more.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to Shinjuku Town the next afternoon, going on three PM. We don't enter though. We make relax on a cliff overlooking the sea. "It's an eight hour run over open waters. We leave at dawn." Kakashi announces.

I nod, itching to get going, but refusing to risk my pack.

"Aya, are you capable of controlling yourself?" Kakashi asks, not in the mood for surprises.

"Barely, but yes." I say honestly.

"No Okami." He orders. I nod, fully agreeing with him. Transforming would be foolish in my current mental state. "Everyone gather round. We need a plan going in."

Kakashi takes his time drawing out a detailed map of the village. He's been there on a mission, no doubt about it. He highlights which team is coming in from which angle. Where the rogues are most likely to be. He even seems to know a thing or two about who to expect. Hitomi grows more and more in on herself. I narrow my eyes, suspicion boiling up within me. I say nothing.

"Yes, Aya. This is likely the group that killed your mother. I don't know how, but the M.O. is exactly the same. Either Nichiren survived, or someone in his clan took up his mantel." Kakashi explains.

I nod, appreciating the honesty.

"That's… not possible. I beheaded Nichiren myself. It has to be a clansmen, but they were all but wiped out in the last war." Hitomi says, not comfortable with where this is going. "… It could be… his child? That would explain why there's been no sign up until now?"

"Theories." Kakashi shoots it down. "I deal with facts. We'll know when we get there."

"Tell me anyway?" I look between Hitomi and Kakashi.

"… The Imamura clan. They are as closed to bears as the Namiki are to wolves. Including the transformation. Only…" Hitomi begins, but seems unwilling to continue.

"Bears know nothing of honour. The do not care for a pack. They are solitary animals and will fight their own if they chase the same prey." Kakashi explains, his tone crisp, but I hear the disgust in it all the same. I nod, understanding how he would look at people that put themselves before the pack.

"I understand." I say, looking to Hitomi. I smile a little, letting her know that I know, but I'm not upset. "We should rest."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

As expected, Hitomi and Kakashi come to me. Both with guilt in their eyes. "I know, I just don't care." I tell them. "Mama died using the Okami jutsu, protecting Hitomi during a mission. I know. But you forget who she was."

The two of them stand stock still, wondering what to make of me. "The pack's needs come first. She died the way any Namiki would want to: fighting for and protecting their pack." I say, looking out to sea, admiring how the stars dance on the uneven surface of the water. I sometimes think I can make out a pattern, but every time I do, it changes. It's fascinating.

"So don't worry about me going all avenger on whoever is _dying_ to meet us." I say, smiling through the tears. "The pack will always come first."

Tsu wraps an arm around my middle, tugging me closer to her. I lay my head on her shoulder, glad to have her here. Hitomi sits on my other side, laying her head on my shoulder. And I think Kakashi's the one petting my hair.

"Kami-sama, the pain just never goes away, does it." Not surprisingly, no one answers me.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the village –Jubei Village?– around two the next afternoon. "If there is a bear summoner, they know we're here. Expect resistance, and we don't _need_ anyone else to entertain Ibiki." Kakashi says. "We rest, eat, and we attack tonight."

"Hitomi?" I turn to her. She activates her Byakugan, taking her time to analyse what she sees.

"Two Imamuras. One older male, one younger female. Perhaps father and daughter. Stone headbands, slashed." No honour is right. Even at my worst I never considered abandoning Konoha. "Everything else agrees with the report. In the main building, two teams patrolling."

"Change of plan?" Shika asks.

"Estimates on the Imamuras?" Kakashi (sort of) asks.

"The elder is the elite jounin, the younger is mid-chuunin. They aren't fighting, so he likely doesn't see her as a threat." That's… just sad. Fighting your family? Fighting **for** your family, yeah sure. But actually fighting them? I pity them more and more, the more I learn about them. "She smells us. She's whispering it to her father. He already knows."

There's a tense moment. Will they act? "… Nothing is being said to the others. Not even covertly."

…

…

… Seriously? Arrogant much? Or do they just not care about the others?

"Imamura indeed." Kakashi isn't impressed. I start handing out lunch and bottles of water to everyone. "Imouto-chan, better make it two rations bars a piece. We fight tonight, so we'll need the extra calories." I nod, unsealing the extras without complaint.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Taiju, your team will secure this area. We'll need a secure location to retreat to. Do not give it up to anyone, do you understand?" Kakashi orders. Taiju nods. He doesn't like it, but he knows it's safer for his team to lay low.

"Hitomi, Tsu. You two will stay here to help." I order. They sputter and start trying to fight me. Hitomi even tries pulling rank. "Tayuya's coming with us. We're going to be the main distraction, and that means sound release genjutsus neither of you can counter. I need you two here."

They don't look happy, but they aren't fighting me anymore. "… Be safe, Aya." They demand.

"I'll be back before you know it." I promise, waving as Naruto, Tayuya and I start walking down to the village. "Be safe. I'll need my cuddle bunnies to help me sleep tonight."

Even without looking back, I know they're grinning and shaking their heads.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You know the plan." I drone, standing on top of the last of the shinobi patrol.

"Time for some carnage." Tayuya says, going through the motions of a summoning. Three of the ugliest things I've ever seen poof into the clearing we're in. I shiver, not sure if I like being so close to them. "Let's go."

She starts playing her flute, so Naruto and I focus on the Offsetting Sound jutsu, but only allow it to cover us. Anyone else would fall into whatever (cruel) genjutsu Tayuya is casting.

We make our way into the main building, into the main hall. Where more than three quarters of the enemy shinobi should be – and where they will die.

Once inside, I see dozens of shinobi clutching their heads in pain. I don't know what they're going through, but it looks unpleasant. The three ugly things, Naruto and I start bashing and cutting them up, being careful not to overlook so much as one of them. Tall, short, fat, skinny, light skinned or dark. They fall. And I won't be losing a wink of sleep over them.

Having dealt with the bulk of their forces, we start making our way upstairs. The sounds of battle getting louder the closer we get. Kakashi's team and Temari's team are focusing on two separate floors. Kakashi's on the floor with the Imamuras. Temari's on the floor below them with the elites. We need to back Temari's team up.

On the third floor, we encounter the Sand Trio making a mess out of things. Two jounins are already in pieces – stab wounds, so I blame either Temari or Kankuro.

Tayuya starts playing again, only this time, only to move the three ugly things. Naruto unsheathes his scimitars, getting into his clan's stance. And me? I'm doing what I do best.

Spamming Sound Balls and making those idiots' day _that_ much worse. I make sure to stay near Tayuya, so she'll be guarded while she works her magic, but out of her way so she can see what she's doing.

Eight shinobi were alive and kicking when we got here. But between Temari's wind jutsu, Kankuro's three puppets, Gaara's defensive skills corralling them, and now our kickass back up?

The three left, I'll assume are the strongest three.

They obviously no longer care what happens to the building, or their comrades, because they start using fire jutsus – in a wooden building. Of course, the pillars catch afire. I don't care. Not my den.

And Temari uses it to our advantage too. She lines herself up, casting Wind Scythe jutsus right into the flames and at the three idiots. One of them uses the Water Wall jutsu, but that isn't going to save them for long.

I start spitting Mud Balls, right into the flames. The thing about mud jutsu? They cast fire all too easily. And they cut through the Water Wall like a hot knife through butter.

The screams that meet my ears are like music. No matter how badass you think you are, if set on fire… everyone screams. No exceptions.

So when the screaming dies down, I know we're one enemy poorer. Poor them.

I send my Sound Balls through the Water Wall, and I start waving them around in the dark. Eventually, the Wall crumbles – it's hard to focus on a jutsu while avoiding half a centimetre wide balls that can kill you.

With our vision restored, Temari whips up another Wind Scythe and it catches the flames again. I grin, firing more Mud Balls right at the idiots and sending the last Sound Balls over as well.

Fun fact I didn't know: Sound Balls are flammable. And they burn _good_.

The screams die down a minute or two later. I don't trust them though. Their jounin for a reason. So I make two Divine Hands and toss them my wakizashis. I behead the jounins, just to be safe. Not one of them fights it. Good. I seal the heads, for the bounties.

"Let's go."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Two Imamuras. You'd think that Kakashi, Mitarashi, Momochi and Haku could handle them, right?

Wrong.

They are still holding out and standing strong. They are both transformed, taking every hit head on and simply shaking it off. Kakashi even hits one of them, the smaller one, with a Lightning Blade, aimed for her heart. The lightning doesn't pierce the transformed skin.

Well, let's see if I can shake things up a bit, shall we?

 **Snap!**

I capture the little one –relatively speaking, seeing as in this form she's three times my height and as broad as I am tall– in my Devouring Shackles. She struggles, but the more she struggles the stronger the shackles become. With one less distraction, Kakashi's team can focus on the big one – challenge enough, I'll bet.

Kakashi starts pelting kunai, likely imbued with lightning chakra at the big one. The kunai bounce off without even making a dent.

Hitomi might have been able to shut down their chakra network, but she isn't here. And it's starting to get a bit warm in… here…?

"CRAP! Lower floor's on fire! This floor is compromised!" I shout out the warning.

"Move!" Kakashi orders. I grab the little bear and we move out, just in time for the big bear to fall through the floor and into the inferno downstairs. Sorry, moron. Heavier things fall through weakened structures quicker than light things. Facts of life.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We're down in the courtyard, the little bear isn't struggling anymore. She seems to be calming down, trying to undo the transformation. Whatever. She'd be easier to kill untransformed.

The front door flies off its hinges. The big bear walks out, unharmed mostly, but clearly a bit singed. Kakashi grins, liking what that means. Bear roast is an option.

The big bear jumps forward, aiming to land on the little bear's head? Oh, I don't think so!

 **Snap!**

A Sound Barrier is created right above her, but at an angle so his downward momentum will take him further up and miss her completely. He doesn't even react, but the little bear is reacting. Very much reacting. She's undoing the transformation, returning to her normal form.

I adjust the shackles so they shrink with her, but I need to focus on the big bear. Kakashi and Momochi are taking turns playing whack-a-bear – Momochi's strikes with his gigantic sword pack so much power that the bear has to take a few steps back each time. They still don't break his skin though.

Mitarashi is sending snakes to bite every soft spot she can think of. I don't know if the fangs are piercing the skin, but the big bear isn't slowing down in the least. Haku's ice needles aren't even starching the surface.

I try capturing the big bear in my shackles, but he keeps evading. I try hitting him with my Sound Balls, but even if they hit him, it doesn't affect him. Even when I exploded one right in his ear. Nothing happened! He didn't even bleed!

Then a thought hits me. It's pretty much insane on my part, seeing as it would make me the main target if it works… but it might just get the effect we need.

Deciding to hold off for now, I try casting Genjutsus. He isn't effect in the least. Not even B-rank genjutsus affect him at all. Fine! Let's try underpowering this then! Casting it at full power would probably kill me…

 **Boar – Tiger – Earth Release: Dark Swamp!**

Not surprisingly, the 'swamp' ends up looking more like a mud puddle. It's three metres across, roughly three metres deep. The big bear avoids it. Momochi isn't having that though, he hits the big bear so hard with his blade that he flies back into the mud. Kakashi takes immediate advantage and casts Fire Release: Flamethrower to light the mud puddle afire.

Before we even find out what's going on, I run up to the inferno –fire is **hot** , in case you didn't know– and cast the jutsu I was holding out on.

 **Sound Release: Acidic Screech!**

The flames themselves churn under the effect of my jutsu, but I can't see what it's doing to the big bear. Before I get caught by surprise, I back off, ready for anything.

What I wouldn't give to have-

"Miss me?" Hitomi is suddenly right behind me, with Tsu!

"Trying to give me a heart attack, I see." I drone, hating that my heart is still beating a bit fast.

"Sorry, sorry." She claims, but she doesn't sound sorry at all; more amused than anything. Her Byakugan's active, so she knows what I would ask. "He's alive. That last jutsu damaged his legs enough that the flames could pierce the skin. And Anko's poisons isn't doing him any favours. If he comes up, he's going to be desperate. That's why I'm here, to keep you from going kamikaze."

"Aww, you do love me." I tease, elbowing her side to rile her up. She blushes, but doesn't comment.

"He's coming up!" Hitomi gives everyone the heads up. We all tense, waiting to see what awaits us. "Anko, those poisons… they're breaking his muscles down."

"Why do you think I like working with snakes?" Mitarashi sounds proud. I'm too busy focusing on the steaming bear-like hand that just flopped onto the ground.

Bit by bit, the rest of big bear crawls out. His fur all burnt away, much of his skin as well. He smells like he's half cooked. A little oregano might help though. Maybe a pinch of black pepper?

Like Hitomi said, his legs are completely missing. He's clearly in agony too, grunting and puffing out smoke. I'm willing to bet his lungs are damaged beyond repair.

He slowly starts undoing the transformation.

The closer he gets back to his human form, the more downcast and defeated he looks. His skin is covered in boils, and where it isn't, there is no skin at all. I can see his half brown tongue through a hole in his cheek. He's a good as dead. And he has no weapons on him. Hmm. A suicide jutsu? Possible. Best to keep some distance from him.

"Coming down from the high, dad?" I look over at the little bear. A girl, my age. Long black hair, just like mine. Glasses. Black, angry eyes stare at her father. I can't help but see myself in her. And yet, we shouldn't be anything alike. My father would NEVER try to kill me – no Namiki would.

I… pity her.

"… I'm sorry." He says, but I don't know what to make of it. It is because of the transformation? Is it because of the lack of a pack mentality? I don't know. And I never want to find out.

"For what? Trying to stomp on my face? Trying to kill me again? Or are you sorry that you're dying and can't make it up to me this time?" She sounds… cold. Emotionless. Like neither his trying to kill her nor his being on the brink of death bothers her. What kind of life do their clansmen lead? That's just… crazy!

"Namiki. Please. Kill me. I am no longer a danger to you or yours." He tries.

"Uh huh." I noise, not buying it. "You do realise that your whole clan was a bunch of idiots for not buying into the pack mentality, right?"

"Hmm. Is that it?" He muses. I don't comment. Let him think about his shortcomings in the Pure Lands. Not my problem. "Will you take my daughter with you?"

" _Sure_. We always take enemy shinobi along and treat them with love and respect." I drone sarcastically. "Imamura, you have some serious priority issues."

"No, I don't. If you were to see her as one of your own, you'd give your life to protect her. Sometime we've always envied of your clan." He says. His voice is starting to break in places, and the volume is tapering off. He's dying. "Curious, you're the first Namiki to know of us."

"Sorry, Kakashi told me about you, and Hitomi told me about your clan." I burst his bubble. "There's nothing about you in my clan's records."

"Heh. That's more like it. You always did ignore us." He sounds amused. "Please, Namiki… take her. She's the last of our clan." How is that my problem? Maybe you idiots should stop trying to kill each other! "Please. I'm asking as a father… not an Imamura."

"…" I shake my head, no. How can I ever justify taking her as anything but a prisoner? And why would I trust someone that cannot control themselves while using that jutsu?

"Ikuko. You are Konoha's prisoner. Please, do not fight them. Survive. Break the chain of hatred in our clan." He's crying. An elite jounin, in tears in plain view of the enemy. His heartbeat is slowing, skipping beats. Its beat are becoming increasingly erratic. "Fall in love with someone that will treat you right. Please… for me…"

His heart stops beating. "Aishiteru, Ikuko-chan." He starts gasping for air, but no matter how deeply he breathes, his heart won't pump to circulate the oxygen.

I look to the kunoichi. She's in tears, her broken heart on plain display in her eyes. I… I don't understand. If these people care, why would they threaten a village? It doesn't make sense. "Aishiteru, daddy…"

I walk up to Ikuko, unseal the prisoner's scroll, seal her away, and I seal the scroll back into my glove.

"I don't like this. At all. We need to get back to Artisan Village. I have a really bad feeling."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 71_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Hmm. Is the fighting over? Were they tricked? What's going on? You'll just have to wait and see ;)  
_**


	85. The power of words

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 72 – The power of words**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"This is no longer something we can wait on. We need to move, and we need to move now!" I tell them. My team nods, knowing I'm dead serious.

"My team can't cross at night." Taiju says, tired of being left out.

"Go. We will make our way to Konoha." Shira offers.

"Hey, Aya. Trust me enough to stay with them?" Tayuya tries.

"Not my call to make." I say turning to Kakashi.

"…" Kakashi doesn't look convinced.

"Oi! I'm not going anywhere until Aya teaches me those sound release jutsus!" The redhead shouts, obviously peeved.

"Fine." Kakashi caves, knowing that my fears aren't unfounded and that Tayuya did help when she didn't have to. "Be safe."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to Shinjuku Town just as the sun is rising. Everyone is worn down, but we cannot stop. I hand out breakfast – two rations bars and a bottle of water. No tree cover here; there's **_no way_** I'm _going_ in plain view of all these guys!

Once the bottles are sealed again, we head out. We run until we're a half hour past the treeline before taking a break again. This time I _go_ , and thank Kami-sama I do! I was just about ready to explode!

On the road again not long after that. We make it to Artisan village just after sunset. That's when I finally breathe a sigh of relief. The village isn't burned to the ground, the villagers aren't dead.

Kashi-nii doesn't look too relieved. He still thinks something is up. I feel the same, but at least we'll be here when it goes down!

We make our way to the village leader's house again. Once inside, I tell them to wake me if something happens, curl up with Tsu and Hitomi, and immediately fall asleep.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Poke. Prod. Nudge. Someone's getting a kunai through the eye if they don't let me sleep!

"Naruto, you're the most insane person I've ever met." I hear Tsu, she sounds amused. "You see that frown? If that turns into a smile, you're dead."

"Sorry, Ryuuzetsu-chan, but I doubt sis would hurt me. And trust me, I'm always the one they send to wake her." Naru-nii is just as amused. "Come on, sis. I know you can hear me! Kakashi-sensei called for a meeting."

"Let me know how it goes." I turn, wondering at the cold air now making out with my leg. It isn't worth getting up over though.

"I can't! Because we've got incoming!"

I groan. Fine! If I can't kill Naru-nii, then I'll kill the idiots dumb enough to attack! "If I find out you're lying, I'm killing you and hiding the body." I grind out, getting up and hating the cool air that greets me.

We make our way outside, where Kashi-nii is getting the villagers pumped up. He's saying something about having someone worth fighting for, and refusing to give up until you can fall asleep in their arms – or maybe I'm just filling in the blanks because I'm so fricking tired!

I almost fall asleep standing up, but Naru-nii pinches my cheek – and gets slapped on reflex. He dodges, though; the idiot.

Once the villagers are pumped up, they run along to go play with pointy things. Or whatever. Kashi-nii motions for us to follow him back into the village leader's house – where I just came from. Why did I need to walk all the way out here, to walk all the way back? Am I really supposed to be awake for this?

"Listen up!" Kashi-nii begins, after a funny buzzing fly thingy bugs me. "Zabuza and Haku spotted sixteen eight man squads scouting the area!"

…

Blink…

…

Well, _that's_ a rude way to wake up.

"Hitomi already confirmed, they are fanning out and are camping out around the village. So far no contact has been made. This might be either part of the group meant to haggle Artisan Village, or it may be another group entirely. Be on **high alert**!"

"Headbands?" I ask.

"Same three as before. All slashed. Imamura might have been hired by this group for whatever reason." Kashi-nii answers. "Average is chuunin, but there are a few jounins here and there as well."

"That… makes no sense. What do they want?" I ask, annoyed. "This has to be bigger than just wanting weapons, but even then… what do they want those weapons for? I mean, someone had to notice this large a gathering of rogues, right?"

"I don't know. And at this point it doesn't matter." Kashi-nii says. "For now, we need to see what it is we're dealing with. Imouto-chan… I need you to talk to the girl. Find out what she knows."

"You want me to interrogate a mourning kunoichi that watched us kill her father?"

"Do you have a better idea?" He asks, his eye almost begging me to give him one.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I don't know what's worse. Is it that I can't argue against Kashi-nii's point, or that I agreed to do this?

So here I am, in a sealed off room, with Tsu, Hitomi and Naru-nii. He's already made a few seals to help us suppress Ikoku. I doubt we'll need them, but…

I sigh. This is so wrong on so many levels.

I unseal the prisoners' scroll and unseal Imamura Ikoku. I mentally brace myself. She appears out of the smoke, eyes blank, but fresh tears still on her cheeks. "Ikoku. I know there couldn't possibly be a worse time to bother you, but we need to ask you some questions." I begin.

She stares. Blank, unresponsive.

"We need to know about the group, the people trying to burn this village down." I try.

"Sis, give me a sec." Naru-nii says, applying the chakra suppression seal on her forehead. "There. As you were." He sounds amused, motioning to her.

I sigh, knowing exactly what he means, unfortunately. Against my better judgement, I hug her. She stiffens. "I'm here." I murmur, holding her close, tight but gently.

The tears start.

Why do I always end up playing doctor to enemy shinobi – though most often kunoichi.

"I hate him!" That came out of nowhere. "I hate him so much!" The crying, the nerve-wracking sobs, it only intensifies. She clutches any fabric she can on me, holding onto me for dear life.

"Confusing, isn't it. To hate someone you love so dearly." I say, but I'm not sure why. She's doing well enough on her own.

If she was a wreck before, then I don't even know how to describe her now. She keeps muttering half formed words, keeps trying to explain the pain in her heart, but… I can't even understand half of what she's saying. The words 'alone', 'hurt' and 'why' stick out, but I can't make more sense of the gibberish.

Eventually she calms down enough to stand on her own. Her eyes are puffy and red, but she doesn't seem to notice.

I unseal some chocolate, offering her, Hitomi and Tsu some. We can all use some chocolate. "I'm Aya, by the way. These are Ryuuzetsu, Hitomi and the blonde idiot over there's Naruto-nii."

"Ikoku." She says, her voice still quivering a bit. "How did you know?"

"What? About the hate/love thing?" She nods. "I've been there. Just after mama died. I felt so hurt, so lost… I hated her for breaking her promise to come home." I admit, trying to mask the pain I'm feeling, needing more chocolate to not break down.

"Anyway… seriously, we need to know about those people. We think they're here and they don't look like they're in the mood to talk." I change the subject.

"The first major coalition of rogues." She says, almost wistfully. "They want to strike back at the villages that abused them. _He_ -" Her voice shakes a bit, "was one of their strongest members. There were only two stronger."

"But why threaten to burn a village down that has nothing to do with their goal?" I ask, confused.

"Anger and hatred blind them." She sounds sure. "I should know, I've dealt with it all my life."

I nod, thinking about that. "What can you tell me about those two?"

"… Not much. Just that I wasn't allowed near them. They don't have a very healthy view of us."

"Girls, you mean."

"Yeah." She thinks about that. "I could smell the girls they brought back sometimes… young girls often enough. Less of a security risk, I suppose."

"Sex slaves." I grind out. "We found a few."

"On a boat, I'll bet. They were never allowed near the village." She sounds… broken. Even more broken than before. Like what they'd been doing is now catching up to her. "That… could… have been… me…" She manages between sobs, covering her face with both hands.

Yeah, we probably got all the information out of her she'll be able to. So, Aya, you know you're supposed to seal her back into your scroll. You're supposed to move on. You have bigger things to deal with right now!

Aya, no! Don't hug her again! Stop it! You're busy! Lives are on the line! She's a big girl! She can survive another few days in the seal without you coddling her!

I really need to listen to my own advice. And yet, I'm holding her, telling her to let it all out. Promising her that I'm not going anywhere. Kami-sama, I'm such a softie!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Two stronger than Imamura. That's troubling, but things could be worse. You get anything else?" Kashi-nii asks.

"United by hate and anger at their villages? Nii-san, she's an emotional wreck! I'm amazed I got her to talk at all!" I remind him, a bit peeved. How does he expect me to get more than that!? I'm not Ibiki! I'm not Inoichi-san!

"You mind asking the other guy then?" He tries.

"Why don't **you** ask him!? I am **not** an _interrogator_!"

"… You connected with her." He doesn't ask. I cross my arms, refusing to talk about that. "Sorry. I should've known. Take Anko with you. She'll get him to sing before long."

"Whatever." I storm off, grabbing Mitarashi-san and dragging her along. "Let's go! You've got work to do!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I plop onto the roof, annoyed, needing chocolate, and just wanting to get away from people. So I unseal a bar of chocolate, tearing into it, huffing and muttering about stupid older brothers.

"Hey."

"Not in the mood, Tsu." I warn, taking a larger than normal bite of chocolate.

"I know." She says, sitting down next to me. "You shouldn't be alone when you get like this, though. You tend to make things worse, not better."

"Whatever." I take another big bite.

"You need to talk about it, Aya. You know that."

"I don't **want** to talk!" I shout, not meaning to. Tears start welling up. I felt horrible before, now I just wish the earth would swallow me whole. I take another bite, quickly followed by another.

"You need to anyway." She gently places her hand on my shoulder. "Aya, please. Let me stand by you. Let me be here for you. We both know you need to let this out."

I take another big bite, not even caring that my jaw hurts from how much is in my mouth.

Her arms slowly snakes around me, pulling me closer to her. She lays her head against mine. Then she says the most horrible thing ever: "She reminds me of you." The first tears streak down, not caring what I have to say one the matter. "Her being the last, her wanting nothing more than to be daddy's little girl. Heck she even looks a little like you, glasses and all."

"Shut up. Please, just… shut up."

"And just like you, life gave her a pretty raw deal." 'Shut up' doesn't mean 'talk more'. It never has. "So I think it's safe to say you blame yourself. You're thinking about the what-ifs. What if you tried to talk to him, what if you tried to save him, what if it was you and that was your father."

Stupid tears. Stupid Tsu. Stupid… stupid everything! Kami, I'm so _useless_!

She takes off my glasses; it's not like I can see through the tears anyway. She tugs me into her embrace, letting me bury my face into the nape of her neck.

This time, it's me clutching in her shirt. It's my body wracked with drawn out sobs. It's my tears, my heart that's in tatters.

"When… did it… hap…pen?" I manage between sobs. "When… did the… en…emy… turn in…to… good… peo…ple?"

She doesn't interrupt. "He… just… wan…ted her… to be… hap…py."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"OI!" I shout to grab their attention. "We've killed enough good people for one mission! I don't need more little girls crying over their father's corpse! So leave!"

The shinobi in the clearing don't leave. They're staring at me. "Aya, you're wasting your breath." 'Mitarashi-san' tries.

"What do you morons want!?" I press on anyway. I don't want more blood to be spilled, not when I already know what's going on.

"I want my little sister back!" One of them shouts.

"I want my father!" Comes another.

"Well take a number! I want my parents back, too! You don't see me threatening villages!" I shout at the top of my lungs. "You don't see me enslaving little girls! You don't see me turning them into sex slaves!"

Not surprisingly, no one answers. "Leave! NOW! If you go, you'll live! If you stay and fight! I swear I won't stop until every last one of you is a pile of ash!"

"Go where!?" One of them shouts. "We have **nowhere** to go! And if we return to our village, they'll kill us for sure!"

"And threatening people is better!?" I counter. "Passing your hatred onto another is better!? Spilling innocent blood is better!? At least you idiots would deserve it! Just look at what you've done since leaving your village!"

"How will you explain to your loved ones what you've done!? How will you explain to those little girls why you tortured and raped them!? How will you explain it to yourselves!?"

"Don't listen to her! We've done what we had to for the sake of our revenge!" A new face announces itself. He's one of the leaders, I can tell just by how the others tense as he arrives.

"OH YEAH!? Tell that to the eleven year old I had to explain that she isn't just getting fat!" I counter, anger burning in my eyes. A righteous anger this time. "Tell that to Imamura Ikoku who was crying for hours over the loss of her father! Tell that to the villagers you're willing to kill if they don't do exactly as you say!"

To be united by hatred is fragile, at best.

He smiles. An indulgent, you don't know what you're talking about smile. "What do you know of loss, little girl!?"

"You don't care!" I counter. "All you care about is using these men! Manipulating them! Bending to your own twisted vision!"

"… Tch."

"What's the matter!? Truth too hard to deny!?" His face is slowly morphing into a scowl. "An orphan raised in a world filled with orphans! I know more of loss than you think! And do you know why!? Because of people like you! People that don't know the value of human life! People that start a war just because they can! All you do is feed the hate! All you do is create more orphans! All you do is make more little sisters die in their brother's arms! More father's that don't return home to their family!" I'm crying a little, thinking about mama and papa.

 **#Get ready to strike. Halfway to mutiny.#** I sign behind my back. I'm a softie, through and through, but I play the game well. It's sad how often I have to use my con-artistry as a kunoichi, though.

"You know nothing of honour! You know nothing of love! You know nothing of the pain your idiocy brings into your men's lives! How they have to drown their sorrows in booze and women!" A few heads start nodding, he's losing ground with his men and fast.

"And you do!?" He challenges. Never challenge a Namiki when it comes to honour.

"My name is Namiki Aya. Head of the Namiki clan! I know honour! I know the value of my pack! I know that I would lay down my life for the sake of my precious people! Can you say the same!? Would you die for your men!?"

"Bah! Words! How petty!" Is that the best you can come up with? Really?

"Not just words!" 'Kashi-nii' is in the clearing in front of them. "As head of the Hatake clan, I can assure you Aya speaks the truth!"

"I agree!" 'Momochi-san' and 'Haku' are down there as well now. "As head of the Yuki clan, I can vouch that Namiki has fought and bled for her pack!" That's not a total lie, but I haven't been badly injured yet. I'm hoping that never comes up.

"You got that right!" Oh boy. Naru-nii can't get left out of the party. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Head of the Uzumaki clan! And let me tell you, my Imouto-chan up there would die for me in a heartbeat! Which she should know by now I'll **_never_** let her!"

"Nn!" Tsu. Great! Everyone's getting in on the action! "Trust me! Aya would die for anyone in her pack! And not one of us plans on letting her!"

"Got that right!" Hitomi too!?

I body flicker down between Tsu and Hitomi. "If you idiots are dead set on fighting, there's no way I'm sitting this out!" I swat Naruto-nii to let him know I'm mostly aiming that at him. Especially the 'idiot' part. "Just make sure to be careful, guys. I don't want to have to put you back together, you hear me!"

"OI!" 'Mitarashi-san' is right down here with us. "If any of you idiots try to harm my goddaughter, you'll answer to me!" Kami-sama! So much fluff before a fight, it's almost sad.

You know what's even sadder? Knowing that this is a diversion, and that the actual leaders will be attacking from the east, since Mitarashi found out they're both primarily earth release users. And doubly so, knowing that Kashi-nii's team is to the east. The four here are all Naru-nii's shadow clones. Not that chuunins would notice that. You've got to play the game, after all.

"So tell me!?" I demand. "Who of you will fight us!? And who will lay down their arms in the hopes of finding a village to call home!?" Aya, you can be so evil sometimes. Really you can. I love me anyway.

"I will." One steps forward, dropping his leg pouch on the ground. I smile warmly, welcoming him back to sanity. The sour-puss leader draws his sword, ready to strike him down.

 **Snap!**

He sacrifices power for speed. A wise decision when going for a quick kill, if not for the Mime's Barrier now protecting the man he just tried to kill.

"You see what I mean? You know nothing of honour." I chastise him, hovering the barrier up and away from the crowd. I land him up on the wall where I was a minute ago, but don't let him out of the barrier.

That opens the flood gates, and twenty-nine of the remaining thirty-one shinobi revolt against their 'leader'. Mutiny at its best. I place them all in Mime's Barriers, hovering them up onto the wall to keep them out of harm's way.

"Aww, mister leader looks a little lonely." I tease, mock pouting and pretending to rub my eyes. The idiot looks like he's about to lose his cool.

"So you show your true face at last! A liar and a fraud!" He tries, but I'm not sure why.

"Hmm? Wait, you **actually** think I was lying? My good sir, against people like you… the **truth** is _far more dangerous_."

Doubt is finally seeded in the last two.

I tap Naru-nii, the real one I hope. He nods, and the four transformed clones dash forward to engage the 'leader'. The kunai pierce his liver and eye from the two in front, and his spine and stomach from behind. It turns out to be a simple water clone though. "Coward. Didn't even come here to talk to his people himself!"

No… I think he did. "Water clones can't talk, can they?"

"Sure they can! They can't think and plan, so the caster has to think about what they want the clone to say, but they can talk." Naru-nii corrects. I breathe a little easier. "Anyway, I'm gonna have to ask you two to stand down nicely. If not, well… having to kill only two out of thirty-two is pretty good."

Before they can react though, two camouflaged clones place suppression seals on the last two, knocking them out.

"Well, that's our side defended. Wanna go check on the others?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I'm the most worried about the blacksmiths, so we go to the west side first. And rightly so. The four are skilled to have survived this long, but they are clearly outnumbered and two of the four are injured.

I'm just glad Naru-nii placed seals on the shinobi from our side, so I don't have to maintain the Mime's Barriers, and they are all sleeping their troubles away.

We body flicker down into the fray. Naru-nii, Tomi and Tsu start knocking heads, and I focus on patching up the blacksmiths. They're shocked at first, but they don't fight me once the see the first wound close and feel the pain ease.

With the fighting already underway here, there's no point in a skit or any kind of ploy. We just try to knock them out. I place as many as I can into a coma, so that they'll stay down but hopefully not die.

Too much death on one day is a sure sign of bad luck. Let's avoid that, shall we?

It takes about ten minutes for the fighting to die down on the east side. Naru-nii tags all the survivors with those seals of his again, and he spams clones to drag them inside. Then we go to the south side.

"Well, that's a relief. They're already done." I say, looking around. It's sad that Shika-nii can still out-con me and my plans. Or maybe it's as simple as him capturing them all in his Shadow Possession, and letting Kankuro tie them up? I don't know.

Either way, I'll just have to ask later. "Come on! Kashi-nii might need a hand!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

On the east side… things are… a little different. The two leaders are actually here. And they are not letting their men slip an inch.

"Oi! Kashi-nii! You guys need a hand!? We already wrapped up on our side!" I announce. "Managed to talk sense into all thirty-two of them! They know that these two idiots are liars and have been using them! I've been thinking about talking to our friends in Sand if they could use some capable shinobi there, you know!?"

"What about the others!?" Kashi-nii, you have no faith in me, do you?

"What, you mean the future Kazekage needs a hand!?" I offer, smirking. "Oi! Idiots! I'll tell you a little secret! Your **leader's** water clone tried to behead one of your own because they wanted to lay down their arms! I'd advise that none of you ever try wanting peace! They are **NOT** having that!"

I smirk, knowing that the man who tried it is now radiating killing intent. Anyone with half a brain can figure out what that means.

"If any of you even thinks of siding with the enemy, I will cut you down!" And so, the idiot makes exactly the same mistake again.

"Now, would you look at that!? He threatens you, and we're offering you a home with an income! Some leader you guys picked! Seriously!"

The man growls – pitifully, but that's because I've seen true growls.

"Hnn! You think we'll fall for something like that!? Leader-sama has never steered us wrong!" In a mob, he with the lowest IQ and the loudest voice is king.

"Oh!? So you mean you've never touched the sex slaves!? That the girls we rescued from you are lying, that they aren't really pregnant!?"

"A man has needs!" The same idiot defends.

"You know what! You're right! If you can defend raping an eight year old over and over again, then you deserve to die here and now!" I lose my cool. I know that, and I don't care. We've saved plenty of lives today, ending a few won't make me lose any sleep.

I mould the chakra I need, casting Earth Release: Eject on just him. I make sure to aim his flight just right, so he flies to me. He realises it, quick on his feet, I'll give him that. But two wakizashis laden with earth chakra will **always** overpower a regular sword. He falls (splats) onto the ground behind me, in pieces. "Explain **that** to your mother when you see her." I grind out.

"I should probably warn you guys… my little sister's in a bad mood. I wouldn't do anything to upset her." Kashi-nii warns, his tone serious.

"Anyone else want to try to tell me you've done nothing worth killing you over!?"

"That does it! ATTACK!" I couldn't have agreed with you more!

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 72_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Hmmm... Aya seems to be more than a little sneaky. I wonder if she'll stick to her word this time though. I mean, we all know she isn't kind to those that would harm any female, whether she knows them or not. I guess we'll see ^_^  
_**

 ** _Now, let's find out something even more interesting. Like if the team assembled can handle the current fight._**


	86. She-Wolf

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 73 – She-Wolf**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"That does it! ATTACK!" I couldn't have agreed with you more!

 **Snap! Snap! Snap!**

Four Divine hands and four Sound Balls pop into existence. I arm the Hands with kunai, and I send them all into the fray. I know I'll be more useful from up here for now. I can offer long range support, and if it comes to it I can jump down and play patch-'em-up, like I always do.

Naruto-nii creates a bunch of shadow clones, sending half down into the fray and letting the other half rain down kunai on the enemy.

It doesn't take long before things start getting crazy. The enemy starts getting desperate, throwing kunai and exploding tags in every direction. Gaara deals with the explosions, and I deal with the kunai for the most part. But Naruto-nii starts getting worried, that means he's going to start getting reckless.

As expected, the last clones – and likely the original too – jump down into the fray. Kashi-nii and his team are focusing on the strongest two, so I try to keep the flies off their backs. Momochi-san doesn't seem to care either way, wide swipes with his Executioner's Blade and most 'nuisances' are in pieces.

Then… I hear it. Again. A coughing, wheezing sound. That boy just can't stay in one piece, can he. He's gotten too used to me putting him back together, so he figures taking a kunai for Tsu –who was obviously feeling left out– isn't a big deal. And who gets to fix it? Me, of course.

I body flicker in front of him, beheading the idiot trying to take out my brother while he's injured. Then I focus and drag Naruto-nii underground, patching my idiot brother up, once again, in the heat of battle. I swear, this boy will be the death of me!

It doesn't take too long before I decide he's stable, but he's in no state to continue fighting. That means we're short one of our best offensive fighters. Fine. That just means I'll have to step up my game then.

I resurface, telling Tsu to take Naruto-nii and keep him safe. She looks like she wants to protest, but I end up having to create a Sound Barrier to prevent a wave of kunai from taking both of them out. She nods, taking him into the village and away from the fighting.

Three shinobi try to follow, but Hitomi cuts the three of them down without must effort. "If you're going to do it, now's the time!" She tells me body flickering in front of me to buy me some times.

I nod, stuffing my glasses into one of my jacket pockets for safe keeping.

 **Dragon – Boar – Tiger – Dog – Tiger – Snake – Okami jutsu.**

My bones feel like they're about to snap, my muscles and skin are on fire. The world seems to slow down, and for one horrid moment, my world erupts with pain.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _~3rd person PoV~_**

Where once stood a short brunette with(out her) glasses, now stands a beast with glowing yellow eyes. She stands almost two metres tall, but she's lithe. Her face looks just like a wolf, but her arms and hands look like a weird combination of the two. Her clothes still fit, but everything seems too short and fur seems to have grown on every visible patch of skin. Silver fur. Only the patch on her head seems to still be black, and French braided; like the girl she used to be. Her toes have grown out of her shinobi sandals, and she only seems to walk on the pads just before her toes.

She looks like she's built for speed.

The girl-turned-wolf lets out a howl. A deep, throaty howl that the Elemental Nations hasn't heard in years. Most shinobi freeze, unable to process what just happened. Hatake Kakashi smiles, taking full advantage and tearing into a few stunned shinobi, killing them instantly.

"Are you ready, Aya?" Hitomi asks after cutting down one or two shinobi who tried to take out the beast.

"Only one way to find out." Aya says, though her lips do not move. Because her vocal chords have also mutated, she has to use her Whispering Winds to talk at all, but it shows that she hasn't lost herself in the madness of the Okami jutsu. Without warning, Aya disappears.

Hitomi wants to compare it to a body flicker, but she remembers from past experience that it's pure speed. She activates her Byakugan, trying to locate her packmate. The fact that ten shinobi fall to the ground in pieces side tracks her, but she finds the pseudo-wolf standing on the edge of the fighting, her two bubblegum pink wakizashis shining in Hitomi's vision from the intensity of the chakra being poured into them.

Aya disappears again, and five more shinobi meet them deaths. This time she also aims for one of the two strongest. He dodges, but she cuts into his arm anyway. Zabuza is quick to take advantage comes at hit with an over the head, mid-log slice. The man blocks, making an annoyed grunt to show how much effort that takes. Aya takes full advantage and dashes to him trying to slice him into ribbons.

Seeing the strike coming a second time, he substitutes with one of his followers, but not before vertically cutting right through Aya's left eye. Seeing the switch, Aya tucks in her strike, but Zabuza doesn't care. He overpowers the idiot, cutting him into two perfectly even pieces. Kakashi body flickers to the wounded jounin, trying to press the advantage. So Aya takes a moment to head underground and heal the wound… her vision is restored a minute later, but she simply doesn't have the leeway to heal the cuts in her eyelids. There's going to be a nasty scar because of that.

Kakasi isn't taking this too seriously yet – he still has Obito's eye covered, after all. But he isn't taking chances either. The sooner the fighting ends, the less likely their side will take casualties. That must be what Aya was thinking too, seeing as she opted for that jutsu.

The unwounded jounin tries taking out Haku from her flank, but Zabuza isn't having that. He body flickers between them and blocks with the side of his blade, creating the opening Aya needs. All the former Seven Swordsman can say he notices, is a gurgling sound. When he regains a visual of the enemy, there's a hole where his throat used to be. And teeth marks. Oh, and his hands are both gone. Kind of important to notice. Zabuza grins, liking this side of Aya more and more. He beheads the shinobi without a second thought, just in time to see Anko jumping up from underground, her snakes biting into every visible surface of the jounin Kakashi engaged.

Then comes the howling once again. This time, the howling comes with an inescapable genjutsu. Kakashi and Zabuza both recognize it as Aya's Siren's Call, only this time it fits perfectly with the wolf motif. There's a full moon, cherry blossom petals are falling from the trees, and a pack of dozens of wolves come flooding the area. Their eyes glow in the dim light. Their teeth bared to show this is their feeding time. Then the wolves attack.

No matter what anyone tries, they cannot fight the genjutsu hard enough. It just keeps getting reapplied. When Aya finally allows the jutsu to end, the Konoha and Sand shinobi look around and find the remaining enemies in the final stage of bleeding out. Some were beheaded, most were practically filleted.

Aya looks around at her handy work. She sniffs the air, to see if there are more prey around. She decides there aren't. Sheathing her wakizashis, she finally takes the time to heal her still bleeding eyelids and the gash above and below her eye. She also unseals a bottle to wash out the blood, knowing that if she waits until after the transformation is undone, she'll be too messed up to care.

 ** _~End PoV~_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Pain. That's all I feel. Pain.

My skin burns. My left eye burns. My muscles ache something fierce. My hair seems to be on fire. My vision is blurry, but I don't know if that's important just yet. "Rest, Aya. You deserve it." That sounds like Hitomi. Smells like her too.

"Wake me… if something… happens…" I demand, giving into the coming darkness.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I'm sorry." That's the first thing I hear. The last thing I want to hear, but the first thing I hear nonetheless.

"Nn…! Shh!" I complain, my head swimming for some reason. I feel like I got hit by a runaway steer. Twice. No, three times!

"We both know you're awake. And we both know I'm not going to shut up until you tell me you're not mad at me." That's Naru-nii. He's the only one dumb enough to wake me up with crap like that.

"Stop getting stabbed. I'll stop getting mad." I whine, turning away from the loud chattering. Not in the mood. Want to sleep.

"Haku's not letting me go to sleep. You know that means I have the time. And you're too nice a person to hurt a patient. So…"

"Shut up, Naru-nii! Sleep!"

"I'm not allowed to sleep, I just told you that."

"Not you! Me! Me, sleep! You, quiet! Shut up!"

"But then I won't have company!"

"You will if I kill you. Plenty of company in the Pure Lands."

"You love me too much to kill me." I groan. I open my eyes. Everything's blurry, but I remember putting my glasses in my jacket pocket. I find them, don them, and I'm finally seeing Haku hovering over him, her hands glowing green from the jutsu she's using.

"It's better to let him cough up the blood naturally. You'll just upset his body's ability to heal otherwise." I lecture. She winces, ending her jutsu after getting up that last bit far enough for his to spit it out. "You already have him on his side. Good. Facing me, unfortunately, but that's his less injured side. Very thought out, Haku." She beams at the praise.

"She's not going to love you for placing me so close to her though." Naru-nii teases, coughing violently. The cloth he covers his mouth with turns bright red. The coughing fits are a good sign, but not kind on the heart of the medics around him.

"I disagree. She'll be glad we have you two so close together. It's on you if you annoy her." Haku counters. "Kakashi-san and dad are talking to the village leader. They'll want to move out soon."

I groan. So that's why Naru-nii woke me up. He knows I'll want to have him ready for transportation and that I won't let him run home. Well, that and he's bored. Probably more because he's bored. I'll be sure to have Akari and Asami give him a hard time, just to spite him. Still, he did save Tsu's life. Hmm. Decisions, decisions. And asking Tsu will invite him getting off easy. Not risking that.

Forget it. I'll tell them the truth and let the Uzumakis figure themselves out!

"Cute scar, by the way."

"Thanks."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Everyone is ready to leave two hours later. The entire village seems to be here to see us off, many of them offering us flowers, especially Naruto-nii. The four that fought with us seem to be the most emotional, even though the three guys try to hide it. The green-haired one… Kujaku, I think her name is… she hugs me and thanks me for patching them up. The four promise to come visit us in Konoha.

The usual send-off of a team that saved their village, really.

The village leader walks up to us, offering Kashi-nii a fancy looking blade. "This isn't our thanks." He says, but I don't try to understand. I need at least another three days' worth of sleep before I can start caring to figure things out again. "This is a symbol of the new alliance between Leaf, Sand and Artisan. I assure you, we will send a team to Konoha soon to discuss the terms of our alliance."

"We look forward to it. Please, send word ahead before you do. So we can make proper arrangements." Kashi-nii is so… suave sometimes. It's almost enough to make me forget how much of an idiot he is sometimes.

"We will do so. Thank you again. Be safe, friends."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes a few days, because everyone knows I'll kill anyone that makes me risk my patient, but by the time we make it to Konoha, Naruto-nii's healed enough to walk the last leg. I'm practically glued to his side to check him for any and all irregularities in his breather, but… that's to be expected.

We do the usual signing in thing – only the Sand shinobi get bugged, once again. I thank the guards for calling my scar cute – scars always look cute on cute kunoichi. I make sure Haku takes Naruto-nii straight home. He needs to rest. Momochi-san and Mitarashi-san assure me they'll keep him safe and Haku will tag along so he'll have a medic with him at all times. This way Kashi-nii and I can go report in. I nod, thanking them, before we body flicker, starting the annoying trek to the Tower.

"Try it. I. **Dare**. You." The first thing I encounter is a clear sign that Haruno-san still hasn't gotten the crowd under control. Almost everyone stiffens, hearing my dark tone once again.

"N-n-n-n-namiki-san… w-w-welcome b-back." The man, who was just telling Haruno-san off and about to walk into Senju-san's office unannounced, manages. I grin.

"Back of the line. Now." I demand, still grinning. He doesn't fight me. They never fight me anymore. Poor me. "Is Senju-san available?" I ask.

"Nn." Haruno-san nods, smiling. "She asked that you be shown in immediately." I nod, walking into the office. "Cute scar, by the way." I wave it off.

"Hi, honey. I'm home." I tease, grinning at Senju-san as she and Katou-san are discussing something.

"Aya-chan. Welcome back." Katou-san says, smiling warmly. Senju-san looks a bit more… professional. They're both eyeing my scar.

"Report." She demands. I nod, offering a brief summary of everything we'd dealt with before sending for Kakashi's team. Kakashi takes over from there, offering the highlights of the rest of the mission, including Artisan's promised alliance with Konoha and Sand. "Good. Taiju, I'm sure you won't mind updating your council on this. When we receive word, we'll be sure to update you."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. If you don't mind, I believe I need to head home. As Kakashi-san explained, almost all of the shinobi captured have offered their services to Sand, and our people will want my confirmation before agreeing to anything but imprisonment." Taiju explains seriously.

"Of course. The others should be in Sand by now, they left the day after you did." Senju-san explains, motioning to show he's dismissed. He bows, seeing himself out. "Aya, Kakashi, good work. I'll expect weekly updates on Imamura Ikoku's mental health. And I'll want to speak with her privately tonight."

"So you'll let me take yet another kunoichi into my den?" I ask, mostly out of curiosity.

"Aya, if you think she's stable enough to be kept in your den, then I know I have nothing to worry about. If there's nothing else?" We assure her there isn't. "Good. Take the next three days off. And Aya, if you're feeling up to it, please drop by now and again to keep the crowd in check?"

"No promises." I smile, waving as I see myself out.

"Cute scar, by the way." Katou-san says, smiling. I turn and thank her, but don't break my stride.

"Haruno-san, is that a toilet paper request again?" The woman freezes before jerking back the paper she was handing to the pinkette a second ago. She body flickers, disappearing before I can check. "She's from Intelligence, isn't she? I think I'll be dropping by to annoy her."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Where is he?" I ask the second we're home. Yasu-nee assures me that Minori, Asami and Akari are busy giving him a hard time in the Uzumaki compound. I smile, grateful. "So, Yasu-nee, how've things been around here? It feels like I keep missing out on major events!" She keeps either staring at my scar, or pointedly not staring at it. She's so not a kunoichi.

"It's been pretty quiet actually. Hana-san's been complaining about that new patient, says he's been unbearable. Sakiko and Yuzuki aren't talking right now, something about Katsuo liking Yuzuki more? I've been trying to figure that out for three or four days now, if you could talk to them, I think it would help." I roll my eyes, knowing they were going to get into a fight eventually. "Other than that, Asami and Hinata have been bugging me about taking it easy. But really, I'm pregnant, not handicapped."

"I'll talk to them for you. I agree that you should keep busy, since exercise is good for you. Just be sure not to overdo it, okay? Make sure to rest if you get tired or winded." She smiles, thanking me and promising she'll do as I ask. "And be sure you remember this moment when I'm pregnant! I'll need back up." We laugh.

"I'll keep that in mind. Are you going to camp out in bed for a few days?" She asks with a teasing smile.

"It's tempting, but no. I need to start getting things arranged. Naruto-nii will be leaving in the next two months, and I want to make the most of now, you know?" She nods. "What about Kin, by the way?"

"Hmm? Oh, Saki-chan's been keeping her out of trouble, mostly. She's been helping me around the house as much as she can. Oh, and everyone's been demanding that we start making arrangements for a going away party for Naruto-kun. I thought that maybe you'd like to handle that yourself?"

"Nn. Thanks, Nee-chan. I'd love to be the party planner. Did you need help with preparing lunch?"

"It's alright, sweetie. Remi-san and Mariko-san are here every day helping me with that. And Akari-san as well." She assures me, smiling warmly that I'm still willing to help. "You're tired. Just go have a nice long bath. Try to take a nap as well. It looks like you haven't slept well at all."

No arguing with that.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Matsuri. Sari. Yukata. Akihito." I call their names. "Yome. Sen. Shira." The seven of them look expectantly, but unsure what I want with them. "Welcome. As you know, I am Aya. I will be taking the two medics under my wing whenever I can spare the time. Mostly you will be under your sensei for training. Understand, however, that the only training style we know here is all in. Offer your all, or don't bother. Do you understand?"

" **Yes, ma'am.** " They answer as one.

"Yome, what is your Rank?"

"I'm a Rank Four medic, ma'am." She answers.

"Good. The two of you will be taking Hinata's medical classes. I will try to make at least one night a week available for private tutelage, but you've no doubt seen how precious my time is. If I feel either of you is wasting that time, you will not be given a second chance. Is that understood?"

" **Yes, ma'am!** "

"Good. Shira, Sen. I have something special in mind for you two. Shira, you are a pure taijutsu type, just like a friend of mine. I'll be contacting him when he comes back from a mission. Should he and his sensei agree to it, you'll be joining them for training. Be warned, they are goofy as hell, but stronger than you'd believe if you've never seen them fight. Sen, you're a genjutsu type. I'll be overseeing portions of your training. Mind what I said about making it worth my time."

" **Yes, ma'am!** "

"Akihito. I have almost no knowledge of puppetry. I won't even pretend I can help you. What I do know is that you'll need sparring partners. Speak to the member of my pack when you wish to spar. Mind you, I will not tolerate my people being injured too badly."

"Sari, when Gaara is unavaible for whatever reason, you will ask Shira to train you. Should he be unavailable, you will ask Sen. Should she be unavailable, there are more than enough capable shinobi around here you can ask for extra training. Do not hesitate to ask. You three will be the students of the Fifth Kazekage, your skills will reflect on his. Do **not** let him down."

" **We won't, ma'am!** " They assure me.

"Good. Yukata, Matsuri, unless I'm mistaken you are both wind release users. You will both be asking Temari for training. She can show you the skills you'd need. However, she is not the only resource available. Uzumaki Naruto is also a wind release user, though more close quarters. Ask him for tips and training, should he be available."

" **Yes, ma'am.** "

"To all seven of you. If you can demonstrate that which I value most, I may be willing to offer a jutsu scroll now and again. But keep in mind that all I teach you, all I help you learn… is for you and your descendants. Not for Sand, not for students. Do you understand?"

" **Yes, ma'am!** "

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Sitting in meeting room six, waiting. Fuu is nervous. Fidgeting. I'm not, and I know both Hitomi and Tsu aren't either. I'm amazed that 'Shibuki' stayed this long on the off chance that Fuu would want to meet him. But at the same time, I'm really not. Fuu is Waterfall's 'greatest weapon', and they want that back. I hold back the snort with some effort. Idiots, the lot of them.

I keep sniffing the air, trying to keep track of my surroundings. I know Hitomi is scanning off and on as well. Tsu on the other hand… she's… a bit paranoid lately, trying to studying everything at once. Seeing Naruto-nii take a kunai for her is doing wonders for her wanting to be more aware of her surroundings.

Sad the price was so high, but at least no one died.

 **#Incoming.#** I sign. Neither shadow reacts. I know they received the message, even though I can see neither.

The brunet from before walks in, smiling as bright as the sun. The two body guards enter with him, tensing the moment they notice I'm here. I try not to, but I'm sure they notice my little smirk I'm fighting not to show.

"Fuu! It's good to see you again!" Shibuki's booming voice probably carries down the hall, letting everyone know he said that. Hmm, so that's how he lured her in, huh. Letting others know he's happy to see her, not caring about the backlash from that. Sad that it was needed… but it's worse that it worked.

"Shibuki-sama. I'm sorry you had to wait so long, but I knew Aya-chan would want to be here herself." I grin, fully agreeing with her. I'm also grinning, because of a few other reasons. The tension in the bodyguards, the cloudy look in Shibuki's eyes to show how much that troubles him, and the fact that he's 'sama' but I'm 'chan'. I especially like that last one, because it shows she respects Shibuki, but she feels close to me. I feel petty, and I can't bring myself to care.

"It's quite alright. The important thing is that you wanted to see me." He's grinning, happy with small victories.

"Yes, I wanted to thank you, Shibuki-sama." And the grin's dead. His, not mine. My grin is alive and well. "For everything. And to tell you that if you ever need me, you need only send word and I will come, but…"

"Now, Fuu. What's with the formal farewell talks? I need you, Fuu. You know that." He tries. I fight not to growl at the obvious ploy. I don't want anyone to think I'm feeding her words, that she's reading a script.

"No, Shibuki-sama, you need the Seven-tails jinchuuriki. You need Waterfall's weapon back." She counters, tears already falling. "I… didn't even realise that until I started spending time with people that truly care for me."

I place my hand on her shoulder, letting her know that I'm here for her. She offers me a teary smile. "I'm welcomed here. Loved. Respected. People's eyes smile when they see me." She says, her eyes never leaving mine. "I have friends that would give their lives to protect me. That I would die for."

From the corner of my eye, I see the shock from the two bodyguards. I smile sadly, knowing she understands why. I hate it when I see the hatred and discrimination she'd survived rubbed in my face.

"In Waterfall, I have only you, Shibuki-sama. Here? The Uzumaki clan, the Namiki clan, the Yuki clan, the Hatake clan… the Aburame clan, the Nara clan, the Yamanaka clan, the Akimichi clan, the Sarutobi clan… I have random people at the market I talk to. I've made friends with the waitresses at my favourite café. I'm quite close with some of the doctors at the hospital. I… I belong here. I need to be here. Please… please try to understand."

"So what? You become their weapon instead?" Shibuki isn't happy. At all. He thinks I'm trying to steal Waterfall's weapon?

"Aya. It's alright." She rubs my arm, trying to help me to calm down. "No, Shibuki-sama. I've discussed it with Hokage-sama already. I'm going to become a doctor."

"Fuu!" I turn to her, shocked but soooo happy for her! "When were you going to tell me?"

She rolls her eyes playfully, offering me a lopsided grin. "I'm announcing it at dinner tonight. So don't tell anyone."

"Congratulations!" I hug her, glad she's finally finding the happiness she deserves. "Oh, Kami-sama, I think I'm going to cry." I say, meaning it. I fan myself to try drying the tears threatening to burst free.

"There's more… Tsunade-sama says she's reserving a spot for me, for when I make it to Rank Six." That did it! Happy tears fall, whether I want them to or not.

I try blubbering out another congratulations, but even I can't make out the gibberish coming out of my mouth. We hug again – me needing it more than her.

"I… I'm so happy for you. You so deserve this, Fuu-chan." I manage, still crying a bit. She pushes me back, our eyes meet. She's beaming, tear free, wiping away my tears. I roll my eyes playfully. "Couldn't tell me when were alone? Now all of Waterfall is going to think I'm a softie." I want to say 'know' because everyone in my pack knows I'm a totally softie. Still, that's private information.

"Psh! Yeah, sure. Naruto-kun told me about your last mission. If anyone underestimates you after that, it's on them." She winks. I grin, biting my lip a bit. She has a point. "Anyway, I'm sorry to cut this short, Shibuki-sama, but Hinata-san's medical class starts in twenty minutes. She won't like it if I'm late."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Kami-sama! I'm way too busy! Always too much to do! Alright, Sand shinobi, check. Fuu, check. Kin… I'll have to deal with her later. Restock our supplies, not checked! Okay let's go deal with that then. Tsu, Hitomi and I make it to the blacksmith's already going through the things we'll need.

"Haruki's been talking about your blades a lot lately. Do you think he wants to learn?" I ask Tsu. She looks thoughtful, but shrugs. It's obviously something they haven't discussed. "Well, we have enough tantos for him to practice with, maybe we should get him a chokutou so he can see if it's more his style. I mean, even Naruto-nii agrees that the scimitars just aren't for him."

"It couldn't hurt. And at least I'd have a sparring partner." Tsu says, liking the idea. I nod, picking up three chokutous, each a different length. "It's just one… right?"

"Uh uh. Haruki might like it, and that might spark others wanting to pick it up as well. Better to have more than we need, just in case. And seriously, I think I'm going to start hiding the kunai! People are just burning through them!"

"Well, we do have a lot of people that use kunai for a lot of reasons." Hitomi says.

"So in other words our guests found a way into my stash and have been stealing." I intone. She shrugs. "Well, I know how to deal with that. And seriously, Tomi, you need to start considering a custom blade. Everyone in the pack has one!"

"Some have more." Tsu grins, happy with her three.

"I will, when I feel comfortable with my elemental training. It's not easy to…" She trails off, blushing.

"You're not trying to tell me that you're teaching yourself!" I swat her arm, hard. "Tomi! You're one of us! Your training means everything to us! Stop being such a… Hyuuga!"

"… Sorry. Old habits." She says, making a face. "I'm earth."

"Was that so hard?" I ask, already thinking about the fifty –or more– scrolls in my personal cache she can borrow to study. Let alone the ones in the Namiki hidden library!

"Excruciating." She intones, earning herself another swat. She laughs. "Sorry, really. It's… hard to get used to this, you know?" She's a lot more serious this time.

"Deal with it. I don't plan on tolerating that crap." I say, smiling. "Now come on! We've still got to go to the hospital to get the supplies we need. And we're having another party tonight, so we need to make sure we have enough food and give Yasu-nee the heads up. You know she likes making special snacks for special nights."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Oi, Namiki-san!" I turn, wondering who's calling me. Ah, Kin's old teammates. They run up to me, smiling to let me know this is a social call. "I'm glad to see you again, Namiki-san. Please, I'm Abumi Zaku and this is my partner Kinuta Dosu."

I nod to the pair, wondering when they're going to start asking about Kin. "It's good to see you two took my advice." I say, ordering six kilos of ground beef, two kilos of T-bone steaks, eight kilos of chicken fillets, and four kilos of deer steaks – I love deer stakes.

Dosu whistles, impressed. "That's a lot of meat." I look at him, wondering why the only visible part of his face is a small portion surrounding his left eye. Must be an old injury or something. None of my business.

"Lots of mouths to feed." I say. I'm told the price, running the calculation in my head and agreeing that they didn't mess up. I pay and seal the meats away.

"Hey… umm… we were wondering if it'd be okay if we came by later? It's… kinda weird not being around Kin, you know?" I smile, liking how Zaku words that.

"Dinner is at six thirty. Show up early if you want to be introduced." I say.

"Thank you." They say, bowing reverently. I wave it off though.

"I told you to look us up already, you didn't need to ask." I remind them.

"Uhhhh… well, yeah we kinda do. We came by while you were away, and… no one would even consider letting us in." Zaku says, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ah… sorry about that… We tend to be… a bit protective of our den." I make a face, trying to offer an apologetic smile. "I'll be there after three. Any time after that, and you're both more than welcome. I promise. Oh! And please dress up. We're having a party, and everyone will be wearing proper kimonos. Furisode for the girls, but you guys are more than welcome to wear one too."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Getting everyone in the mood for a concert takes exactly zero effort. "Hey, I feel like a party, I'm going to pick out a nice kimono! Who's joining me!?" Yup. That's literally all it takes in our den. Mitarashi-san decides she's going to be the bearer of 'glorious tidings' –knowing that means I picked up enough sake, which I did– and informs everyone in the four compounds. Then her scent all but disappears, so I'll just guess she's updating the other regulars, so they'll be prepared as well.

Whatever.

It takes some doing, but eventually Ikoku admits to liking the idea of getting dressed up. I let her pick which of my kimonos she'd like to borrow, and she starts smiling a little. Especially when the others start bragging about the music we always end up playing. Tsu and Tomi take turns bragging about my singing; the usual. I roll my eyes, trying not to get involved. Then I start trying to figure out why Kin's getting dressed in my room. Her room's right down the hall! It must be the mirrors. Or is it because I'm used to this and keep more makeup in stock just in case?

Luckily, mom helps me with my makeup, so I'm (one of) the first dressed. I make sure the makeup isn't hiding my new scar at all though! I'm not going to let anyone think I'm ashamed of a scar! Ten centimetres long, perfectly vertical, and thickest on my eyelids to show I nearly lost my eye. It shows that I'm not only strong enough to survive that, but a good enough medic to heal it without needing a donor eye! That's something to be proud of!

"I really wish you would be more careful, you know." Mom tells me, kissing my scarred eyebrow. Yeah, it goes up that high.

"Mom, we were outnumbered, outgunned, and possibly outclassed. Seeing as none of us died, you can assume we were super careful." I tell her, smiling. "That's ignoring that the strongest of their group did the deed. And besides, I kind of like the scar."

"… You're missing the point." She isn't impressed. "Has Chouji seen it yet?"

"… No." I'm so not looking forward to telling him how I got my second scar – he no doubt still wants to know more about that burn involving soup that I still haven't told him about. He's such a worrywart!

"I thought so." The doorbell rings. "Sweetie, you're the only one properly dressed. Would you mind getting that?"

And get away from this interrogation? No problem!

I carefully make my way downstairs, cursing that all I can smell well is my makeup. I have no idea who's out there, and I'll likely only be able to identify their scent when I get much closer.

Hmm. Four people. I slip into my outside slippers, slide the front door open. I briefly curse the slight fogginess of my glasses, from mom breathing over my left lens and being all stalker-y. So I take off my glasses, wiping both lenses gently with the cottony inner layer of my kimono's… well, inner layer. The first layer you put on is a cotton layer to capture any perspiration. It's also really handy for people with glasses.

I'm still slowly walking to the gate, missing Tsu and Tomi's familiar warmth behind me. "Sorry I took so long, we're kind of getting dressed." I bring my glasses closer to my eyes to see –actually see, so you know they're REALLY close to my eyes– if I got all the vapour off them. Wearing glasses sucks sometimes.

Satisfied I'll be able to see in three dimensions –how did Kashi-nii get used to only seeing through one eye?– I don my glasses to see who's here. I freeze. I blink.

No. This can't be right. I do the genjutsu-release. Nothing changes. I'm not feeling the buzzing in the base of my skull, so I know it isn't really a genjutsu.

I blink again. Two smiling faces, in their thirties, hauntingly familiar – one with black hair and brown-yellow eyes, the other with blue-green hair and deep green eyes. One nervous face, age five, not known, but familiar – black hair, brown-yellow eyes. One bored and annoyed face, age three, also not known, but familiar – black hair, brown-yellow eyes.

"…" I turn on my heel, heading right back into the house. "HATAKE KAKASHI! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE! **_NOW_**!"

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 73_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: For those of you who've already figured it out, let me say: I take no blame in this! Someone (no name, no blame; you know who you are :P ) suggested this to me in a PM, and that got me thinking. Getting me thinking about something is never a good thing (for me, because I obsess, I don't 'think'). I went over everything, went over the 'Butterflies cannon facts', and found a huge gaping hole in this! I'm usually so much more careful than that! That means I can't use my usual 'That conflicts with past facts!' or 'That conflicts with future plots!' defence. Which means I had no reason not to think about (obsess over) it. Which isn't a good thing when I'm plotting, it affects my plotting. And my sleep, seeing as my regular readers (love you guys) know that most of my stories start with 'I have no idea where this even came from!' or 'This kicked me upside my head at 2 AM'.  
_**

 ** _Anyway! Seeing as this kind of ruins my 'ten chapters remaining' quota, I can no longer say just how many chapters I'll need to iron this out completely. Before this, I only needed... maybe four of five more. This alone will take four to five chapters to iron out TT_TT The things I do when I start obsessing with no caffeine and sleeping bad._**

 ** _Next chapter is another interlude! Sorry, bad timing. Still, New Years, and all that. You understand ;)_**


	87. Interlude 13 – Fireworks

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Interlude 13 – Fireworks**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"We're going, right? To the festival, right? Right? Right!?" Sakiko is a bundle of energy, running up and down, babbling on about the fireworks and about the festival, and about how much different foods she wants to try. I find myself smiling each time she asks.

"Yes, sis, we're going. Now don't go wearing yourself out. I don't plan on carrying you if you get tired." I shake my head as she dashes down the hall, back up and into the kitchen to bug Yasu-nee with exactly the same question.

"Of course we are, sweetie. Why would you even think we weren't going?" Yasu-nee sounds just as amused with our little sister. "Now, come. We need to start getting ready. Otherwise we'll miss all the fun!"

"AYA-NEE! We need to get ready~yyyyyyyy!" Saki shouts running up the stairs. Haku-chan and I share a look, both of us smiling and shaking our heads with in amusement.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Somehow we manage to get ourselves –Naruto-nii, Yasu-nee, Sakiko, Hinata-nee, Hanabi, Haku and myself– ready quick enough. We also manage to convince Momochi-san and Kakashi to dress up for the occasion as well; in dressy men's kimonos, mind you! I'm not sure how Yasu-nee worked this miracle, but I'm not complaining.

We head out for about three in the afternoon. Most of the stalls are still setting up, seeing as the entire point of the New Years festival is the lights and fireworks, so the fun doesn't start until after sunset. But there's a bigger reason to us heading out so early: gathering the troops.

We head to the Yoshino-sensei's home, but Haku-chan and I break off from the group to go make sure Ino's ready on time. It takes some doing, and Mariko-san and I are quick to double-team Ino to make her pick out her kimono faster, but in under an hour, we find ourselves at Sensei's. Not a bad day so far.

Everyone's ready, as far as I can tell, so I _might_ have whispered to Sakiko that she might miss something at the festival if we don't hurry. Maybe.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

The stalls are mostly up now, and people are already more than willing to welcome a paying customer, or ten. The first thing Sensei decides to do, is get some pellet drums. Den-den daiko, as they're traditionally called. Luckily the stand selling them also customises the drums themselves. The man quite proudly brags that he can make any design, any clan crest, in under a minute. Of course, that means I want a pellet drum for Sakiko, Yasu-nee and myself with the kanju for Wolf on it. I choose one with a black lacquered frame, and a bone white drum skin. Yasu-nee picks a green lacquered frame, to match her hair. And Saki-chan goes with a red one. I smile, loving their choices. I pay for our three.

I don't pay too much attention to what the others choose. Only really noticing that Naruto-nii suggested that Hina-nee take hers with one side bearing the Hyuuga crest, the other bearing the Uzumaki swirl. She's been blushing ever since.

After that, we all agree that junk food is in order. Ino and I vote for tsukune; roasted chicken meatballs on a stick, with a sweet topping. Kakashi argues that he hates sweet things, but gets ignored. Yasu-nee backs him up though, so we give in. But Yasu-nee immediately wins back our vote by suggesting a stall that has both tsukune and some crap the scrooge might enjoy.

"Guys, there are more than enough stalls already set up. We don't have to order from the same one." Sensei is, as always, the voice of reason. Naru-nii shouts with joy, already heading over to IchiRaku Ramen, which opened their usual stand here just for the sake of the festival. Good business sense, if you ask me. No one ever does, though.

Anyway, after eating our fill, and buying a drink to wash it down, we start on the games. The guys like the idea, and frankly I feel like showing them up this time! There's the traditional catching a goldfish with a fragile net game, but I hate that one. And I don't really want a fish. There's also a tossing a ball at a stack of bottles game, but that's too easy for us; we want a challenge!

And that challenge finds us, the second Inuzuka Kiba cries out how unfair some game is. We all look over, finding a game none of us have tried. The fact that the man behind the counter is wearing a flak jacket automatically wins my vote that we're trying this game!

"I figured I'd find you here." Sasuke announces.

"We got tired of waiting for you to show up, broody." Naru-nii gets on his case immediately, but we all know it's nothing but love with these two. Sharp and pointy love. "Come on! Sis is in the mood to kick some butts!"

"Hnn." Sasuke smirks, liking the sound of that. The chuunin explains the game to us. Basically we have shoot a small, bouncy ball into a horizontal ring with a dangling net under it, while it's moving back and forward! That's more my speed! Each ball into the ring gets you one point. To win a prize you need to get at least fifty points in sixty seconds. And the reason a chuunin is manning this game? Chakra enhancements not allowed! A true challenge!

I almost wonder where L-

"Yosh!" Nevermind. "I, Rock Lee, will accept your challenge! And if I cannot win the biggest prize you have, then I will do a thousand laps around Konoha on my hands!"

"That sounds like a challenge, my boy! The biggest prize will take a hundred and fifty points!" The chuunin warns. "But don't worry, we can take up to four challengers at once! Who wants a try!?"

"I'm in!" I announce. Naturally, that means Sasuke and Naruto-nii NEED to be in as well, just so they can compare notes with me.

The four of us line up. Five balls in front of each of us. We're not even allowed to touch the ball to judge how heavy it is beforehand. We're all equally blind here.

I. Am. LOVING. It.

"At the sound of the buzzer you may begin... ready!?"

 **BEEEEEEEEEP!**

I grab two balls at once, carefully weighing them to get a better estimate of how much force to use. I toss the first. Nothing but net. The second goes in much the same way. The third and forth both miss, because the net just hits the far end and comes back, so I overestimate the distance. The others start flying in, one after the other. It takes just over a second for the ball to come back with the technique I'm using, so I try spinning the ball a bit to make them roll back to me even faster. It pays off! Now they come back in just over half a second!

I zone into the task, fling those little things faster and faster and faster. I don't even register my (so-called) opponents. This isn't about them, this is about challenging myself; in a kimono I might add!

 **BEEEEEEEEEEP!**

The buzzer goes off again. I look at my score. One-hundred and eighty-two. I couldn't be prouder. There's a low whistle from the chuunin. "That's definitely a first. You each have more than a hundred and fifty points."

I look at the other scores. Naruto-nii has one-fifty-eight. Sasuke has two-oh-four. And Lee has one-ninety-two. Third place. Still don't care.

"Well, I think the lady deserves to pick her prize first!" The chuunin catches himself.

"Hey, Saki-chan, come over here and pick one will you?" I call her over. She almost body flickers, reaching me so fast. "Which one do you like, you can pick any one you want!"

"The wolf! I want the big wolf!" She points at the biggest wolf tied up to the ceiling.

"Alright! One big cuddly wolf for one cute, cuddly young lady! There you go!" The man says, grabbing one of the wolves from under the counter. Sakiko hugs the wolf with all her might, kissing it over and over again, before turning to me and giving me exactly the same treatment.

"Thank you, Aya-nee! I love it!" She says, hugging me with the wolf between us so it doesn't fall and get dirty. "I'm gonna call it Aitsu! Love fang!" That's not how you'd pronounce it with those kanji. Still, it's her wolf.

"A good name, and one befitting a wolf." I tell her kissing her brow.

Naruto-nii ends up picking a big kitsune, blushing as he offers it to Hinata-nee. I can't wipe the grin off my face when she blushes so deep that her heels must be turning red. She doesn't turn him down though, going so far as to give him a peck on the cheek as thanks. Sasuke picks a huge frog, but he doesn't offer it to anyone just yet. Asami's not here, after all. And Lee? He takes a wolf as well, offering it to me. I thank him, but he isn't getting a kiss out of me! I can earn my own prizes, thank you.

Asami just so happens to show up not ten minutes later, saying how she couldn't find us anywhere. "You weren't home, so it's on you." I point out, grinning as Sasuke approaches her with the stuffed frog.

"Oh, Kami! Sasu-chan, it so cyuuuuute!" Sasu-chan? Oh you are sooooo never going to live that down. And judging from the evil grin on Naru-nii's face, I'd say he's thinking the same thing. Sasu-chan doesn't like us too much right now.

"Naru-chan, why are you grinning like that?" Hina-nee asks, her tone accusing. Sasuke's smirks, satisfied. Little does he know that 'Naru-chan' is old news. Sasu-chan is not. World of difference. And besides, I'm the one that started calling him that to tease him! Not a plausible love interest!

"Hmm? Oh, nothing Hina. Nothing at all." Sasuke's blank stare says more to us that one of Naru-nii's hour long tirades on how unfair something is. He feels profoundly uncomfortable. And knowing that just makes us grin even wider.

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

It's well after sunset before we decide we need another round of junk food. All the girls are loaded with stuffed animals and charms for the charm bracelets we don't have. Naru-nii and I came to a mutual understanding. I spoil Sakiko and Yasu-nee, while he spoils Hina-nee and Hanabi. Not one of them is complaining in the least.

So after we eat and drink, and find the restroom so we can go, we set out in search of more fun. Sakiko and Yasu decide they want to try a few games; we don't mind in the least. Sakiko ends up trying her luck for one of the gold fish. But her net keeps breaking. I patiently keep paying, letting her try over and over again. Until she demands that I win one for her. The trick with this game? You pay per net, not per try.

I grin.

She tried seven times before giving up. I like getting my money's worth. She gets nine fish before the attendant starts looking at me funny. I don't care. I didn't do anything illegal. "How about a tenth one before we call it a day?" I ask my little sister. She nods enthusiastically. I grab the tenth, scooping it into the crowded little tank to be bagged, before ruining the net on purpose. "You wouldn't happen to have a tank for sale, would you? Maybe some fish food?"

"It just so happens I do." The man smiles, glad he'll still make a profit. I buy the biggest tank, three tins of the fish food and some cute little decorations; it turns out that he usually runs a pets store, so I get his information so I'll be able to buy more should there be a need.

"Come on, sis. Let's hurry home to get your new school of fish settled in." I tell her, sealing the things away. Naruto-nii sends a few clones with us, to carry the fish.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It isn't too hard to find the group again, after Sakiko is satisfied that her new pets are all happy in their new home. She liked that she got to picked the decorations, going with a 'lost city of Atlantis' type theme. I don't mind, it's in her room, and she'll have to keep them alive.

At any rate, when we rejoin the group, everyone's just settling in for the fireworks. They try not to plan the fireworks too late, so that the kids can enjoy them too. I'm grateful! This way I don't have to be out until midnight to enjoy the show!

So, armed with the cutest little decorative fans we could find, en route, seeing as we didn't find any before, and the pellet drums... we settle in for the ultimate New Years tradition: fireworks. The first shot is heard. "It's starting, it's starting, ya know!" I scoop up Sakiko so she can get a better view. Interestingly, Naruto-nii does the same for Hanabi. I'd expected her to make a fuss, but she cuddles with him much the same way Sakiko is with me.

"Ah, there you are, daughters. Happy New Year." Hyuuga-sama finds us. We wish him the same. I half expect him to give his daughters a hug, a peck on the cheek, demanding that he gets a peck on the cheek from them. No, he just stands there. I need to work on him.

With my two sister, my pack, my precious people... we stand here, together, watching the sky light up. Exploding with bright blues and greens and reds and pinks, and yellows and silvers. I love the lights, I won't lie. But it's the child like joy in Yasu-nee's eyes. It's the barely contained glee in Sakiko's eyes. It's hearing the two of them go back and forth about where the next one will explode.

My heart swells, overflowing with so many tender emotions. I lean into Yasu-nee, and she wraps her arm around me absently. She's still gushing about the fireworks, but being here with them tops the fireworks hands down. "I love you, Saki, Yasu." I murmur, knowing neither can hear me over the oohs and ahhs of the crows around us. It doesn't matter. Their hearts can hear me, that's what matters most.

"Happy New Year, sweetie." Yasu-nee says, just as softly. I smile. She did hear me. "And I love you, too. Ya know." She squeezes me a little. I hug her a little tighter, grateful for the little family I'd found along the way. Even if I complain about them night and day, I love my pack with all my heart. And I would do anything for them.

Anything.

 _ **8-8**_

 _ **End Interlude 13**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: I'm not sure if anyone else caught on as yet, or if I'd mentioned this before. I think I did mention it to a reviewer, but I'll mention it here. I've been posting so fast that I'm too far ahead of schedule. I had planned for this interlude to be posted roughly around the chapter 'Let it Snow', seeing as this and the Christmas interlude (the first one) are chronologically placed around that time frame. Sorry, but I try to make all chapters flow together, and all interludes fit into the bigger picture. I'm just too fast with typing these days. I'll have to work on that! Really I will!  
**_

 _ **Anyhoo! That means that I can start working on the next chapter now. I won't promise when it'll be posted. I am like going to be busy tomorrow, and recovering on the first. But I said that for Christmas too and I still ended up posting two chapters on Boxing day (the 26th). So, I'll just say: we'll see when I post again. No later than the 2nd of January though! That I can promise!**_

 _ **So, to one and all:**_

 _ **HAPPY NEW YEAR! (unless your new year is at another time, in which case, enjoy a completely unimportant day that allows you to drink yourself silly)**_


	88. Lies of Silence

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 74 – Lies of Silence**_

 _ **A/N: I know that this chapter will be... different. Aya's not exactly in a good place because of how things go. I tried to keep the swearing to a minimum, but I know that Aya's character in this and likely the coming few chapters isn't going to be very likeable. She'll just have to work through it like every other human being alive.**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"…" I turn on my heel, heading right back into the house. "HATAKE KAKASHI! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE! **_NOW_**!"

In half a heartbeat five shinobi are in the front yard with me, another ten are surrounding the four outside. Not one of them looks happy at this little reunion. "N-nee-chan?" The little boy sounds –and looks– about ready to cry.

"It's alright, Ki-chan, Nee-chan will protect you, okay?" The girl sounds about ready to go on herself, but there's a steel in her eyes that lets me know she'll die before she lets anything happen to her little brother. It's almost poetic that neither turns to –who I assume are– their parents.

"Show of hands. Who here knew that Miwako and Satsuma were still alive?" I demand. The girl looks shocked. Yeah, I thought so. The boy looks confused. The two in question look hurt.

Two hands go up. Hitomi's and Kashi-nii's.

"Mitarashi-san, I need Senju-san here. Tell her I know that there'll be a council meeting soon, and explain that it'll be about exactly what you see here. I'll also need Dragon, with or without mask. I don't care. Get daddy too if you can." Mitarashi-san makes sure to give her one time friend a dark look – one promising a most painful death, that she so deserves right now.

"What are your names?" I turn to the children.

"This is Kenshin-chan, he's three." She begins, scared but determined. "I'm Hoshie, I'm five."

"You are their children?" I ask.

"Nn. Mama talks about you sometimes, Aya-nee." Hoshie says. "… I can tell you're angry. Will you hurt Ki-chan?"

"No." I don't even think about it. "No one here will hurt either of you." Tsu hands me my kodachis. I nod, stuffing them into my sleeves where they belong. I do make sure they're strapped onto my gloves, as they should be, but I don't put too much effort into it.

I walk up to the gate opening it. "You four, inside. Hoshie, you and your little brother into the house. Sakiko is there waiting for you. Isn't that right, Imouto-chan?" I turn finding the front door sliding open. Sakiko is there, in her kimono, but no makeup yet. She offers a lopsided grin to show she knows she'll get in trouble for this later. "Saki, would you mind borrowing Hoshie one of your kimonos? We still have a concert to give, and it wouldn't do to have her feeling left out."

"You can count on me, ya know!" Saki assures me. Already motioning for Hoshie and Kenshin to follow her. "Yuzuki and Katsuo are in the hall. I'll introduce you, but please don't let them freak you out. They're kinda stupid sometimes."

" **NO WE'RE NOT!** " I hear the two shouting from just on the other side of the door leading into the hallway.

"And don't mind my sword. I thought we were under attack, ya know?"

I wait almost a full minute, the silence around me deafening. "Mom. I need you to get the boy a kimono as well. We don't have anyone the same size he can borrow one from."

Miwako looks to mom, hurt. "Don't you give me that look! I was there for her!" Mom defends.

"Mom, no. We are not playing into her games. You are mom, daddy is daddy. These two are dead to me. Please. The kimono." She nods, leaving without another word. "You two, up against the wall. If either of you even looks funny again, I cannot promise someone here won't twitch and take your head."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Aya? What's…? Nevermind." Senju-san rubs her forehead, already feeling a headache coming. "Shizune?"

"Right away, Tsunade-sama." Katou-san knows exactly what's needed: the official and unofficial documents on Namiki Miwako and Namiki Satsuma. There should be a reason why two legally dead individuals are currently in my compound.

"There's more, Senju-san. Other than the obvious pregnancy, there are two children. One is five, the other is three. Both upstairs with Sakiko and the others." I explain, my tone professional.

Tsume-san is here as well, and she looks ready to erupt. "CAT!"

"At once." I hate wearing foundation, I can never identify things through its scent; not as well as I can without the handicap. So, obviously Cat was just here. Note to self, no more foundation. I don't need it anyway.

"Daddy?" I ask, wondering if he knows anything. He doesn't answer, but there's a fire in his eyes that definitely isn't normally there.

"Aya, we'll need to hold a meeting in your office. This needs to be sorted out." Senju-san demands. She knows I want in, so I won't be a brat about the wording.

"As soon as Cat and Katou-san are back." I agree, fire in my tone.

"Cute scar by the way, princess." Daddy says, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

"Daddy, we have a plausible zombie apocalypse, and you're talking about that?" I shoot him down.

"Are you saying it isn't cute?"

"Don't change the subject."

"So you don't like it."

"… I know what you're doing. You know that I know what you're doing. I know that you know. So how about-"

"Aya…?" He tries again.

"Two members of my clan return from the dead, one pregnant, and dragging two pups along for the hell of it. Do you think I'm sitting this out?" I challenge.

"Then calm down, or I start pulling rank." He counters. I don't like it, but the man makes sense. I close my eyes, taking deep, soothing breaths. Tsu and Hitomi put a hand on either of my shoulders as well.

"So much for a quiet afternoon." I complain, sighing, annoyed and worn out. "Come, we might as well get comfortable in my office while we wait. Standing around in the sun is doing none of us any favours."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"No, Dragon, I'm not activating the seals until _those two_ are back. So there'd better be no shouting to scare the kids." I say, motioning for everyone to have a seat. Parrot and Sloth are keeping Miwako and Satsuma in check, but I do offer Miwako a chair so she can rest her feet. Medics are funny like that.

"Thank you, b-"

I glare. "Finish that sentence." I dare her. She's smart enough not to. "Does anyone want a snack or something to drink while we wait? Yasu-nee's been busy all afternoon, as usual."

"We can wait." Dragon dares anyone to challenge her. No one does. I shrug, not caring. "In the meantime, I'm curious wha-"

"Dragon." I cut her off. "I trust those in this den, but you are asking for information that might well be Anbu related. I'd rather not have curious little ears picking any of it up." As if on cue, the door slides open. Sakiko comes in with Hoshie – who's wearing a peach furisode kimono with violet butterflies. I always did like that kimono, but it's really weird seeing a mini-me without glasses wearing it.

"S-sorry. Yasu-nee sent us in here with snacks, ya know." Saki says, carrying a tray with snacks. Hoshie is carrying a pot of tea.

"I'm not upset, Imouto-chan. If anything important was being discussed, I'd have sealed the room. You know that." I tell her, smiling. I help the both of them with their burdens, setting them on my desk. "You really should go into my room and put on some lipstick, you know. It wouldn't do if my cuties weren't looking their best when our guests arrive."

"… Will you help me?" Saki asks. Her eyes are begging me to get away from a situation she knows is upsetting me. "Shie-chan knows some really funny stories about you, when you were little, ya know. And Katsuo and me aren't even fighting anymore, ya know." Saki and her nicknames.

"Mom will help you pick out the best one." I say, not liking how she deflates. "For now, I want you to pick out a song for us. A duet, so for just the two of us. Nothing too sappy though, okay?" She looks a little happy about that. "And if you pick one I might like… you might be able to talk me into a second one too. Maybe a flute duet?"

"So one singing duet and one shinobue duet?" She's more than excited about that – she's almost walking on clouds.

"Only if you pick one I like." I remind her. "And the shinobue piece doesn't have to be a duet. I can always figure something out, if you find a really nice solo."

"… Alright. But then you gotta promise not to get upset." She demands. "And don't lie, Aya-nee. I can tell when you're upset, ya know."

"I can't promise that." I tell her honestly. "But I can promise that if it gets too much for me, then I'll let daddy and the others handle it. Does that sound fair?"

"… Fine, but then I want Chouji-kun in here with you. And Naru-nii!" She's being really pushy, she must be more worried than I thought.

"Fine." I cave, knowing she's going to be moping about otherwise. And I could really use the emotional support anyway. "You mind calling them for me?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Alright, settle down everyone!" I call out. "Katou-san, the seals if you would?" The buzzing sound and the locking mechanism announce that we're free to talk.

"Now let's get a few things straight from now. This is Namiki clan business, as such the only one with more authority than myself in this matter is Senju-san. Dragon, you are more than welcome to rip both of them a new hole to breathe from, once the investigation is complete, so long as the child in Miwako's womb is unaffected. Questions so far?" There are none.

"Good. The let's start with the Anbu records. What is known?" I demand.

"Last known mission was to locate one Namiki Satsuma who was spotted in a suspected Mist rebel camp in the Land of Water. Not surprisingly, Operatives Dog and Rabbit were present." Cat explains. "The fourth team member is noted but unavailable for questioning. On return to Konoha, Operative Dog reported to the Third instead of to the Anbu HQ. Meaning that he followed protocol should one or more members go rogue during the mission."

I thought as much. Kashi-nii was always a stickler for the rules. "Katou-san?"

"Officially, Miwako was never declared a rogue. There was no mention of what happened. The Third likely didn't want the stigma for the last Namiki. So Miwako was officially sent on a solo mission immediately after and declared dead two weeks later. No further mention of her is ever made." So that's why I was only brought to the orphanage two weeks after she was supposed to return.

"What of Satsuma?" I ask.

"His team was wiped out, his body never found. There was talk of plausible amnesia, which might explain why he never returned on his own." Katou-san explains. "That was the official briefing for their mission to the Land of Water."

"So in other words, the Third was being a sentimental, senile softie for sending Miwako in the first place." I drone. Everyone tenses, but no one disagrees with me.

"Actually, Miwako was the one that discovered the tip. Her records show an almost unhealthy obsession over anything Satsuma related." Cat counters. "The Anbu commander at the time agreed to let her go on the basis that she needed closure."

"I'll guess that person was made to step down not long after this mission." I turn to Dragon.

"Nn. I was appointed a month later." She agrees with me.

"Shocking. So, let's deal with the eyewitnesses then. Kashi-nii?" I turn my full attention to him.

"Not much to say. We found Satsuma four days into our search. She jogged his memory, but he still felt compelled to help. She refused to return without him, and he refused to return." He sounds a bit too professional. He blew up on her before leaving, knowing him.

"What, not bringing up how you threatened me?" Miwako sounds amused.

"When it's your turn to talk, I'll let you know." I tell her coldly. She doesn't look too happy, but she quiets down all the same. "Kashi-nii. You were the only one that ever said a word about Miwako after the mission. Why?"

"The Third ordered Hitomi, Itachi and myself to stay quiet. No one was to know. Especially not you." He explains. "He feared you'd either be hated for being the child of two rogues, or worse… that you'd go rogue yourself."

"… Not unfounded, considering who I was at the time…" I admit. "Satsuma, you're the root to this. I'll hear your story first."

He winces, but Miwako opens her mouth to say something. "I will warn you only once." I interrupt whatever it is she thinks she has the right to say. "Toy with me right now, and you'll be entertaining Ibiki. Pregnancy or no, you both should have been declared rogues and killed on sight. So we'll also have to discuss how you managed to get into the village without Anbu detaining you before you could even make it to my gate."

They both look really uncomfortable. They probably figured that seeing as their fates are in my hands –which is true, so long as Senju-san allows it– they'd get off with a slap on the wrist.

"I will ask one last time. Satsuma, why did you disappear?" I press.

"… My team… we were ambushed on a routine border patrol." That's a lie. Medics aren't sent on border patrols unless there's an emergency or there's suspicion of war on the horizon. "The rumours of a civil war brewing in Water made the Third almost paranoid, so all patrols were being sent out with medics at the time." Hmm. Senju-san can confirm if that's true. There's bound to be records of it.

"Two Mist teams were hashing it out. One with slashed headbands, one without. Probably one of the early rebel factions. Our team captain suggested we-" I listen to his tale, looking for holes wherever I can. I find his mysterious survival curious, but even more so that he passes out on the coast of the Land of Fire and wakes up on an island in the Land of Water. That's completely crap. Either the rebels planted him there, or he's lying. Not surprisingly, the first group that finds him is Mist rebels. One… Terumi Mei happens to be in that group. The name doesn't mean anything to me, but that's for another time.

He speaks of his time among the rebels, how they helped him recover. How he slowly started remembering his medical training, but not much else. Then a Konoha team finds them, asking for him specifically, but by the name Satsuma. He was going by Mizuma at the time, because he couldn't remember his name.

"Seeing the wolf mask… it clicked. It all clicked. Growing up in Konoha, my genin team, my sensei, Miwako… Aya…" I listen, but this isn't affecting me in the least. He remembers it all, eight years in the past. Why does it still take him another eight years to return? "But… they needed me."

"Well, that's enough of that." I cut him off. He remembers his child, and chooses another villages rogues over her. Enough for any jury, but more than enough for me. "Miwako. You find him, he remembers. Why didn't you drag him back kicking and screaming?"

"We were in the middle of a rebel base. We'd never make it out alive." She tries.

"So you stay with him instead." I intone. My face, my eyes, my tone, everything about me is completely blank, coldly neutral. "Why?"

She looks away from me. "He needed me."

"You mean you needed him." I correct. She doesn't react. "You abandoned your only child at the time. Your village. Your friends. Your post as an Anbu Operative. Your pack and your den. To chase after a piece of ass."

"Don't you **dare** speak of your father that way." She warns, her tone dark.

"My father?" I ask, mock curiosity in my tone. "Daddy, I don't remember you ever abandoning me. Do you?"

"Aya, this isn't the time for that." Daddy chastises me.

"You're right. So. Let's sum this up, shall we?" I fold my hands in front of my face to give no hint as to what I'm feeling, just like the Third used to. "Satsuma remembers who he is, where he belongs. He chooses to abandon that to help rebels fighting a war in a land that was never his own."

The man flinches, not liking how I word that.

"And Miwako, after discovering that he's consciously gone rogue, chooses to go rogue with him. Sides with those same rebels, and probably helped train them on top of that. And that's not even mentioning a very carefully worded threat to her Anbu team if they try to force her or Satsuma to do anything they don't want to do." She doesn't flinch. She stubbornly meets my gaze as if she has nothing to be ashamed of. "Am I missing anything?"

"Yes, you are. I returned to Konoha to get you." Miwako claims. "The Third refused to even consider the option."

"Good." I say. That throws her for a loop. She no longer looks sure of herself. "What were you expecting? A thank you?"

"Aya, I wanted you to be with us! To be with your pack!" She tries.

"My pack is here. My den is here. My territory is here." I tell her, bursting her little cotton candy cloud of fantasy from whatever the hell she's been smoking for the last eight years. "Let me remind you just what the hell you ignoring here, Miwako. You had more duties than merely the missions given to you. Or have you forgotten _his_ legacy?"

That hits her. Hard.

"So while you were off chasing after ghosts, I was stuck here picking up your slack. Six years old, living on my own. Defending the blonde living across the hall from me, and making sure he never knew it. Making sure he always had food in his fridge. Making sure he was home by a certain time."

"That was you!?" Naru-nii sounds shocked.

"Who do you think would put a chocolate muffin in your fridge whenever you ran low on instant ramen?" I point out. He rolls his eyes. Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. "Anyway… to the matter at hand. Why return? Why now?"

"… The civil war ended." Satsuma says, but I can tell by his tone that he's holding something back.

"Oh, and when did it end?" I press. I can tell I'm not the only one noticing that he's getting more and more uncomfortable.

"… Recently." He tries.

"Obviously you prefer talking to Ibiki. I'm sure he knows how-"

"A year and four months ago." He answers. Much better.

"So, why return? Why now? I'm sure Mist has a place for you." I am not giving up. Not until I know the whole story.

"…" He and Miwako share a look, probably knowing that their answer is going to piss me off. "We were hoping to…"

"Be a family again. For me to be waiting here after all these years of thinking you were dead, pining over my long lost mama and papa. Is that it?" They don't answer. "It must have been hard. Seeing Hoshie every day. She looks just like I did at that age." They wince. I'm being petty, and I don't care. "I will ask you one last time. Why did you return now? The civil war ended over a year ago."

They don't answer once again.

"Hnn. It seems to me neither of you believe my threats hold water." I intone. "Senju-san. I believe they've said everything they are willing to. I propose we transfer them to T&I for processing. Let's see just how much of their story holds up under Ibiki's tender hand."

"… Why!?" Miwako finally loses her cool. Sloth grabs her, keeping her firmly in her seat. "What happened to you!? What happened to my baby that just wanted me to tuck her in!?"

"She grew up, Miwako." I tell her coldly. "She spent seven years alone, without her pack, without her den, without the warmth she craved. And all because you placed your mate above your pup." I stand, walking around my desk and towards the door. "You've wasted enough of my time. Daddy, you can take it from here. Hoshie, Kenshin and the unborn baby are Namikis. I will take legal custody of them."

" **I da** -" There's a muffled choking sound. Not too surprising seeing as I just grabbed Miwako by the throat. She tries struggling, but frankly her not being allowed to use chakra due to the pregnancy and two Anbu Operatives ready to cut her down if she attacks me…? The deck is stacked against her.

"You, what. Dare me to try?" I challenge. "Miwako. You're both legally dead, remember?" I release her.

"Aya… please…" Satsuma tries.

" ** _Please_**?" I turn to him, fire in my eyes.

"Aya." Chouji wraps an arm around my middle, knowing I'm about to start lashing out again. "Enough. Please, let's go." He whispers into my ear, his tone begging.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

And just imagine. After that _heart-warming_ scene, I get to welcome people into our den, all bringing and expecting a festive mood and cheer! _Yea_!

No one's surprised when I take my first bottle of sake to ease the tension.

It isn't until Ikoku decides that she and I need to sing a duet that I start to really let it all fall away though. She's a horrible singer, and she obviously knows it. Still, she sings right alongside me. Off-key, scratchy and a slight slur to show she's had a few herself. Ironically, she picked 'I will survive'. Everyone loves our performance; don't ask me why. I think they're so wasted that dying alley cats could entertain them.

After that, Kin claims she deserves to sing a song with me. And Sakiko reminds me that we still need to do our two songs. I roll my eyes, but find myself smiling anyway. Hoshie eventually gets dragged into it too, even though she doesn't know any of the words. Even Yuzuki gets in on the action! Kami-sama, I love my pack so much right now!

I need this so, so bad.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"It has come to my attention that Namiki Miwako and Satsuma have been sighted in the village." Shimura Danzo begins. I don't react, not yet. "Sighted entering the Namiki compound, no less. What does Namiki-san have to say about this?"

"That you should leave Namiki matters to the Namikis." I intone, unimpressed. The room is engulfed in unhappy murmurs. "Silence!" I demand. "Shimura-san, seeing as you have a scout camped out in a tree just outside my compound, I'm sure you are well aware that Senju-san and Dragon were both called in immediately after the pair you describe entered my compound. And that is ignoring that they entered under armed guard. However, until there is a story to tell, the Namiki clan has nothing to say on the matter. You may ask Dragon for more information, if you wish."

"And wha-"

"Did I stutter, Shimura-san?" I know he wants to know about the other two. "I would advise that you mind Shimura clan business. Because if you continue to mind mine, I will kindly return the favour." I warn, glaring at him.

"What are you implying, Namiki-san?"

"I imply nothing, Shimura. I am threatening. Continue to press this and you will find one scout after another, headless and on your doorstep. I grow tired of these cat and mouse games. Either you accuse me of something that Senju-san is not aware of, or you shut the hell up."

He eyes me, wary and calculating.

"If that is all this council has to say at this time?" I demand.

"Actually, there is… another matter." Senju-san says, mutely asking me to calm down. I _AM_ **CALM**! "The new Mizukage has come to address this very matter." She motions to the Anbu guards at the door – Sheep and Mouse, I'm not very close to either.

The doors open, and a tall, busty redhead walks in. She isn't wearing the Mizukage robe or hat. And she's flanked by two shinobi I've never seen before. One with light blue hair and an eyepatch, the other with funny glasses and weird gear covering both ears and two hilts peeking up over his left shoulder.

"Thank you for having us, Hokage-sama." The redhead speaks formally, bowing respectfully to Senju-san. "I am Terumi Mei, the Fifth Mizukage." And now she has my undivided attention. "I am here on behalf of Namikis Miwako and Satsuma. And to thank Konoha for allowing them to aid us these long years."

I don't react, but Kami-sama I want to laugh so hard right now. "So, Terumi-san. You claim that my clansmen were aiding you with Konoha's full knowledge and permission." I say, covering the lower part of my face. The room goes silent. They've seen just how I can be when I get like this.

"Clansmen?" She looks surprised by that.

"Namiki Aya. Head of the recently established Namiki clan." I introduce myself. "I must confess, I was never made aware of the matter of which you speak. Curious, don't you think?"

"We had an understanding with the Third Hokage." She claims.

"I see. And yet, the next of kin and clan head was not made aware. What kind of… _understanding_ did you have with our Hokage at the time?" I smell blood. Her story is so full of holes it's bleeding in plain sight.

"… I don't see how that is your concern." She tries. Oh, really?

"Allow me to explain just how this is my concern. You had one biological Namiki and one Namiki in name only, in your service for a minimum of eight years. Without my knowledge or permission. No payments for services rendered has been made over even mentioned. As the head of the Namiki clan, I find that… unbecoming. Doubly so, given the… _peculiarities_ of your claims."

That trips her up. She can't talk her way out of that, not without spilling the beans or implicating either herself or the two she's here to 'help'.

"My apologies. Perhaps we could discuss these matters… privately?" She offers, sizing me up completely different than before I opened my mouth. Oh yes, I noticed just how quickly she picked me out of the crowd.

"You may discuss this with Senju-san, our jounin commander and myself, yes. I'm sure your _explanation_ will be most… _enlightening_." I say, my tone neutral. But she no doubt knows that I don't buy into her tale.

"I look forward to it." She claims. I fight the snort. She won't think that after the meeting.

"Was there anything else anyone wished to discuss?" Senju-san says, knowing I'm this closed to making another international incident. Just because I smoothed things over with those Sand delegates, doesn't mean it wasn't an international incident. I just love meeting new and interesting people.

No one does. So the meeting is adjourned. Not surprisingly, daddy, Senju-san and Terumi-san –and guards– don't leave with the crowd.

Senju-san signs that the Anbu guards should wait outside. "I don't believe I wish to discuss Namiki clan matters with two guards that have nothing to do with it." I say.

"I understand. Ao, Choujurou, please wait outside." Terumi-san says. They hesitate, but one glare from her and they scamper through the door. Daddy casts a privacy jutsu.

"Very well, Terumi-san. What pleasant and thought out lies have you got to tell me?" I don't beat around the bush. She looks slightly surprised. "I've already spoke to both of them. I am aware of the truth as they speak it. No, I won't tell you what I know."

"… I see." She looks saddened by that. Aww, poor widdle baby. She leans against the table, on the civilian side. "… You are aware that these are your parents?"

"You are aware that I'd conned eighty-two people to get enough money to bury two corpses I didn't have? When I was six years old?" I counter. "Don't look to play the sympathy card with me, Terumi-san. Speak the truth, or I promise you will regret starting this conversation."

She bristles, obviously not used to people speaking to her like that. Tough. She sighs. "Where are you keeping Hoshie and Kenshin?"

"Terumi-san. I do not do cat and mouse. I do wolf and prey. You've no doubt had plenty of dealings with Miwako in _eight years_." I warn her for the last time. "What do you have to say regarding the kidnapping, brainwashing and subjugation of Namiki Satsuma?"

"We never-"

"So, you claim that a Konoha medic passed out on the coast of the Land of Fire, drifted four hundred kilometres through shark infested waters, to an island in the Land of Water. Where he was then mysteriously found by a group being led by you personally. Is that correct?" She stares, but doesn't answer. "You were a rebel leader, fighting a losing battle. You found a medic capable of holding his own in battle and you needed his skills. Then when his wife came, you had even more ammunition against a tyrant. Don't think I can't do the math."

"Aya, you-"

"Did I give you permission to call me in such a familiar way?"

"Sweetie~eeee." Daddy warns.

"If you, or anyone in this world thinks I will bend to this woman, then you do not know me half as well as you think." I warn, my tone dark. "Terumi-san. I know why you are truly here. I know why they are here. Your consciences have been eating away at you." She winces. "You know now, just as you knew then, that there was someone dear to them struggling because of your choices. At the time, you could drown it out, because your wounded were being healed, your dying had their pain eased so they could die in peace. But after the war ended? Every time they looked at Hoshie, they saw me. That's why they tried to distance themselves from her."

All three of them look at me funny, wondering how I even know that. "It's in her eyes. It's how her little brother turns to her instead of his parents when he's scared. It's in how neither of them are even slightly scared when surrounded by complete and total strangers, most of which are drunk and loud. I've survived only because I can read people. So be smart enough not to underestimate me. I promise, you'll regret it if you do."

Silence. Always silence. Why can no one just admit they were a complete douchebag and try to make things right? Oh right, because words won't give me back my childhood. That's why.

"Now, Terumi-san. Are you going to come clean and admit you wrongdoings to the daughter of those you used abused for years? Or are you going to continue with your pretty lies and let your conscience eat away at the last bit of humanity left in you?"

More silence. "Yeah. That's what I thought. So what were you hoping to achieve, exactly?"

"… To smooth things over, so that _this_ didn't have to happen." She admits.

"Well. That worked out _splendidly_." I drone sarcastically. "Well, now that it's happening. How do you intend to convince me not to have two traitors and rogues executed?"

That trips her up. Well and truly. Her eyes widen, her face is drained of colour and likely feeling.

"I buried them once. I've mourned them ever since. Do you really think I would hesitate to do it again?"

"I… I'm sorry, N-namiki-san."

"That doesn't answer my question, Terumi-san."

"What do you want?"

The truth. Closure. A chance to put this behind me and move on with my life. "Why don't you make an offer and see if you understand the depths of your crimes against my clan?" Against me!

She starts calculating, out loud, how much Ryou an A-ranked mission for those years comes up to.

I snort. "Daddy, drop the jutsu." I demand walking towards the door. He doesn't.

 **Snap!**

The soundproofed barrier shatters. I feel daddy wince from the backlash. Don't say I didn't warn you.

"Terumi. Coming here was a mistake. They should have stayed dead."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 74_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: As I said, Aya isn't a very nice person right now. She has no idea how to cope, and really, I don't blame her. How do you cope with something like this? To find out that THE defining moment in your life is a lie?  
_**


	89. Facing our ghosts

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 75 – Facing our ghosts**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"… You have something to say." I begin, already tired of the silence. It turns out that Ibiki can't even get these two to open their mouths. Not because he's losing his touch, but because he already figured out that they'll sing if they talk to me. That's his story at least.

"Mei was here." Miwako begins, her face carefully arranged to hide her emotions. I snort, knowing her better than that even after all these years. "Tsunade-sama was here with her, of course."

"Your point."

"We understand." She tries.

"Do you."

"We knew it'd be an uphill battle. That we'd have to start from less than scratch to get through to you." I don't react. "We know. And we understand, Aya."

"Alright. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Let's say that you know, that you understand. Tell me, what does that do for me?" I see the pain in her eyes. She's wilfully showing me her emotions. So much appeal to emotions lately. How sad. "Did you know that your children haven't asked for you once? That they've settled in without a fuss? That not a tear was shed, because they're so used to the two of you not being around?"

"We're shinobi, Aya. You should know what that's like." Satsuma tries.

"So that's your defence? You're shinobi? That you've distanced yourselves from them just like you abandoned me has absolutely nothing to do with it?" They sit there, silent as the grave. "They're learning Muay Thai. I have Sakiko and Katsuo teaching them. Funny how neither even knew of the style. I'm willing to bet you didn't even know that Hoshie is already starting to show her Namiki heritage. That she closes in on herself at loud noises. That spices irritate her and make her sneeze if she gets too close. That perfumes do the same thing."

Again, no response.

"So, tell me. How are planning on fighting this uphill battle?" They just stare. "I mean, after all. I hold all the cards. I hold all the keys. All you two have is a past I can barely remember."

"You lie." Miwako says. "You remember. You just don't want to think about it."

"Got it in one. So?" Again, no answer. "You say you understand, Miwako. Show me that you understand. Show me what you understand. Your memories of a five year old aren't helping you all that much."

"I know you better than you think." Miwako tries again.

"Then by all means, tell me what I want to hear." I say.

"I'm sorry." I don't react. "That's what you want. Isn't it? To know that we regret our decisions."

I snort this time. "Point to me. You don't have a clue." I shoot her down. "You will never earn your place in my heart again. I buried you, mentally and emotionally."

"Then why are you here?" She challenges.

"Because Hoshie and Kenshin shouldn't have to." The silence that follows is almost too much for me. I leave without another word.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I swear, I spend more time interrogating people that sorting through paperwork these days." I complain, finally getting back to my desk. Haruno-san giggles, but knows not to get involved.

"How are you holding up though?" Tsu asks. I sigh, tired and worn out. "I thought so. You should ask for a few days off. You'll end up wearing yourself down."

"Sadly I relax more on the job than at home." I admit. "I mean, let's be honest. How many days off have I had where I rested?"

Sniff, sniff.

"Mom, what are you planning?" I murmur, smelling her and Hoshie coming our way. Not surprisingly, the two of them arrive not a minute later. I smile, warm as I can. It isn't fair to Hoshie that her parents are the scum of the earth. "Hey, guys. What brings you all the way out here?"

"Hey, baby. Hoshie was feeling a bit… pent up at home. So she wanted to come see what you're up to?"

"Mom, I know better." I counter, smiling and rolling my eyes. "Imouto-chan wants to ask me something, but she's scared I'll get mad."

The two share a look. Mom's being more of an I-told-you-so, while Hoshie's is plain ol' surprise.

"Come on." I motion for her to come to me. She walks around the desk, coming to me without hesitation. I smile, grateful for little things. Yuzuki wasn't this trusting for nearly two months. I turn my chair to her, patting my lap to tell her to hop on. When she does, I wrap my arms around her middle and tug her closer to me so she can sit comfortably. "Alright, so tell me what my little cutie wants that she's so afraid to ask me."

"… I was… wondering if… it'd be okay… to see _her_?" She braces herself for the 'no', and probably a far more colourful response.

"Sure." I pat her backside to tell her to hop to. She doesn't react. "Come on, if you want to see her you'll have to come with me, you know?" I tease. "Or did you want to see both of them?"

"You… don't mind?" She sounds unsure of what's going on.

"Hoshie, you love them, right?" She nods, but I can't see her face to tell what she might be thinking. "Then why should I mind? Now come on. Maybe we can get some ice cream afterwards. Sound good?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Both Miwako and Satsuma are shocked when they walk in, seeing Hoshie and mom with me. Hoshie runs to them, glomping them and telling them over and over how she loves them. I smile, remembering wanting to do just that for so long.

"Hey, princess. I hear you've been busy." Satsuma says, a frog in his throat that won't leave him alone.

"Uh huh! Kiko's been teaching me taijutsu! A style she calls Muay Thai! I'm not very good at it yet, but she and Togo say that even they're still learning the basics. Kenshin gets bored of it pretty fast though, but they don't mind at all. Did you know that Muay Thai is a Namiki style? That we should learn it from the time we can walk?"

"Yeah. I taught Aya the basics when she was Kenshin's age. She was pretty focused, even at that age." Miwako says, her tone wistful.

"So why didn't you ever teach me?" Hoshie asks. I narrow my eyes, daring them wordlessly to lie to her.

"… Your father never learned it, so he couldn't and…"

"And I remind you too much of Aya-nee, so you wouldn't." Hoshie hits the nail on the head. Miwako looks about ready to cry. Getting so much truth in so short a time, must be hard when you've been telling yourself pretty lies for years. "Don't give me that look, mama. Everyone's been saying it. How much me and Aya-nee look alike. Even Kiko and Togo are saying it."

"Why don't we all have a seat, so we can talk?" I offer, giving Miwako time to catch her breath before the next revelation hits her.

"Hey, Aya-nee. Are you going to teach me and Kenshin sound release?" Hoshie asks.

"Of course I am. What kind of silly question is that?" I ask, honestly confused. She looks surprised. "Imouto-chan, I might not appreciate how you and Kenshin came into my life, but I'll get over it. You are my little brother and sister, so I'm going to do everything I can to be there for you. Even teaching you the secrets I've learned for mastering the Okami jutsu."

"O…kami jutsu?" Hoshie looks confused, but her parents look shocked beyond belief.

"It's a hidden jutsu that only Namikis are allowed to learn. I might teach you one day, but you'd have to show me that you can handle it first. Don't worry, I'll show you a mediation tonight to give you the tools you'll need for just that."

She's surprised, shocked even. Slowly, the tears start welling up. "Aww, sweetie. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad. It's just that learning the jutsu is really, really hard." I explain, feeling horrible.

She glomps me, burying her face in my tummy – seeing as we still haven't gotten to the chairs to sit down. She shakes her head, no. "I'm happy." She says, still crying. "I'm happy, Aya-nee. I'm so, so happy."

I hook my hands under her arms, pulling her up for a proper hug. "Then why are you crying?" I ask. I think I already know, but those two need to hear it more than I do.

"No one ever teaches me anything. They're always too busy." She murmurs, her arms wrapped around my neck, holding onto me for dear life. "But you're busy too, and you… you… you keep doing things. And you keep asking people to help me when you can't. And you… you barely even know me."

I make a sussing noise, rubbing her back with my left hand, making sure to support her with my right. I don't want her to fall, after all. "Of course I do, Imouto-chan. I love you." I say, tears in my eyes. I kiss her cheek and the side of her head, smelling her hair as I do. She's using my shampoo, Yasu-nee's conditioner. I don't know why I find that funny, but I do.

"But _they_ love me… and…"

"I know." I murmur, glaring at the two really uncomfortable idiots in front of me. "But sometimes even grownups have to learn that they need to grow up."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Mom decides that Hoshie's had more than enough for one day, so she scoops her out of my embrace. She's been crying for the last ten minutes, so I kind of agree with mom. "Hey, sweetie. If you and mom are willing to give me five minutes? I did promise you ice cream, after all." Hoshie nods, before turning her head and burying her face in mom's neck and hair.

"We'll be at your desk messing with all your drawers." Mom teases, her eyes laughing and crying at the same time.

"Fine, give me more work to do." I sigh dramatically, shooing them with a motion of my hand. The door closes firmly behind them, so I know they can no longer hear me. "Wow. You two are consistent, if nothing else." They flinch, obviously reeling from the low blow. "I've known her for two days, and she already respects me more than both of you combined. That must suck."

They look away from me, unable to face me. "Hmm, you know mom's been teaching her to read. It's funny that no one ever bothered to. I mean, she's picking it up like a sponge. I might even have her start learning to play an instrument. She seems to like the shinobue, but I think she should learn something that lets her be different from me. Give her a sense of self, you know?"

"We get it, Aya!" Miwako shouts, losing her cool. "We're horrible parents!"

"No. You don't get it." I press. "Because if you did, you'd start correcting the mistakes while they're still young. With a little luck, they'll forget about how much you two suck in a few years."

"… How do you know so much about parenting?" Satsuma asks, his tone showing just how crumby he feels. Poor thing.

"It's kind of hard not to, seeing as I had to raise myself." That pretty much did it. Miwako's in tears. Satsuma's not doing so well himself. "I mean, when you've got no one to catch you when you fall, it's kind of hard to still believe that the world is a nice and friendly place. So you have to learn fast, or face the consequences. Did you know that the gas company will shut off your heat in the middle of winter if you don't pay? Yeah, that's a lesson you don't ever forget. It's alright though. That was the month I paid for the headstones for your graves. So I thought it was worth it."

I don't think the two of them could possibly feel worse than they do now. Let's test that. "I wonder when the two of you are going to realise that even if you get out of here, no one's going to trust either of you enough to hire you. Deadbeats with two kids and a baby on the way. Must be rough."

"… get out." Miwako demands, wiping away her tears. So, she can feel worse. Interesting.

"What's the matter, Miwako? Truth too much to bear?" I ask, my tone completely neutral.

"I said, GET OUT!"

"No." I say, not backing down even a little. "I won't. And not because I enjoy doing this to you. As shocking as it might seem, I don't. I'm doing this because you two obviously won't realise it without someone on the outside rubbing your noses in your own urine to show you where not to _go_."

"Aya, you've made your point." Satsuma tries, tears welling up and almost to the point of crying again.

" _My_ point? You haven't been listening to a word I said. This isn't about me. This is about Hoshie and Kenshin. And, **by the way**? A three year old that hasn't even begun potty training? Really? Wow. Just wow. How many bad parenting awards were the two of you trying to win with those two?"

He opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "And don't even try give me that cock and bull, _he wasn't ready_ crap. Mom already has him asking to go to the bathroom, and he hasn't had a single accident even though he's in jockeys full time." I see them sinking a little deeper into a depression every time I hit them with another point. "The fact is that neither of you tried. And frankly, Hoshie's been taking extremely good care of him, even though she's only **two years older** than he is. I mean, didn't you two notice yesterday? How Kenshin turned to her and not either of you? Or how about that Hoshie is so used to everyone telling her no and that they don't have the time, that when she came to me earlier she came prepared for a no."

"There's an old saying, you know. Children who never hear 'no' will never learn to say it, but children who never hear 'yes' will never believe they deserve it. It's about balance."

"… You wish we'd died on a mission, don't you." Miwako doesn't ask.

"You did. I promise, if you two get out of here, I'll bring you to see your graves. It's a nice, shady spot, under a plum tree. And guess, what? There's a spot right between yours that's reserved for me. And do you know why?" They brace themselves, knowing they won't like the answer. "Because I'd planned on dying young, no children, no partner, no friends. No one to mourn me. That way, there'd be no broken hearts left in my wake. That's how much you used to mean to me. Why don't you think about **that** for a few days. Kami knows I've thought about it for years already."

Without another word, I leave them there. Clutching each other for comfort. Crying their hearts out, even knowing that Ibiki is on the other side of the mirror, studying their every move.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's almost time for the rounds at the hospital when Ibiki and Inoichi-san come to my desk, asking to speak to me privately. I shrug, asking Senju-san if she'll need me for the hospital rounds.

"No, Aya. Go ahead and use my office if you want. Make sure you lock up before you leave. And take the afternoon off. Heaven knows you need time to catch your breath with everything going on right now." Senju-san says, already motioning for Haruno-san to follow her.

"Tsu, why don't you tag along? I'm sure you could pick up a tip or two." She shrugs, but stays by my side regardless. "Fine, fine. Come on. I'm sure the two of you have more than enough going on."

We enter the office and Inoichi-san casts a privacy jutsu. "We've been talking to you parents."

"Miwako and Satsuma, I assume." I halfway correct.

"They are your parents." He presses, obviously not liking my response.

"Biologically, but go on." I motion for him to get on with it.

"They haven't even tried holding back since that second little chat." Inoichi says, obviously studying me to figure out something. "They've been telling us everything, every detail, about everything we ask. Even things we don't ask, they bring it up on their own."

"That's good. So how is this important enough to get both of you over here?"

"You broke them, Aya."

"… Yes?"

"Two jounins."

"Satsuma's a chuunin."

"You aren't listening. You broke two jounins taught to resist interrogation and torture. Even Ibiki would have had a hard time with them."

"Circumstantial. I'm their weakness, you both know that. And Satsuma's still a chuunin."

"Why?"

"Because they won't realise their broken until they finally break. Are you not listening to me?"

"Yes, I am. But I'm more aware of their rank than you are. They are jounins. Why were they broken to begin with?"

"Inoichi-san, really. You have one child, and she was raised well. They're getting their third-"

"Forth." He corrects.

"Third child, and they're still clueless on how to do the most basic thing for them."

"Now who's not listening?"

"Mutual respect. My parents are dead, Inoichi. They have been for years."

"Presumed dead."

"Have you ever attended a funeral for the living?"

"…" That trips him up.

"Ibiki heard me loud and clear, I'm sure. I buried my parents. I conned people to get the money to buy the plots, because I thought no one in Konoha cared enough to give them the burial they deserved. I didn't even understand until yesterday why their names were never carved in the memorial stone." They seriously, **seriously** don't like where this is going. "So, you'll have to forgive me, Inoichi, if I can't _dig up_ the sympathy you're looking for towards two complete strangers that share my DNA."

"Aya. Are you upset with Konoha for how things went?" He's at least honest enough to ask.

"I used to be. Then Ino found me. Then Naruto-nii found me."

"What if they hadn't?"

"Then I'd probably have already died on a mission." Neither responds, but I see the questions in their eyes. "For the goals I'd set for myself before Ino got to me? I'd have happily died already. I'm a decent medic, and I've saved lives. I'm an Anbu Operative, and I've ended lives. That's all I had to look forward to."

"… And now?" There's a frog in his throat. He usually isn't as emotionally attached to people that tell him things like this.

"I need to dance with Chouji on my birthday. I need to see my first niece or nephew born. I want to see if Sakiko and Katsuo really do fall in love in the future. I want to see who else I can teach to truly master our hidden jutsus. I want to see what kind of woman Hoshie will grow into, what kind of man Kenshin will grow into. I want to see if Shika-nii and Temari are really falling in love and if they'll get married. I've got things to look forward to, things to cherish the moment for." I try not to get emotional, but I'm a little teary eyed anyway.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this… but I think you need to start dating Chouji." I narrow my eyes at him, unimpressed. "I'm serious. Aya, if I wasn't convinced that you were mentally stable, I'd ban you from missions and remove you from Anbu."

"You think that would keep those idiots off my porch?" I drone sarcastically. It's his turn to be unimpressed. "Inoichi, seriously. Relax. I'm fine."

"Miwako told me those exact words mere hours before her last mission. So you'll have to forgive me if I'm a bit sceptical."

I glare, unimpressed. " **Don't** compare me to _her_. Even at my **worst** , I never even **considered** abandoning my territory."

"No, just dying prematurely for it." He holds up a hand to stall whatever I'm about to say. "Aya, I'm worried about you. And judging from the two currently plotting something behind you, I think it's safe to say I'm not alone. Please… take an old man's crazy advice. Talk to Chouji about making you relationship official."

"We're not ready." I try, but Inoichi isn't listening. He drops the privacy jutsu, moving towards the door. "What if I start trying to hook up Ino then!?"

"I'm sure Mariko-chan would thank you. Please, by all means, ask her yourself." I hate people that don't back down sometimes. I really do.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Okay. Please tell me why my presence is important in this meeting again." I complain. Naturally, I –having been given the afternoon off to relax– have been called in to a 'vitally important meeting' between Terumi-san and Senju-san. Of course. Because 'take the afternoon off' is a secret code for 'why are you still trying to take the afternoon off?'

"Because Mizukage-sama isn't used to people telling her off, and she rather enjoys someone that gives it to her as it really is." Senju-san says, smiling.

I blink. "So… the reason I'm needed is…?"

"I got bored and wondered if you'd actually come after being given the afternoon off." Terumi-san says, a teasing smile on her face.

"Uh huh. Well, this was fun. Let's not do this again. Ever." I wave, seeing myself out.

"I'm sorry, Namiki-san. Really, I'm just teasing. I could use you're help explaining things to Senju-san."

"I'll let you know when I care." I don't even break stride.

"Kami-sama, I'm going to miss having a Namiki around." Terumi-san says, her tone wistful. Uh huh.

"You've never met a true Namiki. Because if you did, you'd never have met her if you weren't in Konoha to begin with."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I'm sensing a pattern. I really am." I complain. Get away from one (pointless) meeting, only to get called into a Council meeting. With Sand. And Mist, apparently. Why? Why not!

"Thank you all for coming. We've come up with a plan to help change the way the people of Sand view the people of Leaf." Inoichi, really. You're being dramatic. "We've collected and grown over a hundred dwarf coconut trees, which we will gift to Sand."

Wow. I'm awed. And inspired. And choked up so much right now. Really. I am. Totally in tears. Uh huh. Why do I need to be here for this?

"Aren't coconuts trees… palm trees?" One of the Sand delegates asks, confused. Insightful. Truly an awe inspiring show of intellect and wisdom in one fell swoop. Again. Why am I here?

"Gentlemen. Look. I'm fresh out of patience, so allow me to break this down swiftly and _mostly_ painlessly." I get everyone's attention, just not in a good way. "Coconut trees are ideal for this, simply because they do well in sandy soils, even if it's salty. It's doubly important because Sand is prone to cold nights, meaning that you would have to care for the trees to ensure they do not die. As well, they would need extra water because they are used to humid climates. Get it? It's a test as well as a gift. A test, because it'll test your willingness to keep these trees alive. And a gift, because coconuts produce a lot of useful products. Coconut water, the jelly, coconut oil, coir. The products are considered the Holy Grail in some circles because of its beauty product usages. In other words. Treat Konoha well, and Konoha will treat you well. Treat us badly, and we will treat you badly. Get it? _Symbols_. Can we go now?"

"I see. Is that right, Yamanaka-san?"

"Pretty much."

"Good. Message received. And we will gladly take care of those coconut trees. If you would be willing to provide us with some tips to get the most out of their care?"

"I'd be happy to."

"Excellent."

I narrow my eyes, shaking with (mock) joy and (sarcastic) excitement. "Yea, we're all friends. Let me know when you need me for something important, because… really? This is supposed to be my afternoon off." I tell them, already seeing myself out of the Council Chambers. Really. And _they_ 're supposed to lead a village. The world as we know it is doomed.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I'm starting to hate you people. Just a thought." I toss out there. Outside of the Council Chambers were none other than Dragon and Salamander needing a word. In Senju-san's office. Coincidentally also having Senju-san and Terumi-san. Just for the heck of it. "What do you need me for **this time**? Beauty tips?"

"Actually no." Senju-san says, smiling a bit too brightly. "Terumi san is considering sending a few Anbu trainees to Konoha for medical training. And guess who Dragon suggested to spearhead this effort?"

"Congratulations, Salamander. It couldn't have happened to a more capable medic." I say, already excusing myself.

"Oh, Aya~aaaaa." Senju-san sings.

"Forget it, Senju-san. I have enough going on." I tell her plainly.

"I know, but that's just the thing. This would ensure the Namiki clan's place in Konoha and Mist politics. And it would strengthen ties between our villages."

"And I'm sure Salamander won't mind putting in a good word for me. I already said no."

"But this comes with the added bonus of needing a location, which I happen to know you have. And you have the people needed to ensure the training."

"That's nice." Wait a minute. I've been walking to that door for the past minute… and I'm still not there? I do the genjutsu-release, then focus the Offsetting Sound and keep the effective range just beyond my own skin. Shockingly, the door starts coming closer this time. "I don't appreciate the Genjutsu, Senju-san. And I know you did it. No one else is sneaky enough."

"What if I offered you, and any and all staff you choose to hire, B-rank pay for the duration of the training, and reduce your time here to half days without reduced pay?" She tries, completely ignoring the genjutsu I'm complaining about.

"I'm short on time, not money. And frankly, we both know I've got enough going on. I don't have time to play doctor wolf with Mist Anbu trainees. Have either Salamander or Penguin take the position. And **really**? I sensed that one, even if I'm unaffected."

"Aya, please?" She tries.

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"What are you taking lessons from Naruto-nii? I said **no**!"

"It comes with thank you baskets filled with chocolate?"

"Low blow!" I complain. "I'm busy, Senju-san."

"It'd be exotic chocolate. From the Land of Water. The assorted boxes. With pralines and caramel."

"…" I scratch the back of my head. "Suju's? I thought they went out of business."

"See, I told you she'd know the brand." Senju-san says, amused. "So you'll do it?"

"No. I just can't figure out why Suju's stopped exporting to Konoha."

"My clan recently bought the company. I could… arrange a reduced price for Konoha. Make it easier for you to buy all the high quality chocolates you heart desires?" Terumi-san offers.

"… Senju-san, are you teaching other village leaders how to bribe me?"

"Of course not! Just Mei." She says, grinning.

"… And I'm sure you haven't been discussing this with Gaara _at all_ then, huh." I drone sarcastically.

"He's not the Kazekage yet, so I'm being entirely truthful." His **name** is Kazekage Gaara…!

"Yeah, and that's because you haven't had a meeting with the Raikage or the Tsuchikage. And given your track record, I somehow have trouble believing you're not going to let it slip if either gets you into 'girl talk mode'."

"I take offence to that. Mei happens to be a fellow Kage and a kunoichi. How many kunoichi other than us have laid claim to that?" She defends. "Now come on, you know you want the chocolate, and the other offers are still on the table too. You'd get less work, more pay, and you get to boss people around on a regular basis."

"I do that every day. How is that a plus?"

"Because they'll be shinobi… from another village. Anbu trainees, in fact. And they'll be trying to show you up, every… step… of… the… way."

…

I'm not sure what's worse. The fact that I'm now considering this, or the fact that Senju-san knows me well enough to bribe me just right to get me to consider this. After turning it down repeatedly, mind you.

…

The jury's still out.

"How many Anbu trainees, exactly?" I hate that I'm curious now. I hate it. And yet, I know I'm walking in their carefully laid traps.

"We're considering starting off with twenty. We really need to build up after the civil war, and frankly, I can't imagine anyone handling a group quite like you can." Terumi-san says. "They'd be from both sides of the civil war. So you'd need to get them to cooperate with each other as well as yourself."

…

Tempting…

Tempting…

"Medical training only, or…?" I wonder.

"Overall as well. Medical training would be the only specialised training you'd need to deal with though. I'll be petitioning Momochi Zabuza for other trainings, like tracking and the silent killing style." Terumi-san says, grinning as brightly as Senju-san is.

"Fine. But I want full on Anbu styled classes. Codenames only. And permission in writing from each participant that I can maim them at any time, provided I put them back together after. Even if there's no reason apparent." Say no, say no, say no. Why do I keep hoping for people to turn down my unrealistic requests? It's never worked. "And I want the uncensored, unfiltered truth of what really went down with Miwako and Satsuma."

"Works for me." See what I mean. "You'll be getting mostly guys, so they could learn a healthy respect for women. I'll be sure to send their psychological profiles well in advance so you can prepare for them."

"… Senju-san. You know I'm going to start hating you eventually for talking me into things like this."

"Hey, if you agree it's not my fault." She tries, grinning.

"That defence only works the first time. Not the… what are we on, the fifth?"

"Why yes, we are the Fifth. Thank you for noticing."

"Okay. That's a clear sign I need to take a few days off. You're starting to sound like me."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 75_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Somewhat less angsty and pissed, I suppose. Aya's still not coping, at all. Unfortunately, there's so much more going on that meets the eye, but that's for another time. I have the next chapter already mostly done, and it's somewhat more... fun to write. I think Anko got off easy by comparison, but I think that isn't a big surprise given how deep this cut.  
_**


	90. Facing our fears

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 76 – Facing our fears**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Aya, you can do this." I murmur. My little pep talk isn't doing much, for some strange reason. "It's just Satsuma and Miwako. You've been dealing with them for days now. This is not a big deal." Only it is. It's a very big deal. Huge! Ginormous!

Why am I dealing with this on my day off? Why? Why couldn't Senju-san let me read the reports after I've rested? After I've gotten used to sharing a bathroom with a mini-me and her little brother that both just look WAY too much like me!

The reports! Maybe going over them will help me to soothe my nerves? Not likely. Let's just get this over with.

Nodding to myself, I open the door and walk into the 'interview' room. Satsuma and Miwako are sitting there, their eyes on me. The dashed hopes, the longing; on display, as it usually is. Why is it bothering me this time? It hasn't bothered me the last six times I've spoken to them.

"I'm in no mood to beat around the bush, so I'll get straight to the point." I tell them, sitting down across from them. "Given you're behaviour, there is talk of releasing you into my custody."

They exchange a look, neither sure how to take the news. "I won't lie to you, neither of you is going to have it easy in my den. Or at all, really. Dragon flatly refused to have you back in Anbu, and the hospital feels the same way about you." I tell Miwako and Satsuma in turn. "That means you will be financially dependent, and in no position to argue with me on any point you think should be different."

"…" They try to say something, anything, but neither can find the words.

"Understand that things are not the way you left them. The house is set up differently, there are people you would consider complete strangers that are members of the Namiki clan, and far more respected than both of you. Rooms have been changed around, caches claimed by individuals. Protocols that weren't there before are now commonplace and expected. All your old colleagues are no longer your colleagues, they are mine."

"I don't understand." Satsuma admits.

"I am an Anbu Operative, one of seven medics on the roster. Codenamed Wolf." They both look like they want to cry; happy tears this time. "I am also Senju-san's secretary, and for some reason I'm called in to interrogate people more often than not. Especially people I bring in. That also means that we have quite a few in our den that most would consider prisoners. We have strong ties to the Hatake clan, the Yuki clan and the Uzumaki clan, and everything we do reflects that."

They share another look, unsure how to even begin processing that. "Furthermore, we have the Naras, Akimichis, Yamanakas and Sarutobis over more often than not. And we run an Anbu Rehabilitation centre for trauma patients. Not for the sake of money. We don't accept payment for or from our patients."

This time they beam with pride. "I'm telling you this so you can mentally prepare. We have more Anbu lingering in our dens than HQ. It's gotten so bad that Dragon sends messengers to us before looking anywhere else in Konoha."

"That means there's going to be a den full of pissed of people that know more or less what happened." Miwako sums it up nicely.

"Exactly. And they are more protective of me than daddy and Naruto-nii ever were. After all, other than one other, I'm the most respected medic in Anbu. We're busy training the others, so there's hope for the future." I explain seriously.

"… Just how much do you have going on?" Satsuma asks, worried but impressed.

"Too much, as usual." I complain. "Just know that neither of you are in a position to ask questions. There are hundreds of little secrets and dozens of big ones that my packmates keep without batting an eyelash. Neither of you has that respect. Don't ask and there won't be a problem."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We go through the –very familiar– motions. Unshackling the prisoners, introducing my usual shadows, ordering them to follow. 'Takara' seems amused, seeing me taking another set off her hands. I don't care.

"I can't believe Takara still works here." Miwako says, amused.

"I can't believe that's actually her name." I counter, just as amused. Takara isn't amused. "I've been talking to you for months and you have yet to introduce yourself. Your own fault." She doesn't answer. She just takes the shackles and leaves.

Whatever. "Let's get going. I've got more than enough going on right now." I say, motioning for them to follow. Tomi and Tsu take up our rear flanks, as usual, and we start making our way out of the Tower. Not surprisingly, quite a few familiar –but not quite friendly– faces greet us, completely ignoring the two in my custody.

"Oi, toilet paper girl! I know that isn't another request you plan on bothering Haruno-san with!" The woman stiffens, before disappearing. I grin, enjoying messing with her more than most.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to our den without too much hassle. On entering, the first thing I notice is the most common scene in the world to me: the kids are in the front yard training. Sakiko and Katsuo are sparring, showing Hoshie the value and the point of the training they've been putting her through, Udon, Moegi and Haruki are comparing notes on their accuracy with kunai throwing. Konohamaru is showing off, again. Yuzuki seems to enjoy training with them, too. They take the time to offer her little tips and corrections, and she seems to be soaking it up.

Kenshin is mostly getting in everyone's way, but no one seems to mind too much. They try to make it fun for him, but Kono-chan looks like he's ready to make a fuss.

"Good to see everyone's training." I announce our arrival. Of course, that means all training stops and they come begging for their hugs. I hold up a hand to stall them though. "Ah ah. With Kenshin nosing around, I expect you to first collect your kunai and make sure there's nothing he can get curious about and hurt himself with."

They nod, collecting and stowing their kunai. It doesn't take more than a second before I'm buried in midgets again.

" **Mama, papa!** " Hoshie and Kenshin cry out, noticing the pair with us. I look away this time, unwilling to see the happy family reunite. Moegi notices. Her eyes study me, but she doesn't say a word. I sigh.

I prefer missions, they tend to make more sense.

"Alright, alright. Keep in mind that I still have two days off. That means I'm going to be holding a few training sessions for you guys. The first one is in the dojo, tonight after dinner. Haruki, I'm going to want to see how well your practice with your new sword is coming. Udon, Moegi, I want to see how your sound release training is going. You two have shown quite some progress, but have a long way to go. Sakiko, I'm curious about how you're coming along with those genjutsus I wanted you to learn. And Katsuo… I want you to be ready to show me how far you've come. Both with the kodachi kata I showed you and the snap-genjutsu. And Haruki… don't think I won't start getting on your case about your medical training eventually! I happen to have a few days, and I plan on mostly being home, alright?"

"Yes, Aya-nee. Do you think you could help me with the Healing jutsu? It's…"

"Harder than it looks. I know. Tomorrow morning I'll see if I can't help you with that, okay? **Don't** let me forget." I give him a stern look, but I'm smiling anyway.

"Nn!" He beams.

"Hoshie, I expect you there as well. I want to properly introduce you to someone that helps me train our pups in sound release and medical jutsu. I will want you to start studying both, alright?" I say with an expectant look.

"Nn!" She looks about ready to cry again.

"Alright, as you were. And Kenshin, please remember that you could get hurt if you're not careful, okay?" He gives me his pouty face. "None of that, you're the one that's going to cry not me. If you're bored, why don't you come into the house? I'm sure Yasu-nee has something that might keep you entertained."

"Nuh uh! Yasu-nee says he's not s'posed to go near the kitchen right now!" Sakiko announces.

Ah. That explains the mouth-watering scents coming from there. "Alright, alright. Then how about this…" I tap my chin a few times, pretending to think about it. "What if I summon Tsuren and her pups to play with you guys?"

"YEAH! Aya-nee, could you!? Could you, could you, could you!? Pretty please?" They **really** like that idea.

I summon the six wolves. "Hey, guys." I greet them. "Our pups are a bit bored. You guys feel like playing tag with them?" I ask, grinning like mad. All five wolf pups turn to their mother, eyes begging and whining pitifully.

"… Alright. Play nice." Tsuren gives in. Her pups and ours all cheer, already running around the front yard like their tails are on fire. "You and I _will_ have words before I leave, Miwako." I grin, liking the frosty tone and how Miwako shivers slightly.

"N-nn."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It doesn't take long to get them settled in. It's not like they had a lot of things packed, after all. One of (more like 'the last of') the spare bedrooms upstairs is theirs now, and I take my time to introduce them to everyone. I smile just a little brighter each time Miwako and Satsuma get a frosty reception. Even Yasu-nee tells them point blank not to expect any respect any time soon, if at all. Ouch. Just, ouch.

"Oi, Imouto-chan." Kashi-nii calls me. I turn, finding him eyeing our newest prisoners coldly. "We have a problem we need to talk about. Zabuza and Naruto are already in your office waiting."

"Does this involve Miwako and Satsuma?" I ask, curious.

"Among other things." He admits.

"Alight. Tomi, I'm going to need you to get the troops rallied. And for Kami's sake, figure out what Kin's been up to with training? I mean, I've gotten no reports on her at all. It's starting to annoy me." I demand. "Tsu, I want you in the front yard minding the pups. I know it's so unneeded it isn't funny, but I promise there's a reason I'll discuss with you another time."

After getting two nods, I warn Miwako and Satsuma to be on their best behaviour, and notice how Mitarashi-san is already calling them into the family sitting room. We settle into the office and I activate the seals. "Alright, guys, let's hear it." I say, getting comfortable on the old couch. Naru-nii is sitting next to me, and Kashi-nii and Momochi-san are sitting on the new couch across from us.

"I want to know what the plan is for those two." Momochi gets right to it.

"I have none as yet." I admit. "Senju-san asked me to take them off T&I's hands, because they need the cell."

"I don't buy it, Namiki. I know you better than that." He presses.

"… Well," I sigh. "I've read the reports. I have a copy for the three of you, but I don't want to discuss it."

"Look, I'm all for happy reunions and mushy crap, but this is bigger than that. You have two known traitors in our dens. I need to know what the hell is going on, because I've already got six pissed off Operatives getting on my nerves about when the execution is scheduled." He really isn't mincing words.

"Read the report, then we'll talk." I counter. He looks at me funny. "I'm not in the mood, Momochi-san. Really."

"What's the deal with you wanting Ryuuzetsu to spend time with your wolves?" Kashi-nii changes the subject.

"Well, even though she's a Hatake, she's my responsibility. It's not my place to ask for her to sign with the Dogs, so I figure letting the wolves get used to her and giving it time…" I trail off, knowing he'll understand.

"Alright. That sounds fair. Give me a few months before you decide anything. Yasu-chan and I have been… discussing things that aren't quite formalized yet." He says, vague as ever.

"Take your time. I'm mostly focusing on her medical, stealth and combat training anyway. She doesn't seem interested in sound release though. And Naru-nii, I'm really glad you took my advice about Haruki. He seemed excited about showing me his skills with the chokutou." I smile at my own words. I'm not sure why, I mean, it's not exactly news. Still, I just feel happy about how things are going.

"Twin scimitars aren't for him. No shame in letting him try another style." Naru-nii shrugs, but is grinning anyway. "Did anyone tell you that Haku claimed a chokutou as well?"

"I told Tsu that someone would." I grin. "It's a good thing I bought three. Did anyone claim the third one?"

"Kin's been thinking about it, but…" Momochi-san trails off.

"But…?" Why is everyone so vague when it comes to Kin?

"She's been acting… weird." Naru-nii says. "Really weird. And no one seems to be able to make sense of her."

"… I see." I think about that. "Indicators?"

"Nervous around females, especially Hitomi. Always the last ready and the first to turn in at night." Kashi-nii lays it out.

"Closet lesbian?" I ask. A bit of a shot in the dark, but it would explain why she consciously and consistently avoids bathing with us.

"That would be my guess. I don't know why though. It's not as if we'd care." Kashi-nii says. Naru-nii and Momochi-san shrug and nod as well.

"I'll talk to her. How's Hinata holding up with everything going on?" I change the subject. Lingering on something silly is pointless.

"Pretty well, actually." Naru-nii answers. "Dragon's considering giving her a mask, but I don't think she's the type."

"I agree. She has the skillset, but not the mind-set." She really doesn't belong in Anbu. She wouldn't last five minutes with that kind of crowd.

"Agreed." Kashi-nii chimes in. Momochi-san just rolls his eyes, wondering why this is even a topic. I have to agree.

"So anyway, I've been thinking about having her sign with the Kitsunes. She seems okay with it, and Yokoe says the elders aren't against it." Naru-nii continues.

"Makes sense. You might want to talk to Hyuuga-sama first, before making that big a step, though. We both know that her signing that contract is as good as a marriage contract." I point out.

"True. I'll talk to him about sooner or later. By the way… has anyone else noticed that Anko's been flirting with Neji?" Naru-nii starts gossiping. Obviously the bigger issues are out of the way.

"Flirting is harmless." I shrug, not caring.

"Not if he's been flirting back, 'ttebayo! I mean, seriously! Neji and Anko?"

"They are adults. If they feel like having a tumble in the sheets, it's their business." I remind him.

"Sis. They already had their tumble." Okay, _that's_ news to me. "And they're **still** flirting. This is looking like something more, 'ttebayo!"

"Well, that's nice. Maybe he can get her to dress normal-ish? Or maybe entice him to join Anbu? I mean, he _does_ have the mind-set for it." I point out. Kashi-nii shrugs, not disagreeing but not really caring either. Momochi-san is a bit more interested in that, though I can't say why. And Naru-nii?

"Sis, be serious, will you! This is fate obsessed Hyuuga Neji, getting caught up in a relationship with Mitarashi Anko! She'd break him in a second!"

"And that's on him, not any of us." I remind him. "Look, it's not that I don't agree. The thought of those two dating is **_weird_**. But the fact is that it's no one's business but their own."

"… True." He relents. "Anyway. Fuu's going to be bugging you for some extra lessons. She heard that you're taking a few days off."

"I figured she might. Haruki's getting some extra time with me tomorrow, I'll try to include her. And, Momochi-san? I was hoping you'd consider giving Tsu, Kin and Haruki a few lessons on how to wield their chokutou? I know it's nothing compared to your Executioner's Blade, but I know you're a swordsman worth your salt. Any tips you offer would be heaven sent." I stroke his ego a little, knowing that he'll at least consider it this way.

"I might be able to spare some time…" He strokes his masked chin. "What about Hitomi though? She still being a nutcase?" I roll my eyes, but don't disagree with him. She was being stupid.

"I've been dragging her into my training every chance I get. I still can't believe she tried to teach herself earth release jutsu with so many experienced shinobi willing to teach her!" I complain. "Anyway, after we deal with the basics, we're going to start figuring out her weapon choice. She seems to like swords, but I somehow wonder if that's the best choice for her."

"I agree. She's seems more of a tonfa user to me." Kashi-nii suggests.

"Worth looking into." I nod, wordlessly thanking him. "Hey… I just realised that we still haven't thanked Hana for helping out as much as she has. I mean… she practically lives here these days."

"I wouldn't worry about it." Momochi-san says, grinning. I narrow my eyes, wondering what that's about.

"She's been a bit… zealous with Tokara's rehabilitation." Kashi-nii explains. "Almost as bad as you are with Chouji."

"… I see…" I grin, liking the sound of that. "Well, I'll see if I can't do a little digging then. I think it's about time Hana started considering settling down with someone worth her time. And I'm sure she'll agree… eventually." The three of them roll their eyes, but don't comment. "Inoichi's bugging me about making my relationship with Chouji official, by the way."

"… Why?" Naru-nii doesn't like the sound of that.

"He and Ibiki are under the impression I'm still suicidal." I tell them honestly. "He thinks making it official will ground me."

"It couldn't hurt. I mean, look at Kakashi." Momochi-san teases, grinning.

"And you're one to talk?" Kashi-nii teases right back.

Momochi-san shrugs, but is still grinning. "I can't lie, Nara had a point. A good woman is worth being whipped for." D'awwww! "Oi, Namiki. Cut it out. I know that look."

"What?" I ask, all hurt innocence. "Can't I enjoy the legendary Demon of the Hidden Mist finding the love of his life?"

"Kunoichi. I swear… the whole species is crazy." Momochi-san shakes his head, obviously annoyed.

"We'd have to be to survive around shinobi." I say, grinning.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I don't mind helping?" Miwako tries, but the offer immediately gets shot down. Yasu-nee and Maki and Haku are more than happy to dish out dinner, and Haku doesn't even mind serving Miwako and Satsuma, but they know better than to risk letting Miwako serve anyone.

"Hey, Aya-nee? Can I sit with you tonight?" Sakiko asks. She's been asking to sit with me a lot lately. I'm not sure if there's a reason, but I'll get it out of her if there is.

"Sure, Imouto-chan." I say, scooting back a bit to make space for her. "Mom, would you mind helping Kenshin?"

"… I wouldn't mind helping him." Satsuma tries, and gets ignored.

"Of course, baby. Come on, Kenshin-chan. I'll even let you pick your own desert if you behave." He likes the idea, so he's quick to run to mom and plops into her lap. Mom, hasn't complained once that she and daddy are pretty much raising the whole Namiki clan. Kami-sama, I'm so glad they're in my life.

"Yasu-chan, I really wish you'd let me at least serve the food for you." Kashi-nii tries.

"Nii-san, come on. If you had your way she'd be in bed for the next nine months." I point out.

"And that's wrong, because…?" He seriously doesn't get it.

"Because exercise is healthy and letting her do little things while accepting her new limitations is by far better for her physical, mental and emotional health." I explain seriously. "Mom's keeping an eye on her, Kashi-nii. Do you really think she'd let her do anything strenuous?"

He sighs, but can't argue with that. He still bugs her to let him help, but she swats his hand away every time. I don't miss the grateful look she send my way though.

"I'd have to agree with her." Satsuma tries. "So long as she rests when she's tired, there's no reason to limit her."

Kashi-nii glares at him; _who asked you_? Satsuma looks a bit uncomfortable, but doesn't respond.

"Aren't the others coming?" I ask, wondering why Inoichi-san, Mariko-san, Chouza-san and Remi-san aren't here. It's also kind of weird to not see Ino here.

"Hmm? No, not tonight." Mom says, smiling.

"Mom…?"

"They're just considering something I suggested." She says, being really vague on purpose. Somehow I get the impression she'd talked to Remi-san and Mariko-san about the three of them getting pregnant again. I don't know why I think that, but it fits.

"Papa?" Hoshie's already begging with her eyes.

"What's up, princess?" He asks, glad someone's talking to him.

"Can I sit with you tonight?" Tears are welling up. She's a bit jealous of Sakiko and Kenshin, and obviously wants the same treatment. I silently pray that Satsuma understands that saying no will crush her – and piss everyone off, not unimportant.

"If that's what you want, sure." He says, smiling. He scoots back a little, to make room for her, but poor Hoshie isn't even sure how to respond.

"Imouto-chan." I grab her attention. "If you don't hurry, dinner will get cold." I give her a meaningful look. She looks about ready to cry, getting up and running around the table to sit with her father. I don't look, but I listen. I listen how he asks her if she's comfortable, how she sounds overjoyed to finally get the attention she's craved from at least one of them.

I listen to how Miwako praises her for eating her vegetables, to how Hoshie proudly announces that Yasu-nee told her there's no dessert without eating all her veggies. I listen to how Satsuma offers to help her, and how she declares that she's a big girl so she doesn't need any help.

And all the while, Sakiko and I are going tit for tat, to see who gets the last eggroll. I tend to hold my chopsticks left-handed when she sits with me, so we don't continually get in each other's way, but it does make for some interesting little games to test and hone her speed and reflexes. Eventually mom gets on our cases, saying that we're setting a bad example for Kenshin. So I pretend to be embarrassed and let her 'steal' the eggroll we were fighting over. She's earned it.

I also listen to how mom is teaching Kenshin how to hold the special chopsticks she bought for him. How he boasts that he's getting the hang of it, even though he's making a mess of things. I smile when I don't hear mom making a fuss at all. She knows this is just a part of learning.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Hoshie sounds near tears. She probably dropped something in her lap, messing up her clothes, or his.

"It's fine, princess. These things happen." Satsuma assures her. I hear a sucking sound – she'd probably dropped a piece of beef, which has sauce, and he's 'cleaning up the mess'. "See. Not a problem."

I don't know if he realises it, but mom, Yasu-nee and I are all smiles. It seems that maybe, just maybe, Hoshie and Kenshin will get the childhood they deserve.

And it's about time.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Alright, everyone. Line up, please!" I call clapping to get, and keep, their attention. Miwako and Satsuma are here, for some reason. Don't know, don't care. "Hoshie, you are our most junior member, which means you need to be all the way to that side." I point to my right. Udon, being the most skilled right now, is to my left.

Once everyone is lined up properly, I sit seiza, and so do they. "Good. Hinata is here with us tonight, because I want to introduce her to our newest member. Hoshie, Hina-nee is one of the senseis of the four clans in sound release and medical jutsu. She has much to teach, and she is my foremost student in both schools. Now, everyone, I've explained earlier what I wish to see. I expect you to give it your all, no matter what. Do you understand?"

" **Yes, Aya-nee!** " They answer as one. I don't remember when they all decided that I'm their big sister, but I don't mind. It's fine.

"Alright. Since we have a new member, we'll be switching things up. I want to start with Hoshie-chan and we'll work our way up to Udon. Please come here, Imouto-chan." She looks nervous. "There's no need to be nervous. This is a place we are allowed to make mistakes. Moegi, why is that?"

"Because we cannot grow without making mistakes and learning from them." She answers, beaming to show she knows she got that right.

"That's exactly right. It's better to make mistakes here, among your pack, than anywhere else." I explain, my tone kind and my smile as warm as I can manage – with _those two_ sitting right there. "So don't be afraid to make mistakes here. So long as you learn from it, it's healthy and needed."

"N-nn." She nods, but still stounds uncertain. She walks over to me, so I jump to my feet. I stand in front of her, assuming the Muay Thai stance. She's quick to do the same.

I make some minor corrections, but overall I'm not disappointed. For someone that started learning this so recently, she's doing surprisingly well.

"Good. Show me your game face." I demand. She still looks nervous. "Imouto-chan, look at my face. Study me." I demand as gently as I can. I drain all emotion from my face, sharpening the look in my eyes to the point that I could cut people with just a look.

She tries mimicking me, but on the look in her eyes is still uncertain. "Better. You'll get there with time." I say, smiling. "Alright, now show me your punch."

She throws a sloppy punch, overextends and almost loses her balance. I catch her before she falls. She looks ready to cry, obviously wanting to make her parents proud of her.

I take my time explaining her what to pay attention to, how she shouldn't extend her arm all the way and that if she does she might hurt her elbow if she hits something or someone. She nods, throwing another punch, better this time. She doesn't lose her balance at all, and she throws her weight into it slightly.

"Better, much better. Again." She throws the same punch, determination in her eyes this time. "Again." She throws the punch again, breathing hard as she strikes her imaginary opponent – just to show how seriously she's taking this.

"That, just now." I begin. "That's how I want you to punch." I praise, giving her a moment to enjoy the attention and admiration of her peers. "Again."

She does the punch exactly the same way. Throwing the punch with her whole body. "Good! Good! Now the other arm." It takes a few tries, but she executes the punch the exact same way. "Good! Now I want you to throw two punches. One right, one left. Keep in mind they both need to be just as strong."

This takes a bit longer. She starts out throwing one punch the coming back to throw the next. Eventually, I explain that if she takes a slight step forward she could cut down the time. It's a bit of a crutch, but she gets the result she wants almost instantly.

"Good! That's what I'm talking about, Hoshie!" I praise, enjoying the slightly worn out, but oh so proud look in her eyes. "Alright. That's enough for now. Back to lineup. We'll work on it some more after you catch your breath."

Next comes Yuzuki. She doesn't hesitate at all. She's mastered the steps I just worked through with Hoshie, so I trade punches and elbows with her, helping her to toughen up her fists and elbows. I keep going with her until she winces the first time.

"Good, Yuzuki-chan! You've been practicing." I praise, glad to see her face light up. "Now, we'll work on your knees and shins."

This time it takes her twice as long to wince. "Excellent, Yuzuki! You should try to focus on your fists and elbows more, until you can hold out just as long as with your knees and shins. Alrgiht?"

"Yes, Aya-nee!" She bows formally to me, but I wave it off.

"Come now, Yuzuki. Is that anyway to be with your pack? I appreciate it, but if you feel so strongly, I prefer hugs over bows. Alright?" I tell her. Even without seeing her eyes, I can tell she's a little teary. She runs over to me, hugging me briefly before rushing back to line-up.

"Alright, next up!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Udon, you're approaching this all wrong. Don't try using force. Sound release is about finesse." I explain seriously. "I want you to imagine this jutsu is your koto. Remember that plucking the strings harder makes more noise, but not sweeter music. So play the jutsu for me, soft and sweet."

He nods, mentally rehearsing it before trying it again.

 **Snap!**

One Divine Hand pops into existence. I grin. " _That's_ what I'm talking about." I praise. "It's still shaky, and it will explode on contact. But, you've got this stage down pat. Good work, Udon." I pat him on the shoulder, pride swelling within me. The Hand fizzles out of existence, he's sweating a bit from his efforts.

"Alright, Haruki, Moegi, Udon. I want the three of you to continue working on this jutsu until you can do it effortlessly. Like this."

 **Snap!**

Two Divine Hands pop into existence instantly. I have one muss Haruki's hair, to show it won't explode on contact. "When you can do that, I'll show you the next step. But you three should feel proud having come so far so fast!"

"That goes for all of you! I'm proud to call you my students." I tell them honestly. I'm engulfed in a wave of midgets again, each overwhelmed that I feel that way. "Alright, alright. That's enough training for tonight. I want all of you to go wash up. After that, you can see if Yasu-nee has a snack for you, alright?"

They start dashing for the door. "Not you, Hoshie." The others filter out quickly, but Yuzuki and Sakiko do come for one last hug before dashing out.

"Do you know why I asked you to stay behind?" I ask her.

"… Because I suck." She says, looking away.

"No." I tell her, hooking a finger under her chin to invite her to look at me. I don't continue until she does. "I asked because I wanted to compliment you. As skilled as the others are now, they didn't throw a proper punch the first weeks of training. You've already got it down in one night." I tell her honestly. Her tears well up, so I hug her. She needs and deserves it.

"Do you want to spend a little extra time training with me?" I ask, proud of my little sister. She nods – no hesitation, no questions, just the joy of knowing I want to. "Alright. I can't promise you I'll always have the time, you've seen how many students we have running around. But, I'm willing to give you the chance. If you show me that you will take this seriously, I will find the time for you. Alright?"

"…N-nn." She nods again, clutching my shirt to hold onto me even tighter.

"Good. Tonight it's just you and me. Tomorrow, I'm going to want to get you, Katsuo, Sakiko and Yuzuki for some more training. I expect you to tell them for me. Deal?"

"Deal." She says, nodding.

"Alright then." I push her back a little, enjoying how her eyes are lighting up. "I'm proud of you, Imouto-chan. So long as you continue to give me your all, I won't care how many mistakes you make, okay?" She's in tears, but smiling brightly all the same.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You're a good sensei." Satsuma says, after Hoshie leaves to go wash up.

"…" I don't answer. I don't want to. Instead I cast a privacy jutsu, wanting to understand just how screwed I am with setting these two straight. "Why didn't Miwako ever teach you Muay Thai?"

"I'm not a Namiki." He says, shrugging.

"Sakiko wasn't born a Namiki. Udon, Moegi and Haruki are Uzumakis. Yuzuki isn't a Namiki either. In fact, I even taught Naruto. So, why wasn't your mate allowed to learn?" I ask Miwako this time.

"He didn't need it. He's skilled enough with the Konoha Medic style, and he's not likely to ever be able to handle the Okami jutsu, so there was just never a reason to." She explains.

"Idiot." I say, shaking my head at her stupid reasons. "There's no such thing as a skill you don't need." Neither has an answer to that. "Whatever. Not my problem."

"If you don't mind me asking?" Satsuma begins, uncertain. "Why are you training the other clans in what could easily become a Namiki hidden style?"

"Because the den depends on each pillar being strong." I tell him, smiling and rolling my eyes that I have to explain a core Namiki principle to him. "Besides, the Uzumaki's didn't need to teach me Uzumaki Script Sealing. The Yukis didn't need to teach me the silent killing style. The Hatakes didn't need to help me develop and perfect half the jutsus you saw tonight. We are stronger if we pool our resources, that's the whole point of the pack, isn't it?"

"Aya, do you know that Yuzuki is an U-"

"I know who she is." I cut her off. "I warned you of the secrets carefully kept within these walls." They both look at me, obviously approving of whatever they think they see. "Though you only see four clans accounted for, the fifth is never far from our hearts."

"What about Asami, do you know?"

"Oh yes. I know all about that. Who do you think forced the Third's hand to tell _him_?" They look confused, probably wondering how I found out. "It was easy to figure out. You always trying to get Naruto-nii and I to play and spend time together when we were children? You being the Fourth's personal Anbu guard? And the impressive collection of Uzumaki and Namikaze scrolls in our hidden library?"

"Heh. You always did take off your father in the brains department." Miwako says, sounding proud. I gaze at her, wondering why she thinks that's a compliment.

"So you're going to be his guard dog?" Satsuma doesn't sound pleased.

"I am _no one's_ dog. I am a wolf." I correct, my tone crisp. "And I am protective of him, yes. Just as he, Kashi-nii and Momochi-san are protective of me."

"What about you and… Chouji?" Satsuma asks, his tone a bit darker.

"Watch your tone, Satsuma." I glare, warning him only once. "My love life is none of your concern." He tries to look stern, until I growl at him, my every muscle coiled to strike, my every hair standing on end.

I don't cool off until I get visual confirmation that he's backing off from this topic. And then, "You would blame your father for wanting to look of for you?" Some idiots never learn.

"Ah yes, because I've been calling you Satsuma for the pure joy of it." I intone. "Your duties begin tomorrow morning. Be ready for no later than six." I drop the privacy jutsu, leaving them there to figure things out for themselves.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 76_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I believe the stage is set for... some fun. So, let's have that fun, shall we?  
_**


	91. Subjective realities

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 77 – Subjective realities**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Hana, Satsuma." I do a brief introduction, simply for the sake of being polite. "Anyway, Hana, I'm sorry for abandoning you like I did. Too much going on, you know?"

"Aya, please. You didn't abandon me. Frankly, the last time I had to rehabilitate this idiot he ended up almost moving into my house. You're offering both of us room and board free of charge. And on top of that you provide us with the things I need for him." She sounds almost insulted at first, but the more she explains the more… grateful and touched she truly is seeps into her tone.

"Hana, please. Why would I ever offer either of you any less than you deserve?" I counter, smirking to show I'm onto her. She blushes a little, but doesn't comment. "Anyway, I've been talking to Tsume-san, and-"

"Aya~aaaaa."

"Am I wrong?" I challenge. She doesn't blush this time, keeping her face carefully controlled. Her eyes give her away though. "Look. I'm not here to get involved in your love life. I'm here to say that if there's something there, go for it. He's a good man, and you deserve a little fun in your life."

"Aya, his-"

"I'm aware of his current state, the prognosis and the emotional backlash from both." I interrupt. "However, Maki was far worse off when she got here. She is now on full days training under Momochi-san's watchful eye. She also runs the four clans' business, and is helping out around our compound more often than not."

The hope mixed with the fear of disappointment in her eyes… it hurts. "Do you think I would rest before our patient is at a hundred percent? Do you think I wouldn't have Senju-san in here personally checking on him every day if I thought he was in any danger?"

"Aya, I understand, it's just…" Tears start to well up.

"Hana, I get it. You saw how hard it was for me to go through this with Chouji." I remind her. "I remember barely being able to sleep because I was afraid I put him together wrong. That I ruined his life."

She blushes, looking away from me.

"I understand exactly what you are going through, Hana. You know that. That's why I'm telling you to make those plans, to talk about them with him, to give both of you hope that tomorrow is going to be so much better than today and yesterday." I place a hand on her arm, to let her know that I'm here. "And for the love of Kami-sama, I'm going to start dragging both of you to meals from now on. I'm getting tired of you eating in here with him because you think anyone would be upset by a man relearning how to use chopsticks. You're part of the pack, Hana! Stop hiding from us!"

"He's the one fighting it." She tries, smirking a little.

"Maki fought it too. And guess what. We strapped her ass onto a stretcher and dragged her along anyway." We share a laugh, the tension easing, even if only a little. "Sometimes you have to love them enough to give them what they need, no matter how stupid they're being about it. Agreed?"

"Agreed." She says, smiling a little. "Alright. I'll handle things here… and… thanks, Aya."

"Don't thank me yet. He's going to be a major brat the first few times. If it gets too much, I'll deal with him."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Having dealt with the first of my self-appointed 'must do today' tasks, I hunt down a rather… elusive Akimichi. He's been avoiding me. Which is just as well, because I've kind of been avoiding him too. I find him in the Hatake's backyard, alone. Training and alone.

"When were you going to tell me?" He knows I'm here? Even without seeing me, without me announcing my arrival?

"About?" I ask, a bit overwhelmed by the sudden change, and… so many other things I can't seem to make sense of.

"The scar." He does the handsigns, spits out the mud from his mouth and creates an Earth Release: Mud Wall to be proud of.

"I'm sorry, I… didn't really have a plan for telling you." I say honestly. "Not because you don't deserve to know what happened, I just… got swept up in everything that's going on." I add almost too quickly. I mentally kick myself in the teeth for making this more awkward than it has to be.

"… You've been avoiding me ever since, Aya. So I know you're lying. And Sakiko told me that she's the one that demanded I be there for that meeting." He says, doing the jutsu again, obviously either trying to reduce the handsigns needed, or work on the speed for doing the jutsu. Or maybe he's just glad to be doing something his important? "Why were you avoiding me?"

I sigh, walking up to him and hugging him from behind. "Because I know how much you hate me going on missions. So me getting injured badly enough to get a scar, let alone where the scar is…" I trail off, knowing he understands what I mean to say. "I know I'm never going to hear the end of it… even though it's a cute scar."

"And now with your parents back, things are… a bit more complicated."

"You mean Miwako and Satsuma?" I half correct. He bristles. "Don't you start, Chouji. I buried my parents years ago." I should get that recorded. I really should.

"You do realise that he's standing right behind you." He says. "And that you're breaking his heart by calling him that."

"Don't do this. Please. We're just going to end up getting into a fight, and that's just going to make me hate him even more." I tell him honestly. "I'm not here to talk about him or Miwako. I'm here to talk about you and me."

"Yeah, uncle Inoichi was here a few days ago to talk to me about that. Mom and dad are all for it, so long as we take things slow, but…"

"I know." I sigh. "I didn't promise anyone I'd make anything official with you, you know. I'm not here to pressure you into anything. I'm here to talk about it, to figure out what we want, not what everyone else wants."

"I be-"

"Satsuma, when I want to hear your opinion, I will ask. Until then, hush." I say, tensing. That isn't something Couji wouldn't notice, since I'm still clinging to him. I don't even glance in Satsuma's direction, half hoping he doesn't make things even worse.

"Harsh, Aya." Chouji isn't very happy with me right now. "Look…"

"Oh Kami, the last time we got into this you broke my heart. Why do you think I've been avoiding you, Chouji? It's always one thing leading to another and it always ends up freaking one of us out! I've got enough going on right now, but I promised I'd talk to you. Can we just say this has been talked about and we agree now isn't the right time?"

"I was about to ask if we can talk privately." He says, rubbing the back of his head. I wince. Okay… I'm obviously just running on a really short fuse right now.

"Satsuma, why don't you go check if breakfast is ready, or something." I make a buzz of motion wondering why I even agreed to let him tag along. Or was that my idea. I don't know! Kami! Too much going on! My head feels like it's going to explode any second!

"You've missed our talks." Chouji sounds amused, suddenly plopping onto the ground gracelessly. I try not to whimper at the sudden loss of his warmth, but I'm not sure if it worked. He motions for me to join him. I blush, but don't answer. "Come on, Aya. I don't bite." He teases, a smile in his tone.

I sigh, feeling so much older than I should. He gently takes my hand. His eyes are closed, but there's a smile in his eyes anyway. He gently tugs, inviting me to sit with him.

No reason not to, I guess. I mean… what harm could come of it?

So I sit with him. I lean my head against his bicep, and I breathe, truly breathe, for the first time in almost a week.

"You're not coping with this at all, are you." I sigh, tired and worn out. "I thought so." Without warning, he lays down. I almost fall on top of him, not having expected that at all.

"Trying to kill me, huh." I drone sarcastically. We both know he doesn't have it in him to hurt me… physically. Emotionally…? His record works against him.

"Take off your glasses." He instructs. I narrow my eyes at him, wondering why I should. "You need to get away from the world, Aya. And the best way to do that is to start unplugging one tiny step at a time. Take off your glasses."

I kind of agree with him, but at the same time… I kind of don't. I sigh. Well, it's not like my way's been working out all that well. I take off my glasses, handing them to him. Surprisingly, he takes them from me, but I can't tell if he opened his eyes to see that I was handing them to him to begin with.

How stupid is this. I just basically blinded myself… and now I'm about ready to freak out.

"It's alright, Aya. I'm here." He assures me, his voice low and soothing. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you." I want to believe that so badly that it hurts, but… what can he do? Even getting my scar only hurt for a little while. It's… it's old wounds that life just won't let heal.

"Lay down with me, Aya. It's really relaxing." He instructs. I don't want to lay down. I don't want to give you any more power over me, Chouji! The last time you almost killed me!

"Nothing bad is going to happen. I promise." Yeah. Just like my parents were going to come back soon? That they'd never leave me alone? That they love me more than anything? "I'm here, Aya. Right here, right now. Isn't that what you need?" He starts massaging my lower back, moving his hand in slow, steady little circles.

"Inoichi told you exactly what to say, didn't he." I don't ask. He's speaking too well to my fears. There's no other explanation.

"No. He only told me what to look for."

"Don't lie to me, Chouji."

"You can smell when I lie. Do you smell me lying to you?" He challenges.

"I can't smell a lie. No one can. I can only smell if you perspire more, which could mean anything given you were just training."

"Did I smell like I was perspiring when you walked up? When you were standing behind me?" Kami-sama, Inoichi really prepared you well.

"I can't do this. Not now."

"Aya, you know me. You know who I am, what I'm capable of, and what I'm willing to do. You know me." He soothes. "So stop listening to that doubting little voice telling you that I'm trying to hurt you. You know better."

He isn't done. "I know you're scared. That you're hurting so bad right now that you can't see straight." Yes, and putting that into words is doing wonders. "That's why I wanted your glasses, so that you don't focus on seeing at all. Because you need to let that go, before it breaks the beautiful person you've fought long and hard to become."

I sigh, not even bothering to fight the tears. I'm tired of fighting the tears. I'm tired of being strong for everyone. I'm just… tired. Oh so very tired.

"Come here, Aya." He begs me this time. "Let me help you heal. Like you've been helping me."

"Chou… I…" I'm shaking my head, no. Over and over again, no. I… I can't. Please… please understand that I… I can't… not again…

"I know you're scared. That everyone that should love you unconditionally seems to do nothing but hurt you over and over and over." That did it… That did it… The dam just snapped in two. The flood of emotions I've been fighting, it slams into me from all sides at once.

I can't even breathe without that pain threatening to take over, it drowns out all my sense. Drowns them in my tears.

I don't even know how it happens, I just know that I'm in Chouji's embrace. That my head is on his chest; that I'm half laying on him, face down, half on the grass. I know his arm is wrapped around me, that his warmth is strong and steady, even against the cool morning air.

What I don't know is how long we've been laying here, or how many times I've tried telling him about the scars he's never seen – the scars on my heart, on my very soul. I don't know if he can make out the words falling off my tongue before I can identify them. I don't know if I even care.

I just know that he's here. Right here, right now. And Kami-sama… it might not change the shit I've been through this past week, these past eight years… but… for now… it's enough.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It turns out that we're late for breakfast. So late, in fact, that mom suggests we –Chouji and I– go out together to get something to eat instead, since no one had the heart to ruin my cry-a-thon and everything they'd cooked is cold. Miwako and Satsuma offer to tag along, but I turn them down without even thinking about it. I'm not in the mood to deal with either of them right now.

As usual, Tsu and Hitomi decide they're coming, even if just to play shadow guards again. I nod, seeing no reason to argue with them – they're too stubborn to argue with sometimes. "Satsuma. I want you to see if you can help Haruki and Fuu with their medical training while I'm out. I'm still going to see what else I can help them with." I add that last part because I know neither of them is going to even consider this an option otherwise. "But this way they don't have to feel like they're wasting their day because of me."

"Aya-nee, come on! Don't talk like that!" Moegi begs. "No one feels like they're wasting anything! We're just worried about you, is all."

"I'm f-"

"And don't tell me you're fine." She meets my gaze, her worries plainly on display. "You're not fine. You haven't been fine. And if you don't start taking better care of yourself, you won't be fine."

"Moegi, really, I'm f-"

"Aya-nee." Sakiko interrupts me this time. "Remember what you told us, about Namikis being pillars?" I nod. "Well, we all look up to you as our central pillar. But you're starting to crack, O'nee-chan. Everything that's going on… it's too much for you, it's too heavy for you to carry anymore. It won't matter how strong the rest of us are… if our central pillar falls… we all fall."

I beckon to her, wordless asking for a hug. She doesn't hesitate, glomping me like she always does. "When did you get so smart, Imouto-chan?" I tease, kissing the crown of her head and hugging her like there's no tomorrow.

"I have an amazing O'nee-chan, and she keeps teaching me everything I need to know, ya know."

"Aya… I don't think you should be out and about right now." Hitomi says, seeing that I'm –once again– on the verge of tears. "You go into your office, and relax with a nice book. I'll go get you something to eat. And no, I'm not going to listen to whatever lovely lie you come up with. Tsu, make sure she goes there and stays there."

"I agree. I'll come with you." Kin offers. Is… she going with Hitomi, or coming with me? I don't know. Brain on tilt. Don't care.

"Aya, you coming?" Chouji asks, offering me his elbow to escort me.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The rest of the morning, my pack pampers me. Spoils me. Coddles and comforts me. Over and over again. How? Chouji.

I'm instructed to lay on the couch, my head in Chouji's lap. And Chouji claims the right to dictate how my day goes. His argument? That I'm too scrambled to care, and that he knows me well enough to make sure even if I don't care that things would still happen I'd agree to. I…'m not sure if that should make half as much sense as it does.

In fact, he even takes things a step further. If I'm not reading, I'm not allowed my glasses. Why am I agreeing to this? I shouldn't be agreeing to this! I'm a control freak! I like having things set up and arranged exactly how I want them…

And yet… I can't bring myself to fight him. Not today.

I eventually start getting stiff, and the couch starts feeling uncomfortable. I explain that to Chou… and he does the most amazing thing ever! He grins –I can only tell because I hear it in his voice– and tells me, "Alright, little old lady. I'll bring you upstairs then. We can relax in your bedroom." I blush, embarrassed but strangely turned on as well. And I mean, **_aroused_**. Nipples almost painfully erect, special place getting warm, my scent suddenly overwhelming my senses, every button getting hit just the right way, turned on! "Ooh, someone's thinking dirty thoughts." He teases, probably only noticing my blush. And I'm not being a perv! You're… you're the one doing this to me! This is all your fault!

Your fault! And possibly Stockholm syndrome kicking in… the point is! This isn't me! This isn't on me! This isn't my fault! I blame you, Chouji!

The problem only gets worse when he scoops me up. He –hopefully– doesn't intend this to happen, but how he holds me… my… oh, Kami, this is getting embarrassing! I feel my… chest… rubbing against him as he moves. It's… not a bad feeling, at all! But… it isn't helping my state of mind any – or more accurately, the scent of my arousal. We're in a wolf den, for Kami's sake! People have either already noticed, or are going to notice the second we walk past the kitchen and family sitting room!

And, as (my) luck would have it, just as we pass the door to the family sitting room, "Oi, Chouji-kun! What's the rush?" Kashi-nii… you're a traitor, you know that, don't you. "Come on over, let's see how my cute little Imouto-chan is holding up under your _tender loving care_." I'm going to kill him. I really am. Dead. I'll make it up to Yasu-nee somehow.

"Oi, Kakashi, aren't you… only making things worse?" Thank you, Naru-nii, for stating the obvious and making people wonder why two noses are acting so weird for no apparent reason.

"I kind of agree. Aya needs her rest. Chouji, would you mind bring her up to her room? She must be sore from laying on the couch all morning." Hana… I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt here, and assume there's no hidden message in there anywhere.

And frankly, I don't know why I can't… wait… I can't identify anyone, because my brain's only focusing on my own scent… and my body's obvious desires of what I should do about that!

"Yes, yes. By all means, put her to bed." Dead. He's so dead.

"Kakashi-sensei, I think you read that book too much." Chouji… Kami-sama, I can't figure out if I should be relieved that he doesn't understand what's going on, or pissed. "It's starting to spill over into your subjective reality." Chou, stop arguing with him, and please get me out of here.

"Oi, who…" Miwako. Great. Another nose, who can no doubt tell EXACTLY what's going on. And one who'll be prone to either embarrassing me or threatening him – both cases won't be doing me any favours. "Come on, young man. I don't think Aya wants to be around so many people right now."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Why?

…

Why does this just keep happening to me?

…

Why can't things ever be simple? Why can't the enemy be bad, so that we can only be good as their opposition? Why can't Miwako be consistently a horrible person that makes hating her easy? Why can't things ever make any kami-damned sense!?

Why?

That's not too hard to answer, is it? Why?

Why can't I just forget that Satsuma was tortured for months on end to force his psyche to shut down, just so they could program a new superficial persona over the broken one beneath it? Why can I forget that Miwako's psychological profile, both from Mist and from her time leading up to the mission show she was damn near a mental breakdown from taking too many missions, trying to find any and all clues as to where Satsuma was?

Why?

Why can't things ever be simple? They abandoned me! For years! Even after realising, even if only superficially, that I'd be alone! They knew! They should have come home to me…

So why… why is it that silly little facts like their being unable to think straight because of their situations… why is that upsetting my clear cut 'they are evil, I am good' picture?

Kami-sama! This… this isn't right, it isn't fair… and I shouldn't be thinking about this! I need to rest, to relax! I need to take it easy, just for today, because tomorrow is going to end up being a busy day to make up for how much I didn't get done today.

"What are you thinking about, Aya?" Chou asks, still idly stroking my hair.

"…Noth-"

"Please don't do that." He interrupts. Rude much? "You had a breakdown just before the invasion because you were doing then what you're doing now: pushing too hard for too long. You need to stop doing that. You need to stop killing yourself one day at a time."

I sigh. "… I read the reports on Satsuma and Miwako… both here in Konoha, and in Mist…"

"And?"

"Satsuma was captured by the Mist shinobi, not the rebels. Terumi-san and her team rescued him and fifteen others from a holding cell on a small island. According to the report, and Inoichi himself confirms this is at least plausible, his brain didn't start kicking in until they got him onto another island… that's the first thing he remembers. He literally shut down because of the torture… self-induced amnesia for the sake of not going insane. Then, when he saw Miwako… he broke all over again. He remembered, but he simply couldn't function for months afterwards…"

"… I see."

"Why can't things ever be simple?" I complain. "Why can't they just be the horrible people that abandoned me? Why can't anything ever be simple?"

"Nn."

"I mean, if the reports are true? It perfectly explains it all. Miwako refusing to leave him, her Namiki instincts screaming in her ears so loud that protocol and laws be damned, the bad parent of the century awards, towards me, Hoshie, Kenshin… it would explain it all. And it would make me the big bad bitch that's just making their already horrible lives _that_ much worse."

"So… the medic in you understands, but the abandoned child doesn't care." He sums it up perfectly. "That sounds like a pretty confusing position to be in."

"N-nn…" I noise, hating that I'm crying again. He tugs me closer to him, holding me… and he just… lets me cry it out…

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 77_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Funny isn't it? How someone can perceive themselves as the hero, when they are themselves the villain? Even without knowing it, without intending to do harm. And yet... who is the victim? Who is the hero?_**

 ** _And by the way... I told you guys I'd need about 4-5 chapters for this ;) Thou shalt not doubt Fayth85.  
_**

 ** _Before you start wondering though, no... Aya isn't suddenly going to make a 180 turn, she isn't going to suddenly start calling them mama and papa. If that was the case, she'd have done so before this chapter, seeing as she already knew what was in the reports. The fact is, no matter how well she hides it, no matter how mature and wise beyond her years she is/seems... she is still just a thirteen year old that has a lot of growing to do. And there's no shame in that. Seriously though... four chapters in one day. I'm beat. I need to sleep. But this just wouldn't leave me along until I worked it all out perfectly._**

 ** _Just so you know, there's still a few issues to work out, and I still have the other things I need to work in as well. I'm still unable to say if I'll be ending this story in 5 chapters. Unfortunately, even though the next chapter will round off the bulk of the 'welcome home party', there are certain consequences that will take time to pan out properly. And a time skip of 2+ years will seem like a cop out to me; not an option. I'll figure out how I'll work it out in the morning, after my coffee. For now... sleep. Lovely, lovely sleep._**


	92. No good deed…

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 78 – No good deed…**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Mama, papa… It's me again." I say, clearing the headstones of the dirt that had accumulated since my last visit. I lay the flowers I brought in the vases I keep here. Cherry blossoms for papa, his favourite. White plums blossoms for mama, her least hated – she was never one for flowers.

"Life has been… weird since my last visit. To see two strangers wearing your skin, two traitors bearing your DNA. How do you even begin to process that?" I ask the headstones, sitting on the plot between them. My grave. My resting place.

"Chouji and I still haven't made anything official, no matter how much people beg us to. We aren't ready, you know? He's still focusing on his recovery, and I'm… still too broken to take the risk." I explain, thinking about the absolute insanity my life has become.

"He doesn't have any answers for me either, you know. On what to do. On how to feel. I mean, if I were to be given to leeway to decide their fates… what do I pick? The only logical outcome is their execution. There's no other option, none that offers any kind of realistic solution. I mean… they could be plants. They could be… they could be anything… but…"

Tears seem to come easily while I'm here. Maybe it's because I'd trained myself to allow it. Maybe it's the knowledge that one day I'll be buried here. Maybe it's because I know people don't bother other people in a cemetery.

"What would that do to Hoshie and Kenshin? If their parents are traitors, doesn't that cast suspicion on them? Doesn't that mean they'll start their lives here in Konoha with two strikes against them? And the baby on the way? What of their fate? Would Senju-san allow a motion to postpone the execution until after the baby is born? And how do you even begin to explain that to a child when they're old enough to understand? That their birthday doubles as the day their traitorous parents were executed. What would that knowledge do to them?"

As usual, the answers don't come. Not from life, not from the headstones. And certainly not from the two idiots bearing my long dead parents' identities.

I wipe away the tears, standing as tall as the weight on my shoulders will allow. "I'll come back next week. To let you know how the Council meeting goes. There hasn't been word yet… but I know Shimura-san. He'll start barking sooner rather than later. Please… watch over me… mama… papa…"

Happy with the short visit –staying here isn't a good idea, not for me– I turn to Miwako and Satsuma. "Let's go."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The walk towards the exit is in silence. It usually is. Tsu and Hitomi never have anything to say while here. Even if we visit Tsu's father's grave, she… she grieves too completely to say much while we're here. Hitomi never bothers to visit her parents. She often wonders why they had a child to begin with – to damn them to a life in the Cadet branch of their clan, a fate worse than death. Not that she ever puts that into words… no, it's her eyes that tell her tale.

"Why do you need glasses?" Satsuma asks.

"Because I am near-sighted." I say, knowing that's not what he means.

"You weren't born with it. And Miwako doesn't remember you needing before she left." He presses. Yes, I know what you're asking.

"Are you sure you want the answer?" I give him one last chance to drop this.

"Yes." Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you.

"The spring after I buried my parents." I begin, thinking back. "I stayed too long. Even though it was the rainy season. Even though it was still just barely not freezing. I fell asleep, curled up on my grave. I woke up in the hospital two weeks later, still recovering from pneumonia, but there wasn't anything that could be done for my eyesight. They were amazed I didn't go blind."

They flinch. I warned you. I did. "That's why I don't visit for very long. The temptation to stay never goes away."

"You survive things you logically shouldn't." Tsu offers – her way of trying to tell me that Miwako and Satsuma should survive this, when they logically shouldn't.

"Not in my hands." I remind her, shrugging.

"What you want and what you get aren't always the same, Aya." She isn't going to give up that easily. "Would it kill you to want more?"

"It did kill me, Tsu." I point out, my tone neutral. "Just because I continue to survive, doesn't mean the outcome changes."

"Then who saved me?" Tsu isn't giving up. "Who saved Hitomi? Who saved Kin and Tayuya? Who saved Sakiko and Yasu? Who trains our pack day in and day out? Who has been the cornerstone that continues to keep loose pieces in balance? Who is the central pillar that keeps the den from collapsing?"

I don't even think about it. "Naruto."

Cat appears in front of me. "Council meeting within the hour." I don't wait for him to say it, why would I? I knew Shimura-san wouldn't wait long.

"Nn." He nods, before disappearing once again.

"Well. Let's get you two back to the den. I've got your mess to clean up."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Thank you all for coming." Senju-san starts the meeting. "As you all know, Namikis Satsuma and Miwako arrived a week ago. Namiki Aya detained them, and called me, the Jounin Commander and the Anbu Commander in immediately, demanding an investigation into two plausible spies. The investigation and interrogation of Satsuma and Miwako has taken a while, given that this investigation included documents from Mist to corroborate their stories, and to fill in the gaps our own administration had on the pair."

"As you no doubt have noticed, Mizukage-sama is once again here to advocate for Satsuma and Miwako. She believes that they should be given the chance to live out their lives, though given no active role in Konoha's military or hospital for the sake of their already fragile mental states." Senju-san really knows how to lay things out, when she wants to. "Before any of you ask, I've conducted their physical, mental and emotional evaluation myself. Yamanaka Inoichi has confirmed my findings, and agrees with both the prognosis and course I have chosen. As such, I am not here to ask what we will do with the pair… I am here to inform you of the only logical outcome of the investigation."

Well, moment of truth. What is their fate?

"Hokage-sama, if I may?" Terumi-san sticks her nose where it obviously doesn't belong. Still, Senju-san allows it. "I have worked with both Satsuma and Miwako for many years. Closely, in fact. They were in no mental state to be allowed out on missions, but they were the best medic and guard we had. They both worked tirelessly to aid our people, to heal our people, to heal themselves."

Appeal to emotion. It's how you know this is a losing battle and there's no other way to get the result you want.

"I'd kept the two of them swamped after the civil war ended, simply to prevent them from returning to Konoha. Knowing that they face branding as traitors and execution. And yet their conscience could no longer allow them to stay away from their eldest daughter, not while knowing how long they'd allowed her to suffer in their absence." She's addressing the council, but she's speaking to me specifically. "They knew the risks, they knew that their lives were all but forfeit should they return. That's why they didn't turn themselves in on arrival. They needed to see their daughter."

How touching.

"A truly moving tale." Shimura-san drones, obviously believing this to be nothing more than grandstanding.

"I have told no lies since arriving in Konoha. Everything I say is verifiable." She presses, still only looking to me. "They love you, Aya. Whether you want to believe it or not, the truth doesn't change with your perception of it."

"If that is all Terumi-san has to say? I believe Senju-san wished to inform us of the fate of the two you clearly wish to aid." I drone.

"… How can you justify this, Aya? To aid so many that have no connection to you, and yet be so easy to accept you parents deaths?" She's really barking up the wrong tree.

"My parents **are** dead, Terumi-san. They have been for over eight years. And I already told you that they should have stayed dead." She doesn't look like she's ready to back down. As if my opinion of them bears any weight in their already decided fates. "I would kindly remind Terumi-san that her position of Mizukage doesn't give her any power in Konoha. All you have here is a voice in a sea of other voices. Senju-san is the one to decide their fates. We must abide by that, and you would do well to remember that you, too, must abide by it."

"So you would have them pay for being human? You would treat their desire to see their eldest child as an act of treason and kill them for it?" She isn't giving up. I shake my head, annoyed with her.

"Terumi-san. Let me explain this simply. Should two Mist shinobi aid Konoha over the course of eight to ten years, then return to Mist to see their child… they wouldn't even get a trial. They'd be executed on the spot. Is that accurate?" I meet her gaze, unaffected by her _wonderful_ story. She doesn't answer, stubbornly staring me down to get me to see her side of things. "You ask that Konoha offer a fate you wouldn't offer in Mist."

"If I were trying to sway the decision, I would be in Hokage-sama's office talking to her privately. Not in the council chambers squeezing in what little time I'm allowed to talk to you directly." She presses.

"Funny. That you believe your words hold any weight in the Namiki clan. Perhaps I should visit Mist to see if my words would change things in the Terumi clan." I counter. "Now, I believe you are wasting our time, Terumi-san. Be silent and allow Senju-san to say her piece."

"…" She opens her mouth to say something, anything. Words have finally failed her. She steps back, obviously hoping for something more than she got.

"Now that this has been sufficiently discussed." Senju-san begins, sounding amused. Somehow I get the impression that she and Terumi-san discussed this, repeatedly, and Senju-san is amused that she tried anyway. "The sentence is as follows. Satsuma and Miwako are not to be branded as traitors. They did not betray Konoha, nor did they actively work against her or her interests."

"Hokage-sa-"

 **Snap!**

And so, we have the first councilman on the ceiling for this meeting. "I believe Senju-san said she isn't here to discuss the matter." I warn, my tone showing how much this situation is grating on me. "Please continue, Senju-san."

"Thank you. Satsuma and Miwako did not betray our village, however, they are guilty of scores of other crimes, including revealing secrets under torture, during the Fourth Mizikage's reign. As such, the only logical outcome is life imprisonment without the chance of parole." Softie. Not that I'm much better most of the time.

"They are to spend their days in prison." Shimura-san seems upset, though he hides it well. "Which prison?" So I'm not the only one coming to that conclusion. Interesting. Still…

 **Snap!**

And so, we have our second councilman on the ceiling. "Shimura-san. Learning from history usually means not repeating past mistakes. Senju-san is not here to discuss the matter. She is here to inform us of it." My tone is slowly souring. "Now if no one else feels they are above the Hokage…? Good. Senju-san?"

"Where the prisoners will live out their days is not something I feel the need to reveal. They will be guarded around the clock. And they will never walk freely among us again. They will pay for their crimes, legally and ethically. That is all this council has need to hear." Senju-san lays it out. I nod. A slap on the wrist, if you ask me. Had it been anyone other than Senju-san, they'd be dead already.

"Meeting adjourned."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Aya, would you be against Mei entering?" Senju-san asks, standing outside my gate with Terumi-san and Katou-san.

"My ability to work with her in a professional environment doesn't mean I won't be tempted to break her in half in a private one." I warn. "Why would I want her in my den?"

"Because she wants to talk to you." Senju-san soothes.

"Now that we know why she wants in, why don't we try answering the question of why I want her in?" I glare at Senju-san, warning her that she's risking not entering herself. "I'm in no mood for games, Senju-san. Answer the question."

"Because I believe what she has to say might offer you closure."

"Senju-san, the sentence has been decided. What closure could-"

"Please, Aya… I'm asking you to trust me." She presses.

"So much appeal to emotion in one day." I complain, opening the gate. "One chance. Screw up and you're both out on your ear."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"No, Imouto-chan, I didn't forget. As soon as I'm done with these two, I'm taking you shopping as I promised. Don't forget that you need to spend some time with your parents. It wouldn't do if you ignored them." I pet Hoshie's hair, trying to get her to calm down. I don't have the heart to tell her that Miwako and Satsuma were sentenced to life in prison, let alone not knowing when they'll be collected. I have my suspicions, but suspicions can be wrong.

"Alright! But, you promised, Aya-nee!" She grins, eyes twinkling with so many positive things at once.

"I know. That's why I'm saying you should go spend some time with them now, so that we can get going as soon as I'm done. Now hop to, young lady." I roll my eyes, trying to act annoyed with her. She grins, seeing right through me. I'm glomped, told I'm loved, and left alone to deal with my newest headache.

"Yasu-nee, do you have any quick snacks, and maybe some tea for us?" I ask, revealing why I head to the kitchen, instead of my office.

"Three people?" She asks, not even looking to me.

"Uh huh. It seems Senju-san and Terumi-san have something interesting to say. Again." I huff. "I really can't figure out why I'm such a centrepiece these days, can you?"

"Because you're adorable." She teases, a smile in her voice. "I'll send Kin with the tea, when it's ready. But… I only have muffins for now. Is that okay?"

"Something is always better than nothing." I shrug, already adding snacks to my mental shopping list.

"Sweetie, mom's already out doing the shopping, so take that off your list. She should be here soon, but I figure you won't want to wait."

"We'll be waiting on the tea anyway. It's not a big deal." I say, hugging her. She kisses my brow, murmuring something I can't quite make out. Then she shoos me, obviously wanting to get back to Kin's cooking lesson. "We'll be in my office when mom gets here."

"Sweetie, the muffins. We both know you could use some chocolate." Can't argue with that.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

In my office, I invite Senju-san and Terumi-san to sit on the couch. Tsu and Hitomi sit on the corners of my desk, obviously tense and ready to spring into action. I grab a muffin, sniffing it –mostly out of habit– and taking a bi…

 **Sniff, sniff.**

"Tomi…?"

"What? She started it." Hitomi defends, a smile in her eyes. Kin and Hitomi. Interesting.

"Make sure to explain her that we're okay with it. I haven't had the time to as yet." I say, easing myself onto the couch opposite my guests.

"Yasu-san walked in on us." She says, grinning this time. So that's why Yasu-nee's been dragging her into the kitchen to spend more time with her. Hmm. Some things never change.

"And her stupid bathing habits?" I press. It's not like I mind if anyone overhears this, after all. So long as Hitomi doesn't mind talking about it, it's fine.

"I… _may_ have been… _discussing_ that with her… when Yasu-san… walked in." She's not blushing, not overtly, but she is blushing so bad on the inside.

"Ah." They were bathing together, and probably getting… _frisky_ … when Yasu-nee walked in. Knowing Yasu-nee as well as I do, she probably congratulated them and went about her business like nothing happened. And yes… I know they were getting frisky. Hitomi's no longer a virgin, after all. "Congratulations, by the way."

She smiles, blushing a little.

"… Her and Kin?" Senju-san guesses.

"Namiki clan business. If Hitomi wishes to announce it that is her choice." I say.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Hitomi says, beaming this time.

"… You're okay with…?" Terumi-san obviously isn't used to how Namikis operate. Not if this surprises her.

"It isn't my place to tell Hitomi who to fall in love with, or share her bed with. If she falls in love with and wishes to pursue a female, male, or someone not readily identifiable as either, that is her choice." I explain simply.

"Hnn…" Terumi frowns thoughtfully, nodding – surprised, but obviously impressed.

I shrug, rolling my eyes shaking my head in a sort of confused amazement. Why is it that doing the right thing amazes people?

Ten minutes later, Kin comes in with tea and the snacks mom brought back. Biscuits, and some fancy chocolates. Perfect for this kind of meeting.

"Ah, Kin. Hitomi just gave us the good news. Congratulations." Senju-san says, smiling warmly. Kin looks about ready to pass out from the shock, her full attention zoned in on me.

"Nn. Congratulations." I say, smiling. But that seems to press all the wrong buttons. "Kin, I knew it was a possibility. And everyone knows Hitomi's into girls. It's not a big deal." I soothe, hoping she doesn't pass out. "By the way… I haven't heard anything about Ao-chan and Hiro?"

"… How could you not hear about them? They're…" Kin begins, catching herself. Her eyes are wide as dinner plates.

"The cutest couple ever?" I tease. "I was there when they hooked up. Again, Kin, it's not a big deal. Relax."

She doesn't look like she's relaxing. At all. "Tomi, will you please help your mate to breathe? I'm not in a CPR mood."

Hitomi doesn't miss a beat, walking over, helping Kin to put down the tray on the coffee table in front of me, and tugging her over to the desk where she was standing before. Her arms are protectively wrapped around Kin's middle, whispering that there's nothing to be worried about into her ear. I smile. It isn't often you see Hitomi's nurturing side come out, so I treasure the moments it does.

"Tsu, you mind…?" She nods, moving to close the door and activate the seals for me. "Now, Terumi-san, you have something you believe I wish to hear. Please, by all means." My tone is far more reserved, colder.

"Yes." She begins, grabbing a biscuit to collect her thoughts. "The reason your parents didn't return before now."

I'm tempted to halfway correct her, but I'm no longer in the mood. Tsu will just get on my case again when the meeting's over.

"It was because your father is apt to have an episode whenever he sees a beach, for reasons we have yet to discover." She explains. "He… was only able to travel this time because he was either blindfolded or comatose for certain parts of the journey."

"Terumi-san, I don't know why you keep making up little tales like this. Satsuma is a medic and, according to sources, a jounin. The way you portray him, makes him seem like a petulant genin, at best." I intone, unimpressed. "Now, I do not believe you are here to once again discuss matters like this for the sake of idle curiosity. You both wish for them to serve their sentence in my den under Anbu guard."

They share a look, shocked. "I warned you twice not to underestimate me, Terumi-san. That's twice more than most get." I say, biting into the muffin. I make sure to chew and swallow before continuing; covering my mouth just in case. "Now, what would happen if I were to refuse?"

"Aya~aaaaaa." Tsu warns. I turn and glare at her. "Don't give me that look. Hear them out, weigh the pros and cons, and **then** decide. Don't just discard the option out of hand."

"Fine. Senju-san. Plead your case."

"Well-"

"You're Terumi Mei, of Mist. I was talking to Senju Tsunade, of Konoha." I cut her off. "And frankly the only reason I haven't kicked you out, is because I know Tsu and Hitomi are going to give me a headache over the timing. Play you're cards right, Terumi-san. Because you are tainting Senju-san's standing with us, not your own."

She obviously doesn't like that. "Now. Senju-san, I'm listening."

"This is the only option that works out in everyone's interest." She begins. "They can't get off Scott free. Their crimes aren't execution worthy, not in my eyes. And this way, the council doesn't have to keep bothering you about Namiki babies, seeing as your parents will have nothing better to do than to work on themselves and raise their children."

I nod understanding – though not agreeing with her. You don't give mentally unstable people children to ra… then again, I'm pretty unstable myself from time to time. I sigh.

"So, I would place them in the care of the Namiki clan, to serve their sentence here in your compound."

"You do realise that Shimura-san will find out, and that he will be up in arms about this?" I remind her. "No one will consider this a prison. No one will consider this a sentence. At best, you might convince them this is house arrest, but even that is questionable."

"Ah, but that's why showcasing your open dislike for what they've done was so important." Even Terumi-san looks surprised by that. "No one in their right mind would want to be so near you for long periods of time if they know you're pissed with them. And now everyone in the village will know that you are pissed with what your parents did. They will literally be under your thumb for the rest of their lives. Yours to order around, to command, to push around. Even Danzo will have to admit that's worse than being in prison."

"Senju-san, you lie well, but you don't fool me." I counter. "You want them here because we also double as a rehabilitation centre. You want them fixed. And you want their children to grow up with them." I point out. "Shimura-san will figure that out in a heartbeat. And I don't play cat and mouse politics games. If he asks the right way, I will speak my mind. You risk political fallout over this."

"I'm aware. Now tell me, do you have another option that works better for the reasons I've laid out?"

"Senju-san, I'm still very much convinced they should both be executed. Heedless of what you believe, they are traitors to their village, and they're **certainly** traitors to the Namiki clan. You can dress that up as much as you want, cover it in all the makeup money can buy. But a swine remains a swine, even in a kimono, tiara and wearing pearls." I say, my tone deathly serious.

"Having said that, you at least make some good points. We have a few prisoners here that are kept secure and under surveillance around the clock. And we can offer them a stable enough environment for their mental rehabilitation, which a prison would not. I however do not appreciate you sticking your nose into Namiki clan business, suggesting they be used as breeding stock. And no, I don't care if that is or isn't how you worded it. Miwako might have some 'fertile years' left in her, but I do not play that game and you know it. Regardless if they are prisoners, I don't deal in those matters."

"And that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface with all the Anbu Operatives in and out asking when the execution is. Who will explain to them why two known traitors are being given a slap on the wrist?" I ask, curious what she has to say about any of it.

"I refuse to brand them traitors, Aya. Not for their sakes, but yours, Hoshie's and Kenshin's. You know how the village will react to that." She says. "And as Hokage, it's my right to brand them or to not brand them traitors."

Point. I can appreciate her reasoning as well.

"As for the Anbu? I will speak with Dragon. She will handle that for us." Fair enough. "And I'd… _prefer_ _it_ if Inoichi were here at least once a week to work with both of them. To see if there's anything that can be done for them. And for you." She did **_NOT_** just go there!

"Senj-"

"Aya, if you fight me and that last point, I will pull rank and order you into therapy." She warns. I cross my arms, quietly seething. "You have mental and emotional scars you haven't even begun to heal. And you have a habit of burying yourself in your work to not have to face that."

"She who lives in a glass house…" I remind her. She winces. "If you wish to order me, then do so. I will gladly ignore that order, Se-"

"Aya, please." Tsu begs. "I'll go if you will."

I sigh. Great. I've been begging her for how long? And now she's willing, if only to drag me along for the ride.

"I think I'm going to start asking you to wait outside for these meetings, Tsu." I glare at her.

"Go with me?" She completely ignores me. "Please?"

I roll my shoulders, hating the tension I keep finding there, and biting into my muffin.

"Thank you." She says, meaning it. I take another bite of my muffin, hating that I keep giving in.

"As for considering them breeding stock." Senju-san says, smiling at the little victories already in her pocket. "It's none of my business if they never have another child, or have another ten. I referred to raising them, not having them."

"A politician's silver tongue. That's why I'll never want to be Hokage." I complain.

"Will you agree to house them in your den?" Senju-san asks, her eyes almost begging.

"… I'm seriously going to start hating you eventually, Senju-san. You know that."

"Thank you, Aya." She says, meaning it.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Tsu is sent to call Miwako and Satsuma, so the situation can be explained to them. Not surprisingly, Senju-san sends for Dragon as well – two birds, one stone. I sit through it, listen to every word said.

I'm not sure why I need to be here for this, though.

"So how does Aya feel about this?" Miwako asks. I snort, unamused.

"It's still my opinion you should be executed. But that isn't my call to make." I say, glaring at Senju-san.

"… I see."

"Don't even _try_ that shit with me, Miwako. If you'd trained your mate properly, he'd never have been captured. He'd never have broken under the torture. And your mooning over a ghost is not helping your case in the least." I grind out. She winces.

"Aya." Satsuna calls me. "We can't change the past. You know that."

"Ah. Thanks for the update. I'll be sure to make a memo of that." I drone sarcastically. "Look. My stance has been made perfectly clear. I believe both of you are undeservingly getting little more than a slap on the wrist. So don't come playing the sympathy card with me. I am your jailor, and you had best respect me as such. Because I promise, one toe out of line and I'll be your executioner, orders or no."

"Jailor or no… you are still our daughter." Satsuma tries.

"Biologically." I point out. "Now, can we please get on with this supposed sentencing? I have more important things to do."

"… What can we do to make things right, Aya?" Satsuma tries again.

"Senju-san. Are they legally in my custody?" She nods.

 **Snap!**

Satsuma is on the ceiling, mouth covered to keep him silent. "Much better. And Miwako, don't push your luck. I can do the same to you without risking your pregnancy." I warn, glaring at her. "Now, continue with the sentencing."

"He can still hear me, right?" I nod, wondering why this is the first time she's even asking that. It certainly isn't the first time she's seen people crawling around on a ceiling in that jutsu. "Good. You will both be prohibited from leaving this compound. Not even under guard. Anything you need will be provided here. The Namiki clan will be reimbursed for anything that can be proven is needed, and they will be paid the standard fare for housing two jounin ranked prisoners of the state. You will also attend mandatory weekly counselling sessions. Refuse this, and I will make other arrangements. I'm sure Aya would miss you like a toothache." I snort, fully agreeing with her.

"Counselling… Now I know this is a prison sentence." Miwako complains.

"Yeah, and guess what? You idiots had to drag me down into it as well." I complain, glaring at nothing in particular.

"Actually, you agreed because you love me so much." Tsu coos, a grin in her voice. I just bite into what's left of my muffin. Now I feel like a peach. And some cherries.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 78_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Just want to point out several key factors before anyone else is tempted to. Executions are actually quite rare in Konoha. Don't believe me? Mizuki and the Legendary Stupid Brothers (Fujin and Raijin) were imprisoned. One was a confirmed traitor that tricked a student into stealing the Forbidden Scroll and confirmed he was going to offer it to Orochimaru, and also broke the Third's Law to talk about Naruto being the Nine-tails jinchuriki. The other two killed their teammates during a mission and didn't understand they would get in trouble for it. None of them were executed.  
_**

 ** _Is Tsunade being overly soft? Yes, without a doubt. Is she a dictator of a military regime? Yes, without a doubt. She is also a medic who tries to save lives whenever she can. Her core mind-set is to fix people, even though she will break you if you oppose her. Miwako and Satsuma are cooperating, and clearly need to be fixed. Tsunade would send them to prison in a heartbeat if they mess with the delicate situation, but... More good might come from housing them in the Namiki compound. Good for Hoshie and Kenshin, but also for Aya._**

 ** _And that's ignoring that Tsunade wouldn't complain if Miwako 'pops out' a few more babies. I mean, look at Aya? Can you imagine what Hoshie and Kenshin will be like under Aya's careful tutelage? Now, add the baby on board? And more plausible Namikis if Miwako is allowed to be housed with Satsuma? There are reasons why this works out better, even if she isn't advertising or pushing for them. After all, if Miwako got pregnant in the middle of Mist's civil war? She'd get pregnant again in a heartbeat in a safe environment surrounded by people that would care for the new addition._**

 ** _Tsunade is just planning ahead. Soft, gentle, yes. But that's military grade planning._**


	93. Much needed downtime

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 79 – Much needed downtime**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

 **-Hey, Sasuke, sorry about ignoring you.-**

 **-Asami's been keeping me up to date.-** He says, sorrow in his tone. Well, for an Uchiha at least. **-Only you could ever find what every orphan wants in a way that no one would want it-**

I snort. **-I know right? Did you hear about Kin and Hitomi?-**

 **-Asami's been keeping me up to date.-** He says again.

 **-So that's a yes?-**

 **-Aya.-**

 **-Sasuke.-**

 **-You've been hanging out with Naruto.-**

 **-Been!?-** Naru-nii jumps in. **-Sasu-chan, I'm hurt! We're hanging out right now. She's almost in tears from laughing so hard, by the way.-** Completely true! I am!

 **-Hnn-** No matter how much time I spend talking to him, even now, I can't help but feel amazed at how much information he manages to squeeze into his Uchiha-speak noises. Seriously. I can tell he's annoyed with Naru-nii calling him that and amused with my reaction of his annoyance even before he shows it. **-So what's it like?-**

 **-She… doesn't like talking about it.-** Naruto-nii answers, no doubt noticing how my good mood just evaporated. **-She's cool with her little brother and sister, but…-**

 **-I figured.-**

 **-Yuzuki's really glad to have someone new to play with. And by the way, am I the only one noticing that Asami all but adopted her?-**

 **-Slow as ever.-** Sasuke says, a smirk in his tone. **-So, Aya. How do you plan on dealing with this? What are you doing to Terumi?-**

 **-I have no idea what you're talking about.-**

 **-She's grinning.-** Sasuke doesn't ask.

 **-She's grinning.-** Naru-nii confirms.

 **-I want in.-** Asami? Oh yeah, she can actually hear us talking like this.

 **-That requires me admitting I'm doing something.-** I point out.

 **-You're grinning. You've already admitted. And we both know you're going to include us anyway.-** Naru-nii points out.

 **-… Sometimes I wonder why I bother.-**

 **-I wonder that all the time. I mean, you know I need to do some major pranks so that Konoha will remember who the prank king is, 'ttebayo!-**

 **-… The fact that you summon kitsunes just makes that thought even scarier.-** I point out.

 **-I know. I'm quite proud of that. So what are we doing!?-**

 **-Well…-**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I get called into Senju-san's office the next day. Naruto, Asami, and I. Finding Terumi-san there… makes whatever punishment we're about to get totally worth it!

Her usually red hair is now neon orange. Her eyebrows are highlighted pink. Her teeth are green – I can only tell because of the intense scowl. Her eyes look more like a cat's. And her skin looks blue-green.

The fun part is. She keeps trying to undo the genjutsu, but that just switches up the colours, making new –and far more amusing– combinations each time.

"… You know. For three Anbu Operatives. I'd expected so much more from you." Terumi-san tries.

"Who says we're in Anbu?" As agreed, Naruto-nii's the spokesman. He's dealt with this more than we have, after all.

"There's no way you could sneak into my hotel room without me and two jounins noticing what's going on otherwise." She tries releasing the genjutsu again, turning completely orange. And I mean COMPLETELY orange! "Look. I'm all for a good prank now and again. I understand that you want to let off some steam. And I'll even grant that I should have seen this coming."

She's glaring at me. Just me. The Seal we'd placed on her is… acting up. And it's… just randomly changing colours now. Polka dots. Spots. Plaid. Strips. Geometric shapes. All in bright, neon colours that are guaranteed to grab your attention. But that's not why she's glaring at me.

Oh no.

She's glaring at me, because I'm in tears from laughing so hard!

Not giggling. Not chuckling. Not a hyuck and call it a day.

I'm bawling, holding my sides, tears trickling down my face, face turning red, about to keel over from the lack of oxygen laughing in her face.

"… Would you… please just… undo… whatever…" There's my seal kicking in. It was designed to activate once it registers laughter. My laughter, specifically. Her voice is mutating with every new syllable. It's switching between accents, voices, and the last thing she tried to say sounded like a frog croaking – that was Asami's example to learn how to make the seal.

On hearing how well it works, even Senju-san and Katou-san are fighting to keep a straight face. Somehow Asami's still keeping a straight face, but Naru-nii and I are clutching each other, trying to keep the other from falling over.

Terumi-san tries saying something, but when the seal keeps clucking instead, she starts losing her cool. She starts shouting – bleating instead. And yes, the disco style colour dance is still happening. And, to show how well Naru-nii planned that seal, it's reacting to mine! The animal she now sounds like, is the exact pattern of colours she's sporting – with little silhouettes of that animal too!

Then it happens. The vein in her forehead looks about ready to pop! Asami cracks a smile. This can't be good!

A low powered genjutsu! Showing subtitles! Only, I'm sure it's not what she's actually trying to say. I swat Naru-nii, telling him to calm down a bit. He looks curious. He was shaking me so much that I can't read the words, so I had to.

#I'm Terumi Mei! I love it when complete strangers spank me!# The subtitles read.

I lose it! I just lose it!

#Ooh, do that again, big boy.#

Even the Anbu in the background can't hold in their laughter this time.

"You know… Mei…" You know things are bad when a Kage is fighting not to laugh. "I don't know what you did… but I'd try to apologize."

The sound of a two alley cats getting into a fight shows she's trying to say something, but the, #Only if you have whipped cream.# subtitles, aren't helping much.

"I'm not sure what whipped cream has to do with it, really." Senju-san says, her eyes lighting up with joy and amusement.

Terumi-san looks confused, then I hear two donkeys complaining to one another, and… #But honeykins, I need something to lick and suck on.#

It takes her a second. Reading backwards in Japanese isn't the easiest thing, after all.

The sound of two women orgasming together can probably be heard halfway to Mist. #I'm not wearing any underwear.# And yes… Naru-nii is well prepared for this one too. The little silhouettes, are little animations of different sexual positions, all designed for lesbians. And her face is carefully coloured to give you the impression she's a gothic Lolita.

"Alright… alright… enough… I think you should deactivate and remove the Seals now." Senju-san says, trying to look stern, but… failing. Miserably. And I think she's crying from laughing so much too.

Asami swats both of us, giving us her stern look – or trying to, at least. It takes another minute, almost two. But the three of us share a look, shrugging. We make the Ram handsign, and the seals deactivate and fade.

"Nn." Terumi-san tries, looking for another colour change, a funny sound, or erotic/suggestive subtitles. None of it comes this time. "Than-"

" ** _Just like that, baby! Only harder! HARDER!_** " Sasa-nee and I swat Naru-nii at the same time, knowing that just came from a seal he made and stashed somewhere. He holds up his left hand, revealing the seal on a paper he's holding, and grinning like mad.

"… Thank you. For ending that… situation." Terumi-san says, bowing stiffly and walking out. I don't think she wants to know what could happen if she blows up on us. I mean, this was all fun and games. If we were trying to harm her? And when we left, we certainly know that she didn't notice a thing. Genjutsu induced dreams of your own memories are really good for things like that.

"I think we made a new friend." I say, offering Naru-nii and Sasa-nee a lopsided grin, laughter twinkling in my eyes.

"… I don't even want to know how the three of you pulled that off. But frankly, if you weren't already in Anbu, that would almost guarantee you'd get in." Senju-san says, dismissing us with a twinkle in her eyes that tells me we just made her year. Or decade. Maybe even century. It's possible.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

What can you possibly do with your day after pranking a foreign Kage? Honestly, not much. Life will all be downhill from here, I'm sure. So I drag Asami, Tsu, Hitomi, Hinata, Ikoku, Minori, Haku, Ao-chan (in a girl's kimono) and Kin shopping. I just feel like shopping. It gets old quickly though. After all… Asami and I end up having to retell the tale over and over again as we go, and that's just so much more interesting than…

Then… I notice giggling. And not from anyone in our group. A familiar giggle though. "Yokoe, what have you done?" I ask. The familiar kitsune, kimono and all, fades into view.

"It's now what I've done you should be asking about… Yokoshima is… creative. And… it would seem Naruto-kun is encouraging her." She says, laughter in her voice and eyes.

"Nothing about us?"

"No."

"Our pack?"

"No."

"Our den?"

"No."

"Then I say have at. It'll never top what I saw this morning." I tell her plainly. She smiles, waves and disappears again. She no doubt knows exactly what I'm talking about, or she'd have asked. "I think Naruto-nii is really trying to live up to what he said last night."

"Uh huh. And you know we're going to be blamed, right?" Sasa-nee sounds almost defeated.

"Nope. That's why we're in a group full of witnesses that can vouch for what we're doing. Now, who's up for junk food!?"

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 79_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: More of a mini-chapter, really. But it says what it needs to. This is also my official announcement that one of the Spin-offs has been decided! That's right! Naruto is getting a Spin-off! Pranking every character that hasn't gotten enough airtime, but not of their pack. Aya and the Uzumakis would kill Naruto if he tries pranking them. It's not the only Spin-off decided on, but seeing as Aya needed some downtime, this just seemed like the right time to squeeze in the announcement too ;)  
_**

 ** _I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!_**


	94. The path I walk

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 80 – The path I walk**_

 _ **A/N: Sorry for being so late with this, but I didn't mention it in the last chapter. I really want to thank Cabu for being my muse for the last chapter. I was trying to figure out some way to give Aya a little downtime, a way to just be a kid, not think about the consequences, do something stupid but creative. Then Cabu happened to mention her needing just that, and for some reason it clicked! And so, we all have Cabu to thank for that awesome chapter!**_

 _ **Seriously, thank you. I'm not sure that chapter would have come out so well without you ^_^**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Alright! That does it!" I announce, annoyed. "I need a party!" Everyone shares a looks, grinning.

"Aya-chan, that sounds divine." Ikoku says, linking her arm with mine. "We just need to get you a new kimono though. You don't need one, but I think you deserve it."

"Iki-chan, I couldn't agree with you more." I grin, enjoying her pleased blush at the new nickname. I think I've been hanging out with Saki too much – her nicknaming habit is wearing off on me.

"Oh no! Not another round of shopping! We just finished doing the shopping thing!" Tomi grouses, but Kin is quick to swat her.

"Are you saying I'm not worth it?" Kin demands, glaring at her.

"I never said that. I'm saying that I don't like shopping. Like at all. I want to spend time with you, but can we please do something else?" Tomi begs. "Like training? Or going to the blacksmith's? Or just stuffing our faces with junkfood?"

"Or shopping? My, my, Mi-chan, how sweet of you to offer when Aya clearly needs the love and support of her pack." Kin coos, sweet as honey. "Don't you guys agree?"

I'm laughing too much to get into it, but everyone else agrees wholeheartedly. Poor Hitomi deflates, obviously realising she already lost. "That's so sweet in fact, that I think we should get you a kimono too. I mean, seeing as you and Ryuuzetsu-chan are Aya's guards, it just wouldn't do if you were to dare seem sloppy. Don't you think?" Ouch, Kin. Just, ouch.

"But Kini-ki~iiiins…" Hitomi drawls in complaint. Kini-kins…? That's new. Then again, it's not like you can playfully shorten Kin. What'd you have left? 'N'?

"But nothing! Aya needs us, and you need to stop being such… a guy! An afternoon shopping won't kill you!" Kin isn't having it. At all.

"Yes, dear." We all giggle at poor Hitomi's expense.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hey, Ao-chan, out with the girls again?" Hiro-kun finds us en route to the clothing store we usually go to shop.

"Oh my Kami, Hiro-kun, your timing couldn't possibly be any more perfect!" Ao-chan announces, glomping him. They share a brief kiss, getting nothing but 'aww's from us. They are just too cute together! "Aya needs a party, so we're throwing one tonight. You need to be there."

"Sounds perfect, I was hoping to spend some time with you. You girls mind if I tag along? I'm no good at fashion and outfits, but I'm half decent at carrying bags?" He offers.

We don't even think about it. "Of course you can join us, Hiro-kun! You're part of the pack after all." Hitomi announces. "And this way I'll have someone to commiserate with."

"Kin refusing to let you beg off?" Hiro asks, smiling at the obviously glowing Kin. "Figures. I don't get why Ao-chan likes shopping so much either, but at least he doesn't ask me to try on all that girly stuff I'm sure Kin will bug you with."

"Why, Hiro-kun… what a lovely idea! We could see if one of those modern, frilly kimonos will suit Mi-chan." Kin absolutely loves that thought. And she only grins wider when Hitomi groans. "Next time, don't fight me." She sings sweetly, hugging her mate and kissing her cheek.

"Ouch… I'll shut up now." Hiro says, obviously feeling sorry for her.

"Please do."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After we all buy a new kimono for the night –even Hiro buys one, to show Ao-chan he's worth it– we head back to the den. Just in time for six Anbu in uniform to show up carrying three new patients in for us. I ask Asami to let everyone into the Uzumaki compound, and Tsu, Haku and I go with the new patients. It turns out that there was a really messed up mission gone bad, the fourth teammate didn't make it.

These three are still in critical condition and will likely need to be given ICU level care for at least a few weeks. Once they're settled into a hospital bed, I start scanning one, Haku's on another and Hana's on the third.

"Yua!" Hana barks.

"Inform Dragon, on it!" Yua announces, already seeing herself out.

"All non-medics, downstairs, now!"

"Tsu, I need you to go inform Senju-san. These three were brought straight from the field here. In fact, I'm sure that if Senju-san doesn't tend to at least this one, she'll never walk again. Go!" I order.

Tsu disappears without a second thought. In the meantime, I focus on my patient. Her spinal cord isn't just in tatters, it's all but obliterated near the lower end – thank Kami-sama! Had whatever injury been so much as ten centimetres higher, she'd already be dead.

That's above my skill level, so I focus on reattaching her arm. After that –seeing as the major blood loss channel is dealt with– I focus on the poison…

"I'm detecting Stone produced poison! Be alert!" I announce. The others nod. Stone has a nasty habit of making poisons that turn the victim's blood into poison to kill the medic trying to save their life.

By the time I neutralize the poison, Senju-san arrives with Tsu. "Senju-san, no time. I don't know the condition of the other two, but this one's spinal cord needs your immediate attention." I tell her. She comes over to me immediately, and I point to the place that needs her attention. While she's busy with that, I focus on the nerve damage from the lightning jutsu on her face and her neck.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes just over two hours for us to declare all three patients stable. They were THAT messed up. And Senju-san ended up tending to all three, as well.

Senju-san sighs, grateful but worn out. "We'll have to do a follow up on all three tomorrow, and likely every day for a few weeks until the swelling dies down. I… can't say for sure if they'll ever fully recover." She says, being completely honest.

"We'll figure it out, Senju-san." I say, hugging her. "Thank you for coming so quickly… I don't know if we could have stabilized all three without you."

"Don't thank me yet, Aya… these three have a rough road ahead of them. They might not be all that grateful they survived." She points out. Still, she hugs me back, obviously needing the hug as much as I do.

"We don't get to pick how they react, Senju-san. Only if we give up on them before they have the chance to." I say, squeezing her a little. "Now come on, I think you deserve a drink for saving three lives."

"Not turning that down." She says, a smile in her tone. She doesn't let go of me just yet though, and she sighs tiredly.

"Come on…" I demand, pulling back from her. "Midori, Yua and Ren can deal with the clean-up. Guys, all three patients are in induced comas. Now's the time for the IV drips, the feeding tubes and the catheters. Don't forget that you shouldn't shift them at all for at least twenty-four hours. And if anything happens, send someone to get us immediately. I want vital scans every fifteen minutes and updates every hour on the hour. Set up a rotation so that at least one person is here at all times on high alert with one non-medic Operative as a messenger, and once Hana sets up the monitoring seals, she is to be kicked out so she can deal with Tokara. Is that understood?"

" **Yes, ma'am.** " They answer as one. I know they'll get it done as I ask, and I know they've been trained well enough to trust them blindly.

"Alright. Let's go, Senju-san. You need a drink, I need chocolate, and someone needs to make sure Katou-san isn't complaining she got left out."

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

In the Namiki family sitting room, at two in the afternoon, having Yasu-nee's ice cream sandwichs… life is good. No one asks why Senju-san and I were covered in blood when we arrived, the grateful look in our eyes announces it was a patient, and Haku's quiet smile tells them the patient(s) survived.

It's… gotten so common lately that Senju-san keeps a clean change of clothes here. "Senju-san… is there some reason why our… _people_ are returning in pieces so often?" I demand.

"This is pretty common, Aya. It's just that they usually get taken to the hospital and most don't notice." She explains seriously. "I'm glad they were taken straight here. It shows just how much trust your people have earned within the ranks."

"Maybe, but… I think it's time for some changes. I want more Anbu medics. Stat. I'm taking those Mist Operatives anyway. I want at least ten new Anbu medic trainees from Konoha. And I'm not taking no for an answer. Either you order Dragon to comply, or I'm going to be giving her migraines until she bows to my demands. And I'm dead serious."

"Good. Then I don't have to ask." She says, smiling. "I was thinking the same thing. More Anbu medics won't solve the problem, but it will increase the chances of survival."

"Nn." I nod, agreeing fully. I still feel horrible that Parrot didn't make it, but at least he died instantly (according to the reports)… that's life in Anbu for you. You make strong bonds, but more often than not, your colleagues will die on you. "I was wondering. Wouldn't it make sense to have the members of Team Rho start training the others to up their skills to make sure they have a higher chance of survival?"

"… I've been pushing for that for a while now, but they're all afraid of Team Rho. You train with them all the time, so you're used to it, but… the others think they're nuts." Senju-san admits, sad but amused all the same.

"They are. But they're my kind of crazy." I point out. "And Tsu is taking to our crazy training quite nicely, might I add." Tsu beams beside me, happily munching on her ice cream sandwich.

"Nn. I was wondering though… Would you agree that it's time for Asami to take a trainee?" She asks.

"Not my call to make." I begin, thinking about that. "But, yes. I think she can handle it."

"… Hmm. I'll speak to Dragon and her about that. Oh, and I need you to start considering something." She says, downing her saucer of sake in one go. "I need you to take your own team. A first response cell."

"Hnn? Senju-san, I'm not ready for leading a team. And I certainly need more experience leading a team before I can consider the option." I shoot her down.

"Aya, you're not listening to me. And you certainly aren't paying attention to the respect you've earned, even in Anbu. Mei trusts you enough to train her people. I trust you enough to train our people. And you've already lead teams into impossible situations without batting an eyelash. I'm not saying you're taking a team, and I'm not foolish enough to order you to. I'm say you need to start considering it." She explains, downing another saucer of sake.

"Hnn…"

"I've read the reports on how Ryuuzetsu's training is coming along. I've seen how utterly devoted she and Hitomi are to you. And I know for a fact you've been training Hitomi as well. And that's not even taking into consideration how even the other Anbu medics look up to you. Even Hana doesn't have a problem taking orders from you, and she has five years more experience than you do."

"Okay, first of all, Tsu was skilled long before she came into my life. Second of all, Hitomi's a Namiki, of course I'm training her. Third of all, we're a pack, we're devoted to our pack. And Hana orders me around just as much as I order her around. It's how we are with each other. And she holds her own without me there. She's someone I can trust no matter which patient comes in." I point out. She just downs another saucer, smiling.

"Aya, I don't know why you fight me on things like this." She sounds even more amused than before. "Tell me. If I didn't trust you, would you be given so much leeway so often?"

"… That's…" I try to come up with something. Anything.

Nothing comes.

"I know that if you tell me something is going to get done, it's getting done swiftly, efficiently and ruthlessly." She says, pouring herself another saucer. "I know that if you are in the Council Chambers during a meeting, I don't have to worry about crowd control, because you don't tolerate people trying to tell me how to run Konoha. I know that if you are manning the desk outside my office, I don't have to worry about assassination attempts, because they'd never get past you so long as you're still breathing."

I take a bite of my ice cream sandwich, thinking about that. "You are a damn good kunoichi, Aya. And you are nothing if not loyal." She says, her tone sincere. "That's why I want you to take a team. So I'll know if I send you out on a mission, the mission will get done the same way you do everything else. And to boot, I know if I send you out on Rescue and Extraction, there's no way you'll give up so long as there's half a chance."

I hmm, thinking about that. "That's why I'm taking you on as my apprentice." I turn to her, shocked. "Not just you though. Fuu and Sakura as well. I've asked Jiraiya to take Naruto, Minori and Haruki as his. And he's agreed. I was hoping for Asami, but… she flatly refused. It seems she has someone here in Konoha that needs her more?"

I smirk at that. "Yuzuki." I murmur, feeling my heart swimming in tender emotions.

"I thought so." She says, smiling even as she downs another saucer of sake. "So anyway. Even if you don't take the team, I'm going to need you for one on one training every third afternoon, after lunch. It's a minimum of six hours each time. And I'm not going to go easy on you. We'll be working on your ninjutsu, genjutsu, medical jutsu, taijutsu… everything. By the time I'm done with you, you'll be giving Kakashi competition, and that's if I can't turn you into an even better shinobi than he is."

"Nn…" I nod, thinking about that. "Senju-san… would I be allowed to select my own team?"

"Of course."

"Even if one of the members is currently not an Operative?"

"Again, of course. You'd be an Anbu Captain, you can recruit people so long as Dragon approves." She tells me.

I smile, liking the sound of that. Anbu Captain. She's buttering me up for something, something big and bothersome. Still, I like the sound of that. "I'll talk to her today. If she approves of the fourth member I have in mind… I'm in."

"You want Ikoku." She doesn't ask. I grin even wider. "A tracking team with two medics and almost nothing but heavy hitters. Tell Dragon I said she'd better approve. That sounds like just the kind of team I'd need."

"I'll pass on the message." I say, just before I down the last of my ice cream sandwich and lick the remains off my fingers. "We won't be ready for the worst of the missions for a few years… not with two trainees…"

"I'm aware." She says, downing another saucer. "I don't need you to be. I need you to train your team until you know they can handle anything. Just like I'll be training you to make sure you can handle anything."

"Then I'm in, Senju-san. All in." I tell her, offering my arm to make it official. She grabs me by the elbow – I try to do the same, but her forearm's a lot longer than mine.

"Make me proud, Aya. That's an order." I smirk.

"Yes, ma'am."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hey, Aya, there's something I wanted to talk to you and Ryuuzetsu about?" Kashi-nii says, nodding in the direction of my office. Tsu and I share a look, before nodding and following him. Once in my office, he's the one to activate the seals as he asks us to have a seat.

"Ryuuzetsu." He begins, his tone serious. He sits down on the couch opposite us, his face serious and his eye studying her carefully. "I'd mentioned to Aya that Yasu-chan and I were discussing something for some time. We've come to a decision, and I think you should hear about it."

Tsu looks to me, nervous and uncertain. I smile, linking arms with her to let her know that I'm here.

"Aya's been trying to have you spend as much time with her wolves, to see if they'd consider you letting them sign with them. But I asked her to hold off until we'd made a decision. That decision has been made." He's just being dramatic to make her appreciate this more. I roll my eyes, but find that I'm smiling at the nervous hope shining in Tsu's eyes. "I want you to sign the Dog Summoning contract. To take a team and train them, so that you'll always have backup, no matter what situation comes up."

Tsu's in tears, shocked beyond words… but happy. And honoured. And oh so moved. She untangles herself from me, rushing around the coffee table and hugging Kash-nii, thanking him over and over and over again.

"… There's more." He says, petting her hair and obviously enjoying this moment with her. "We… need to know what you want." He's being vague, probably unsure how she'll take whatever he wants to discuss with her.

"What… do you mean?" She asks, pulling back a bit to study him.

"Remember in Sand, how you called me 'dad'… I didn't say anything, but… I…'ve been talking to Yasu-chan about… offering you the chance… the option, I should say… If you would want, that is…" Is he…? Is Kashi-nii offering what I think he's offering?

"You'd adopt me? For real? You and Yasu-san would be my parents?" Okay, now I'm in tears.

"If you want, yes." He says, meaning it. "I mean, you're already a Hatake, but… it would mean the world to Yasu-chan… and to me… if you would…?"

"… Oh, Kami…" She manages, trying to process it all in one go. "D-dad… th-thank you." She buries her face in his chest, squeezing him and refusing to let him go.

"Imouto-chan… would you mind calling Yasu-chan for me? She'll want to hear this." Kashi-nii asks. I nod, seeing myself out – after deactivating the seals, of course. I make my way into the kitchen, already having tracked Yasu-nee there, not that I needed to with the smell of lunch being prepared.

"Hey, Yasu-nee?" I call her as I enter the kitchen. She turns to me.

"Aya, sweetie, are you alright? Why are you crying?" She drops whatever she's doing, rushing to me and engulfing me in a hug.

"Your husband needs you in my office… and your daughter." I tell her, smiling through the tears. I look up, seeing the smile, and the tears in her eyes. "Go on, they need you." I shoo her, even though I don't want the hug to end. She takes off, obviously wanting nothing more than to be with her husband and… d-daughter.

"So he finally asked her." Mom sounds amused. She comes over to me, wrapping her arms around me, knowing how much I need a hug right now. I nod, knowing she doesn't need the confirmation. "Yasu's been giving him a hard time for weeks." I snort, amused. Of course she did, she'd have to. Kashi-nii isn't exactly equipped for emotional situations. I don't doubt Yasu-nee will have to teach him how to handle being a father, too. Especially the father of a girl.

I hope the baby ends up being a boy, because poor Kashi-nii won't be able to resist his daughter wrapping him around her little finger. And I'm certain Tsu is going to have the foundation set tomorrow at the latest, to have him as exactly that – wrapped around her little finger.

It's not exactly a secret, Yasu-nee wears the pants in their relationship. And he doesn't care. He spoils her, as she deserves. Not that I'm much better. I think I spoil her more than he does.

"By the way… your father wants to speak with you privately when he gets home." Mom says, squeezing me a little. I nod, not caring too much just yet. I'm too busy enjoying this hug. "Actually, now that I think about it… We all need to talk to you guys tonight. There's… something of an important announcement we want to make."

"Oh?" I'm all smiles, already suspecting what it might be. "I can't wait to hear the good news."

"You… know?" She stiffens a bit.

"Only suspicions, but if it's what I think it is, then I'm behind you all the way." I tell her, glad that the tension evaporates quickly. She hugs me a little tighter, the scent of her tears telling me that she's more than a little grateful. "If anyone tries to give you any grief, then you let me handle them, okay?"

"Thank you, baby."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

For the first time ever, we're having a meeting in the visitors' sitting room. Chouza-san, Remi-san, Inoichi-san, Mariko-san, mom and daddy… they have an announcement for Shika-nii, Ino, Chouji and myself.

I'm the one to cast the privacy jutsu, knowing that the six of them likely have enough on their plate to worry with maintaining something like that. "Alright, we're all here." I say, smiling as I lock gazes with mom. She smiles a little, but she turns her gaze to Shika-nii, obviously more worried about him than me.

"Yes, we are." Daddy says. "As you know, the Yamanaka, Akimichi and Nara head families have always planned pregnancies together, to maintain the Ino-Shika-Chou formation through the generations."

That's all the confirmation I need. I move to mom's side, hugging her tightly to show my support.

"… Does… that mean, what I think it means?" Ino looks to her parents, excitement bubbling up within her.

Mariko-san takes a moment, having a silent exchange with her husband. "I think so, yes. We're not pregnant yet, but we are actively trying." Mariko-san admits, blushing at the implications. She's basically telling her daughter that she and her husband are regularly having sex with intention to conceive a child. I think that's sweet, but I'm weird – not a good basis to judge another's reaction.

"… I'm going to be a big sister!" Ino jumps over the table, glomping both her parents at the same time. "Oh, Kami! This is huge! Mom, you know I'm going to demand that we go shopping for baby clothes! And I want to be the medic monitoring you! You're the matriarch of our clan, after all, we can have you taking any risks. And I'm sooooooo going to be on your case to rest more to make sure you don't overdo it! And oh my Kami! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Slow down, Ino." Inoichi-san says, glowing with pride.

"Slow down? Daddy, I'm going to be a big sister! Even if mom isn't pregnant yet, I know at least three herbal teas that can help increase her chances, and we all know it's keeping from getting pregnant that's the challenge. Mom, seriously, congratulations!"

"Thank you, baby." Mariko-san says, tears in her eyes. "Having your support means the world to us."

I turn my attention to Shika-nii and Chouji. "Hey, I'm all for it! If you two want another baby, or another ten, I'm behind you all the way." Chouji speaks up. "I'll even bug Aya about her offering all the things Ino just mentioned." He winks to me, grinning. I blush, biting my lip a little and cursing the stupid butterflies making me lightheaded.

"Thank you, son. That…" Remi-san trails off, unable to continue. Instead she just rushes around the table to engulf him in a bear hug. "Thank you." She says, tears in her eyes.

"Aw man. Now everyone's going to expect some emotional response from me too. Troublesome." Shika-nii mutters, hoping to not have to be the odd one out. "Look, mom, dad, it's not my style to tell you how to live your life. I'll support you regardless. And I know Imouto-chan will too."

Daddy's the one to go hug him. Mom's kind of busy hugging me, after all. "Thank you." Daddy says, his words simple but the emotion behind it deep.

"Just don't blame me if I suddenly disappear when the mood swings start." Shika-nii teases.

" **I can hear you, you know.** " Mom and I grind out as one. We are **_sooooo_** not impressed.

"I know, but honesty is the best policy." He tries, while also trying to escape before we really start getting on his case. Daddy's not letting him though.

"I'll be sure to tell Temari you think so." Mom threatens. Shika-nii mutters another 'troublesome'.

"Oh! Before it comes to that! Remi-san, Mariko-san, I'm going to want the two of you here more often. You know how we are about protecting the pack. And you've seen how I am with Yasu-nee. If you guys are willing to consider it, I'd prefer it if you moved in for the duration of the pregnancy." I all but demand. The two couples exchange looks with their spouse, shocked, but in a good way.

"We've… already discussed it with Zabuza. He's graciously offered us a few rooms in the Yuki compound." Mariko-san says, tears in her eyes. I can tell Ino's happy about that too, knowing that we'll be as protective of her mother as we are of everyone in our pack – especially expecting mothers.

Remi-san, unable to even form a word from the emotions overwhelming her, scoops me out of mom's embrace. She tries thanking me a few times, but… nothing I can make out – without guessing. "You don't have to thank me, Remi-san." I murmur, hugging her back. "I would never allow the mother of my future mate to go without. So, if you want this, you have the full support of the Namiki clan."

She kisses my brow and cheek over and over, still trying to say something and crying her heart out.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes a while for everyone to calm down. Mariko-san, Remi-san and mom especially. I'm not sure what they were expecting, but the overwhelming support definitely did them some good. I drop the privacy jutsu, and suggest that we all start getting ready for the concert. So much to celebrate!

"Hold on." Daddy interrupts before I leave. "I still need to speak to you and Shikamaru privately." He reminds me.

"Alright, if it's just the four of us, then we can sit in my office. It's a lot cosier." I suggest. Honestly, I'd completely forgotten about that. The flood of good news is… almost too much – in a good way.

With the others heading towards the family sitting room –and Mariko-san already discussing baby room, baby clothes, baby, baby, baby– I nudge my parents and brother into my office. I don't fight the goofy grin I find on my face, happy for the happiness that everyone is finding around me.

After I activate the seals, the four of us sit on the two couches. Daddy with me, mom with Shika-nii. I turn to daddy, questions in my eyes. "Alright, daddy, what's up?"

"Well. I've been discussing things with your mother, and she fully agrees with me." He begins. I blink, not understanding what he means or where this is going. "I want to start your training."

"… Daddy…? I don't understand." I admit, my confusion on plain display.

"Your Nara training." He clarifies.

My hands shoot up, covering my nose and mouth. I… don't even know how to respond to this. How to feel about this. How to… "D-daddy are you…?"

"You are my daughter, aren't you?" He asks rhetorically, laughter in his eyes and a teasing smirk on his lips. "Is it really so hard to believe I'd want my daughter to start learning everything I have to teach her?"

Tears come quickly. Thank Kami-sama I didn't start getting ready yet, because I'm seriously just going from one emotionally charged meeting into the next.

Daddy takes me into his arms, holding me tight. I eventually end up taking off my glasses, because they're just going to get messed up otherwise. I try, time and again, to thank him, to promise him I'll give my training my all, that I'm touched and honoured he'd even consider this.

Honestly, I'm not sure what I end up blubbering out.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Party time, once again! Everyone's here! Our usual out of uniform Operatives, Sarutobi-sensei and Yuhi-sensei, Konohamaru, everyone from our pack (that almost goes without saying), everyone. Even Kin's old teammates! They enjoyed themselves last time, so Kin made sure to invite them again.

"Good evening everyone!" I begin, trying to get everyone's attention. "Thank you all for coming." They all shout back saying how they wouldn't miss it for the world.

"I don't usually do this, as you know, but there's so many changes recently. Big things, little things…" I look to Miwako and Satsuma. "Changes that nearly break us." I look to mom and daddy. "Changes that forge us into the people we were meant to be."

Everyone is listening with rapt attention, their eyes glued to me as I speak. "Family bonds have been formed." I look to Kashi-nii and Yasu-nee, sitting on either side of Tsu. "Relationships have begun." I look to Tomi and Kin, then to Hana and Tokara. "Ties between clans have been strengthened." I look to Inoichi-san, Chouza-san and daddy.

"Plans have been made." I look to Senju-san and Fuu. "International ties have been forged." I look to Gaara, Temari and Terumi-san (who's mostly here because she figures there's no reason to fear us since we could have killed her and chose to prank her instead).

"We have so much to be thankful for. So many things to thank Kami-sama for. So much good, no matter how bad things sometimes seem."

"That's why tonight's concert is so important. I want us to come together, as one pack, one big family. To support each other, to build each other up. To offer strength to our packmates, when they feel they no longer have the strength to continue. So I want to start off tonight with a song that captures that so well. So, to help me along… let me introduce Namiki Hoshie, who will be playing the piano for us tonight. Imouto-chan, you ready?"

She doesn't answer, she starts playing. Sakiko right alongside her, tapping out a gentle, steady beat to help her keep the rhythm.

I smile, grateful for my little sisters.

"So tonight, we're starting off with Mariah Carey's Hero."

 _There's a hero_  
 _If you look inside your heart_  
 _You don't have to be afraid_  
 _Of what you are_  
 _There's an answer_  
 _If you reach into your soul_  
 _And the sorrow that you know_  
 _Will melt away_

 _And then a hero comes along_  
 _With the strength to carry on_  
 _And you cast your fears aside_  
 _And you know you can survive_  
 _So when you feel like hope is gone_  
 _Look inside you and be strong_  
 _And you'll finally see the truth_  
 _That a hero lies in you_

 _It's a long road_  
 _When you face the world alone_  
 _No one reaches out a hand_  
 _For you to hold_  
 _You can find love_  
 _If you search within yourself_  
 _And the emptiness you felt_  
 _Will disappear_

 _And then a hero comes along_  
 _With the strength to carry on_  
 _And you cast your fears aside_  
 _And you know you can survive_  
 _So when you feel like hope is gone_  
 _Look inside you and be strong_  
 _And you'll finally see the truth_  
 _That a hero lies in you_

 _Lord knows_  
 _Dreams are hard to follow_  
 _But don't let anyone_  
 _Tear them away_  
 _Hold on_  
 _There will be tomorrow_  
 _In time_  
 _You'll find the way_

 _And then a hero comes along_  
 _With the strength to carry on_  
 _And you cast your fears aside_  
 _And you know you can survive_  
 _So when you feel like hope is gone_  
 _Look inside you and be strong_  
 _And you'll finally see the truth_  
 _That a hero lies in you_  
 _That a hero lies in you_  
 _That a hero lies in you_

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 80_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: So many changes, so, so many. So much happening, so much going on. And I won't lie, the bulk of it will take place during the timeskip, but! There are two last missions that Aya needs to take part in before I call this a wrap, and three major things that still have to happen. So this isn't the end just yet. Let's see just what our little Aya thinks of Chouji getting back into the saddle after months of recovery. Shall we?  
_**


	95. Chouji: Solidarity

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 80 – Chouji: Solidarity**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Your vitals are stable. Your wound has completely healed. There seems to still be some trouble with backaches?" Aya looks up from my charts, questions in her eyes.

"Nn. Mom thinks it's because I've been so inactive, since there's no medical explanation." I relay the message.

"We'll see about that." She doesn't sound convinced. At all. She looks back to my charts, going over it all, again and again. "Well. Your charts show you're back at a hundred percent. I'd like to scan you to be sure. Please lie down." She orders. I smirk, knowing at least three ways to get her to blush because of those words. I hold my tongue though. She's trying to be professional, and she is clearly in a position to prevent me from returning to active duty.

I lay down on the examination table, and she's quick to activate her jutsu – whichever one it is. Her glowing hands hover over me, head to toe three or four times, each time the tingling feels a little different. I don't know what she's checking, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's checking for everything – bruises, broken bones, or any excuse to have me stay here and rest.

Hypocrite.

She sighs, probably not finding whatever reason she needs. "Fine. Just make sure you take it easy for a few weeks. I don't…" She trails off, unable –or, more likely, unwilling– to continue. She turns away from me, picking back up my charts and updating them meticulously. "You'll need to inform your parents. I'm not sure if they'd expected us to need the room here. Should the Yukis not have a room to spare we can always-"

"Aya." I interrupt her rambling. She doesn't look to me though. She's still scribbling something, more and more frantically as the silence drags on. "I'm doing better. I've been training for weeks. I've been sparring with Shika and Ino. Asuma-sensei has been by most days to oversee our group training. Dad's been teaching me more earth release jutsu, and how to incorporate them into our family style."

She nods to show she hears me, but the frantic scribbling doesn't die down. "Aya, please look at me." She still doesn't. I sit up, easing my legs down and dangling them from the examination table. I jump down and walk over to her, carefully wrapping my arms around her middle. She tenses, but the scribbling continues.

"It's just your official green light to do what you've obviously been doing anyway. And I'm making sure we keep this on record to give me full authority to make your life a living hell if I ever find you injured that badly again." She explains, her tone coldly profession.

"Well… I think it makes more sense for you to start sparring with me, to see for yourself what I need to work on, so nothing short of a rampaging Tailed-beast will be able to." I say, smiling. She clicks her pen, closes my charts and tosses it onto my bed – my old bed. I'm not a patient anymore, so I'm not entitled to bed and board in a Rehab Centre. "Doesn't that make more sense to you?"

She wriggles a bit, turning towards me. Her hands snake up around my neck, her fingers comb through my hair, gently scraping my scalp. "You're the only reason I didn't lose my mind with everything that's been going on." She says, gazing into my eyes.

"I'm also a doctor in training, and as such I declare myself your equal." I tease, smirking.

"You have a long way to go before you can call yourself a doctor." She says, her eyes half lidded. "Let alone my equal." She smirks.

"I dunno. Hikaru thinks I had some potential. And seeing as he hates my guts, I think that says something." I lean in a little, just to see if I'm reading her right. Her eyes close. Head tilts back. She offers herself to me.

I take her glasses off, hooking them into her collar for safe keeping. I lean in, awed that she's just standing there waiting for me to take whatever I want from her.

We kiss. Her lips tasting like cherries, chocolate on her breath. We kiss again, her hands pulling me in even closer. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her up off her feet. She wraps her legs around me, her arms wrapped so tightly around me that I know she doesn't want this moment to ever end.

She starts slipping a bit, gravity is such a pain. Instinctively, my hands grab her lower, to support her weight better. Unfortunately that means I now have my hand quite firmly on her butt. My eyes pop open with shock, but all I see from her, all I feel from her, is her relaxing even more in my embrace.

Her kisses become more and more needy. Her breath starts coming out in short bursts. Her chest is heaving, her breasts rubbing against me hard each time she breaths.

I close my eyes, enjoying the moment with her. Enjoying her, in her entirety. How she so freely offers her warmth to me, how she so clearly trusts that I'll do right by her.

I slide my hand back up, not wanting to-

"Nn!" She complains, her hand shooting down to stop me from moving it away. She pushes it back down a bit, pulling herself up with her other arm. I feel every inch of her, from knee to inner thigh, to crotch, back down to her other knee, callously rubbing against my tummy and sides. And she doesn't seem to care. I don't doubt she notices though.

We break the kiss sometime later – I don't even know how long she let me hold her like this. She doesn't seem to want me to put her down though. And she doesn't care she's not wearing her glasses. She's close enough to still see me, I guess.

"You do re-" She kisses me again. Seeing no reason not to, I squeeze her bum a little, enjoying how soft yet firm it feels in my hand. All she does is moan into our kiss.

Kami-sama… how did I ever manage to steal her heart?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hey, Aya?" I ask, as we walk towards the training ground where our team is supposed to meet.

"Nn?" She noises, looking a bit distracted for some reason.

"You do realise that you'll be late for work? Asuma-sensei isn't supposed to arrive until eight. And you're shift starts at eight." I point out. It's really nice that she wants to come with us though.

"Senju-san doesn't mind." She says, smirking.

"You plan on giving Asuma-sensei hell." Ino doesn't ask, nudging Aya with her elbow.

"I… plan on making sure he is aware of the delicate state of my patient, yes."

"Sensei's lucky you don't outrank him." Ino needles, smiling at the blush Aya's trying to fight.

"Ino. I'd be careful if I were you. You're the only one of us that isn't… scoping a prospective relationship." Shika says, choosing his words carefully. "If Imouto-chan starts getting annoyed with you…"

"Aya wouldn't set me up with a deadbeat. And honestly, I think mom would be grateful if Aya sets me up with someone she approves of. So… You're not exactly issuing threats here, Shikamaru." Ino says, shrugging. "Besides, let's face it. Temari, Aya and I are going to have to plan at least one pregnancy together. She's going to want to wait as long as possible, seeing that you two are already basically spoken for."

"… At least… one?" I ask, thinking about that. It's not exactly something we've discussed. I always thought it was an Akimichi thing to only have one child. But… seeing as Aya's parents are on their fourth, and how the situation is stable and secure enough for more… "How many children would you want?" I ask Aya.

"… I haven't thought about it, really." She admits. I shrug, glad I'm not the only one. "At least three though."

My eyes bug out a bit. "Three?"

"Uh huh. The Akimichi heir, the Namiki heir and one just for me to spoil." She says, no sign of being dishonest or teasing. She is blushing though, and looking away from me. And…

The Akimichi heir… She's seriously considering that?

I blush, rubbing the back of my head and smiling. "That sounds fair." I admit. I'm sure mom won't mind having all the grandchildren I'm willing and able to give her. "You sure you can handle three pregnancies and deliveries though?"

"I like the idea of having a big family." Is all she says, blushing deeper this time. We arrive at the training ground at about ten to eight. I already start with my stretches, knowing that I need to warm up properly since I'm so out of shape from recovery.

Aya studies me every step of the way, probably looking to see if I'm stretching properly, and if I show any sign of pain. I find myself smiling at her overprotectiveness.

"Hey, Aya. I was wondering if you would like to go out tonight?" I ask. "I mean, we don't have to make anything official, but we can still go out, if you want?"

She blushes again. "Get through the day and ask me later if you're still up for it." She says, looking away from me.

"If I ask you later, you'll already have plans. Dinner and a movie?" I press, liking how her cheeks and neck keep getting redder and redder. I don't understand how I have this power over her, but I like it all the same. "Shika and Temari can come too, if they want? That way you can spend some time with them. And maybe Naruto and Hinata?"

"And poor, poor Ino gets sidelined because…?" Ino demands, hands on her hips.

"If you can find a date, you're more than welcome to join us." I point out. She blushes and huffs, obviously not having a comeback for that. Aya seems to be considering that though. Really thinking about Ino's dating thing. "So what do you say, Aya?"

"…" She opens her mouth to say something, but the look in her eyes tells me something just clicked. "I'd love to. And Ino… I might have someone in mind for you. I'll bring him by the house well in advance so you can scope him out yourself. Sound fair?"

"Kiba…?"

"Gag me."

"Cute?"

"A bit too pretty boy for me." Aya says, shrugging.

"Strong?"

"Anbu. I wouldn't consider a weak mate for you."

"Do I know him?"

"Not even I know all Operatives."

"So cute and strong… smart?"

"You can decide for yourself."

"Come on, Aya! You can't dangle something like this in front of me now! Curiosity is killing me!"

"Fine. Come by the office when you're done. I'm sure he'll be there."

"Ooh! He works in the Tower? Which department? I thought you said he's Anbu."

"Ino."

"Aya."

"Just come by the Tower."

"What's he look like?"

"You'll see when you come by the Tower."

"What if you compare him to people I know? Who would he-"

"Ino. I don't have to introduce you, you know."

"Yes, you do." Ino sings, linking arms with Aya and still pelting her with questions about whoever the guy is. I shake my head, still doing my stretches.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Sarutobi-sensei, a word?" Aya all but demands when sensei arrives.

"Ah… I was wondering when you'd find me. I should have known it's be straight off the bat." Sensei sounds amused, lighting a cigarette. "So, Namiki-san. What guidelines am I to adhere to with your patient?" Sensei sounds a little too amused. And judging by the tension in Aya's shoulders, I think she's not liking his relaxed attitude.

"There will be nothing but D-rank missions for at least two weeks. There will be no training for longer than an hour at a time. He is to stop should he become short on breath and he is to lay down, and not sit, when this happens. I will not stop him from perfecting any jutsu he feels he can handle but in a combat situation, there will be no using anything over C-rank jutsus until I believe his body is once again acclimatized to not only the strenuous training, but that his injuries won't act up. Ino is equipped to handle minor emergencies should they arrive, but if anything outside of her skill should happen you will report them to me directly. Is that understood?"

I blink. Wow. She is seriously ordering Asuma-sensei around. And she doesn't look like she cares he outranks her.

"Of course. Would you like to know what the plan is for the coming few weeks? Just so you know his health is my top priority." Asuma-sensei offers, still being a little too upbeat for Aya's tastes.

"Sarutobi Asuma." I figured this would happen sooner rather than later. "If you continue to patronise me, then I assure you I'll be breathing down your neck worse than Asami-nee ever has. I do not need a play by play, I need for you to understand that I am his doctor and that I will break you faster that lung cancer ever could. Is that understood, Sarutobi?"

Ino whistles, impressed that Aya would talk like that to sensei. I smirk.

Aya is like that with Hokage-sama and Mizukage-sama. She'd tell them both off with a smile on her face. Asuma-sensei isn't exactly higher ranked than that.

"Yes, ma'am. If I have any questions or suspicions, I'll be sure you hear them." Sensei says, smiling even wider.

"Aya, he's not making fun of you. That's just his personality shining through." Ino soothes. "He's heard rumours, and he's impressed that you're really like that with everyone. He's too laid back to patronise you. And if he would dare, I wouldn't defend him."

"… So you're estimation of him is that he understands the orders given and he's just amused that a shrimp is giving them like I'm his superior?" Aya sums it up. I shrug, nodding a little. That's more or less what's going on, yeah.

"He lived with Asami. Trust me, he knows not to underestimate you. But other than that, yes." Ino says, careful not to make things worse.

"Imouto-chan, relax." Shika soothes, but she just glares at him. "Troublesome." Shika mutters.

I feel… intrigued if I can get her to back down. For some reason, I just want to know if she'd let me. "Do you think I would let him talk down to you?"

Aya sputters, blushes a deep crimson, and is trying to come up with something to say. Something along the lines of her being able to hold her own, being my guess, but it's hard to say for sure.

I walk up to her and wrap my arms around her shoulders, hugging her from behind. "Aya, it's alright. Even if sensei's stupid enough to disobey orders like that… you still have Ino and Shika here. They'd tell you in a heartbeat. And you know Ino'll be hounding me every step of the way." She settles down a little, the tension in her shoulders easing. So I lean in, whispering into her ear, "I'm in good hands here."

"N-nn." She's blushing even deeper now. I wonder about that. Is it the contact, is it the way I'm talking to her? The tone of my voice?

…

Those are goose bumps. She's also shivering slightly, but not from the cold. She likes feeling my breath on her skin.

Interesting.

"But you know." I whisper again, feeling her shiver a second time and leaning her head against mine. "You could always just hand around here. I wouldn't mind having my doctor here to nurse me back to health if I do something stupid."

"P-please… don't t-tempt me." She says, almost whimpering as she tries moving away from me. I pull her back though, knowing that if she really wants to, there's nothing I can do to make her stay. She doesn't fight me, and the hairs on the back of her neck are standing on end, even as the flesh turns pink from her blush. I grin, enjoying the effect I have on her.

"Well, then how about if I come by the Tower with Ino? That way you can see for yourself that I'm still in one piece?" I offer. "Maybe I can bring you a snack? How about a chocolate brownie from that bakery you like? With some peaches?"

She smooths my bandaged arms with her hands, before turning into my embrace. She nods. "Be safe, Chou…" She demands. "For me."

I push her back a little, capturing her chin with my index finger and gently nudging upwards to invite her to look at me. She doesn't fight me at all. "I will. I promise." I assure her, before leaning in and gently kissing her on the lips.

She, Hitomi and Ryuuzetsu leave for the tower via body flicker soon after, but not before both shadows offer me an approving look and a nod. I guess I'm not messing up as much as I used to. That's good.

A low whistle tells me that sensei is impressed. "Chouji, I don't think anyone alive can claim to hold that much sway with her. You actually got her to back down."

"Shika, Ino, Naruto, auntie Yoshino, uncle Shikaku, Yasu-san." I list some of the people that have as much or more sway with her.

"I know how to persuade her and the signs when she's about to blow a fuse, not the same thing." Ino admits, grinning. Sensei and Ino look to Shika wondering what he has to say about this.

"Troublesome." He mutters, obviously refusing to get involved.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Interestingly, we're not doing our usual training today. No. We're doing something clan related. Asuma sensei gives us each a jewellery box, containing earrings, small silver hoops – nothing special.

"Today is an important day." Sensei announces. "Today you three take your oaths as future clan heads. These earrings are meant to symbolise your oath to protect the four clans as your own family, to protect Konoha with your life."

For some reason, I wish he'd has done this later. Or earlier. Or just at a time Aya could be here. She'd have loved to be here for something like this.

I patiently wait my turn, before offering my oath to the Sarutobi clan head. "I hereby swear that, as the sixteenth head of the Akimichi, I will entrust the oath entrusted to me by the fifteenth to the child that will become the seventeenth! In order to protect both the Yamanaka and the Nara clans and to protect Konoha, I, Chouji Akimichi, will now come forth from my chrysalis and as a butterfly— spread my wings!"

With that, Asuma-sensei pierces my ears for me on the spot. Honestly, it doesn't hurt, but I find myself wondering what Aya will think of me with earrings.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After the ceremony, we make our way to the Tower, and find Aya talking to – though is sounds mostly like threats to me – three jounins who are demands an audience with Hokage-sama.

"I do not repeat myself, gentlemen. You're report is important, her current meeting even more so. Sit quietly and wait your turn." Aya demands, not bending even a little.

"UNACC-"

 **Snap!**

I've heard about this jutsu that is so feared. And really, I understand why now. It's not that it's dangerous, it's embarrassing. Three jounins are almost instantly wrapped in what I can only describe as a… cloudy, living rope.

"Think about what I've said. And I'll get back to you when I feel you've had time to calm down." Aya doesn't even look up to the three, shaking her head in annoyance.

Her eyes find mine quickly, a quiet smile telling me that she likes what she sees. Even after seeing the earrings I didn't have when she left, her mood doesn't change.

"Hiya! Miss us?" Ino asks, bubbly as ever.

"How could I not." Aya says, smiling again. Not just with her eyes this time either. "I have Sai here for you, by the way."

Aya –literally– reaches under her desk and pulls out the boy and sets him on her desk for Ino's inspection. He's wrapped up in the same cloudy ropes, so I'm guessing he isn't cooperating.

"Sai, I will only warn you once. You are here because I want you to meet Ino. If you impress her, she might agree to a date, during which you will be free to monitor us up close and personal, and without the threat of death I've issued." I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I'm not even sure I want to understand why she threatened him, why he's monitoring anyone… let alone why Aya would think he's a good match for Ino. "Will you cooperate, or am I going to have to kill you?"

"I'll cooperate, ma'am." Sai seems to understand that she isn't kidding. She doesn't kid about things like that. As much a softie as she is sometimes, if she says she'll kill you –and you're not a packmate– you're dead.

"Good. Now, introduce yourself to Ino." The ropes fade, freeing him – physically. I don't doubt she'll break him in half if he tries escaping before Aya gives permission.

"Good morning, beautiful. I am Sai. Thirteen. Stealth and assassination specialist."

"I see. Hmm." Ino studies him from head to toe. "No sense of fashion, but that's an easy fix. No sense of interpersonal relationships. Too focused on work, so Aya had to drag you. You call me beautiful, but you haven't even looked at me."

Ino breaks him down, categorizes him, and studies the pieces. That girl is scary sometimes.

"Oh, so you are into girls. Good to know. I can tell you really do think I'm beautiful, but you're still not more adept at expressing that. Hmm, you'd need so much work it's not even funny. But… you are strong, just like Aya promised. And you are cute, when you stop smiling like that." She continues. "No, I'm not telling you not to smile, I'm telling you not to force it. I'm a Yamanaka. Inoichi's daughter. So I've been taught to read people from the best. I'll know when you're being authentic, and right now the only thing authentic about you is when you're sizing me up like I'm the enemy. You need to live a little, Sai."

"… I… don't understand." He admits. "You know what I am doing, yet you do not shy away."

"What's there to be worried about? If you were a threat to me, Aya wouldn't introduce us. And if you were to try anything, either Chouji here would break you, or… far more likely, Aya would. And trust me… you'd prefer Chouji breaking you. He's far gentler." Ino is just too much sometimes.

"I don't doubt. He looks like a marshmallow." Sai says. I'm sure that's a fat joke, but he doesn't seem to be mean about it. And more than that… he doesn't seem to react to his own words. As if he's talking for the sake of talking. No emotions, no tone variations, nothing. Just words.

"No, he's stronger than Aya." Ino corrects. "He's gentle because he chooses to be. Aya doesn't choose to be gentle unless you are in need, or are part of her pack."

"Her pack? Like dogs, wolves, dingos and other canines? She doesn't look like the dogs I've met." Sai says, in that same monotone as before.

"The Namiki clan is very close to wolves. So they believe all that matters are those she cares for and her loyalty to Konoha, which they see as their territory. That's why they defend Konoha so violently, they see it as their hunting grounds, and we're just kind of background noise. Understand?" Ino explains seriously. I can tell she's actually enjoying this.

"No." He admits. "Who do they take orders from?"

"No one, really. You can't order a Namiki around. They don't even tolerate that from each other, from what I've seen. They'll listen to you if you're precious to them, but that's about it."

I block out their talks after that. Sai clearly doesn't understand the most basic thing about social interactions and whatnot. Ino on the other hand understands that almost too well. Hmm, maybe that's why Aya thinks they match? They balance each other?

"I like your earrings." Aya tells me, blushing a little. I smile, feeling the nervousness fall away.

"They symbolize my oath." I say rubbing the back of my head. "Oh, before I forget." I hand her the doggy bag. "One brownie, two peaches, and some milk to wash it down."

She rushes around her desk to hug me properly. "Awww. You remembered." She coos, hugging me tight. I like how affectionate she can be around the right people. It's a welcome break from the almost overly polite people I usually meet.

"Of course. You have a thing with your snacks. Just like I do. And you never forget mine, so…"

"True, fair is fair." She says. "So… tonight?"

"Dinner and a movie." I nod.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"This is a bad idea." Ino complains. "Aya's going to be so pissed when she finds out."

"… Troublesome. She already knows." Shika points out.

"Huh?" I don't get it.

"She saw mom bugging me while I was packing for the mission. She knows." Shika explains.

"Well, sensei. It was nice knowing you." Ino says, being a bit dramatic. Aya won't kill him. Not if Shika and I talk her down… I hope.

"I'm well within my rights here. I've lived by her standards. And it's been almost two weeks as stipulated. I'm sure she'll… why is she waiting for someone by the gate?" Sensei seems surprised.

"Because you didn't ask her? Because Chouji didn't say anything before leaving? And seeing as she's alone… No witnesses? It was nice knowing you, sensei." Ino is being dramatic.

"I did tell her. I wouldn't leave without saying something to her, you know that." I point out. She even demanded I take the two gauntlets I've been practicing with – I think she said she got them during her first C-rank mission?

I think they're pretty cool, and they work really well with my taijutsu.

"So… why do I get the impression my life should be flashing before my eyes?" Sensei, please don't take Ino too seriously.

"Did you talk to her about this mission?" Shika points out.

"Well… no, I figured you guys would."

"It was nice knowing you, sensei." Shika agrees with Ino.

I walk up to Aya, not even worried about silly things like her killing me. She wouldn't. Trust me, I broke her heart and she still loved me enough to let me walk away.

"Here to see us off?" I ask, curious.

"I'm coming." She says simply.

"Works for me. You have everything packed?"

"You… don't mind?"

"Honestly, I saw this coming." I lie easily, smirking. She rolls her eyes, smiling a little herself. "It'll be weird not seeing Hitomi and Tsu with you though."

"Nn. They… weren't pleased when I told them."

"Um, I think I have a say in who tags along." Sensei points out, sounding amused.

"Not unless you plan on going solo." Aya counters.

"Ouch. Playing the parents card." Sensei teases. "Well, it's not really anything spectacular. Just a delivery to the Land of This. Come on, then. Daylight's wasting."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 80_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Sadly, the Land of This... is a cannon country on the border of the Land of Fire. It's more of a city-state if you ask me, but... meh. It's a destination they haven't been to and one that shouldn't pose a problem. Low risk. *grins* Completely low risk.  
_**


	96. What could possibly go wr…?

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 81 – What could possibly go wr…?**_

 _ **A/N: A bit more graphic in some places. Let me know if it's too much and I'll tone it down.**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

You'd think that by now, people would be used to missions going horribly wrong. You'd think so. But no. They aren't.

"… Bandits? That's a first." Ino intones. I'd told them right off the bat that I'm both here and not here. I won't let them get killed, but I'm not fighting. Not unless someone is stupid enough to upset me. So Ino, being long range support, starts pelting kunai at the bandits. Of the six, four are already down before they even get close enough for Shika-nii to be needed, since he's midrange.

He traps them in his jutsu without too much trouble. And Ino walks up to them, putting them in an induced coma. They don't check them for weapons, scrolls, or anything.

"Um, shouldn't you guys be stripping them of anything useful?" I point out. They look at me, worried. "Don't give me that look. They attacked us, they're lucky they're still breathing."

They look a bit… green around the gills. "Sarutobi-sensei, what exactly have you been teaching these three?"

"Not everyone has your comfort with killing." He answers simply. I shrug, no longer caring.

"Is… this a regular thing for you, Aya?" Ino asks, visibly shaken.

"First kill?" I ask. She nods. My arms are around her in a heartbeat. "You did the right thing. You defended your pack. They are in the wrong for attacking, not you for defending." She starts shaking even worse, but I keep holding her, tighter and tighter, to show her I'm here. "Take all the time you need, Ino. I'm in no rush."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes less than half a day for things to go 'belly up' once again. This time, it's shinobi. With slashed Hidden Moon headbands. "A bit far from home, aren't you?" I ask, all friendly and warm. I compare their faces to the bounties in the Bingo Book, but come up emptyhanded. And to boot, they look like genin – smell like it too. Sixteen rogue genin happening onto us during a mission to the Land of This, what are the odds.

"You still sitting this out?" Shika-nii asks, not sounding too worried yet.

"So long as none of you are in danger, then yes. I'm not here to hamper your training." I say. I start idly stroke my wakizashi hilts – they've been sitting a bit funny ever since we left the gate. There's a clicking sound, telling me they simply weren't stuffed into the holders right. So I shift them around and slip them in properly. Shame on you, Aya. That's a rookie mistake, if not worse.

I sniff for scouts and/or accomplices, but come up emptyhanded. How do sixteen genins from Hidden Moon, thousands of kilometres away, wind up on our path, on the same mission that bandits happen upon us?

"Look, fighting you would be far too troublesome. Tell us what you want, and we'll consider out options." Shika-nii tries.

This, being a mob, calls for the stupidest member to open them big, fat mouth as loud as is humanly possible. "WE WANT YOUR HEADS!"

And now, you've pissed me off.

 **Snap!**

The moron drops like a ragdoll. Dead. Oh the things that a Sound Release: Scalpel can do, even at this distance. The moron doesn't bleed, not yet, but I sliced his brain in half. If I wanted to, I could have opted for Sound Release: Organ Blender – the next step of that jutsu. But that's cruel and unusual.

"Imouto-chan?" Shika-nii sounds confused.

"He threatened my pack." Is all I need to say.

"I know that, I'm wondering what you did."

"Scalpel. I sliced something important in half. Like this."

 **Snap!**

The other genins, stupid enough to draw kunais, find that they're suddenly only holding handles. The sharp and pointy part falls to the ground – and in one case, on the idiot's foot. He starts dancing around, trying to pull the kunai out of himself; bleeding pretty badly.

For some strange reason, the remaining genin think that's just a fluke, draw new kunais, and attack.

Chouji and Shika-nii brandish their weapons, and Ino keeps playing pin the kunai on the rogue. I'm not too surprised when the last genin goes down ten minutes later. And I don't even have to step in this time!

"… Remind me to never go on a mission with you again." Ino complains. Yeah, she went from first kill to tenth in a day.

"… Why? Doesn't this usually end up happening?" I ask, confused.

"No, Namiki. This isn't normal." Sarutobi-sensei answers. "For people other than your team, I guess."

"Ah… Sorry?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The sun is just about setting when the next group finds us. The four Konoha shinobi glare at me. "Look, not even I usually get it this bad." I defend. They aren't impressed.

It's chuunins this time. From Grass. Slashes through the headbands once again. Sixteen of them. That isn't a coincidence. They're upping the difficulty to test us. This is planned.

"Chuunins this time. I'm in. Fight only if you feel confident." I say, unsheathing a kodachi and wielding it right-handed. The enemy takes a look at the short blade, and they start laughing. Well, one of them does.

 **Snap!**

He deserves the Organ Shredder. Right in his skull. In fact, seeing as he's the first 'volunteer', I think I put too much force into the spin – it sucks in his eyes as well, and he's bleeding and oozing a nasty smelling goo through every hole on his head. That must suck, but at least he isn't in any pain or discomfort. Had I truly been pissed off, I'd have targeted his rib cage.

The other fifteen look sick to their stomachs, obviously never seeing something like that before. Well, then don't pick a fight with my pack.

Before they can even recover, I body flicker into the fray, and start hacking and slashing through them like they're nothing. The others don't even lift a finger to help me. Sad.

The last three finally realise they're still alive, and start performing handseals. Yeah, uh huh. I feel like finding out what you know.

 **Snap!**

And they drop, understanding all too literally what 'being of two minds' might mean, visually.

"These are my kills. So…" I drone, not caring too much. I recognized three of their faces from the Bingo Book, so I behead them and seal their heads in a special scroll I keep for bounties. I also go through their things, finding dozens of kunai –which I offer to Ino, to restock– shuriken, which I seal away, and a few blades. Nothing cute, or even all that special. I seal them away anyway. The headbands are all a bust – I don't think posing as a rogue Grass shinobi will ever earn me points. And their flak jackets are all bloody. I do seal their pouches though; leg and hip pouches alike.

"Ready?" I ask, wanting to get going.

"N-nn." What's with her?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It's going on midnight when the next group arrives. I figured. Four tokubetsu jounin. "Well, Aya. It looks like you win the bet." Sarutobi-sensei says, already fishing for his weapons. I shrug – you don't bet against a Namiki. "You take the stupid looking two?"

"In this crowd? You might want to be more specific." I say. They all look pretty stupid to me.

 **Snap! Snap! Snap!**

Ino, Shika-nii and Chouji are now in Mime's Barriers to keep them safe. Hopefully they'll sleep through this.

"You know. I kind of like having you along." Sarutobi says, grinning. I shrug. "Oi. So what do Mist rogues want with us?"

"The bounties, obviously."

"Really? What's my bounty at these days?" I ask, unimpressed. "Last time someone was stupid enough to tell me it was twenty-thousand Ryou. I mean, really? I wouldn't even behead someone for that kind of money."

"Four-hundred and fifty thousand." I'm told. I roll my eyes.

"That means you're referring to his bounty. I can't imagine someone going out of their way to kill me for that amount." I point out. They share a look, confused. I file that away for future reference. "So, who wants to die first?"

I unsheathe a wakizashi this time.

"Cute blade." One of them, a woman, says.

"I've got two of them. Kill me and they're yours." I offer, marking her and the stupid looking one beside her as mine. "Try to keep up." I aim that at my current partner in crime.

Sarutobi chuckles, liking me more and more as time passes.

I don't know what these idiots think they're dealing with. But the low powered water jutsus? Really? The woman fires six Water Bullets at me, obviously underestimating me. Something like that wouldn't even break my stride. Something is going on here. Something big. They aren't trying to kill us. They are trying to capture us.

And they will pay for that mistake with their lives.

The man tries forming a handseal, so I body flicker to him, hacking both his hands off. I hit him with a Flying Tiger Knee Uppercut, catching him right under the chin, and finish him off by beheading him before he can come up with something. I grab his head, refusing to get my bounty dirty – he's a tokubetsu jounin rogue, of course he has a bounty.

So with a wakizashi in one hand and a head in the other, I dash for my remaining bounty to collect. I seallessly cast a paralysis genjutsu, and behead her before she figures out what's going on. I sniff, smelling two other blood smears.

I look over my shoulder, finding Sarutobi already sealing his two bounties – whole bodies. That's inefficient, but probably better for the others when they wake up.

I still only seal the heads though. I bury the bodies with an earth release jutsu – after scalping their equipment, of course.

"So next is jounins." I point out. "Probably four. And probably at sunrise."

"Or at three in the morning." He points out, lighting a new cigarette.

"There's that. Hungry?" I ask, unsealing my scroll with chocolates.

"Couldn't hurt." He sounds unfazed by this mission's insanity. Even by my mission standards, this is starting to get pretty bad.

Oh well. Nothing a little chocolate can't fix.

"What exactly are we delivering?"

"A scroll."

"Ah." Yeah, every scroll is worth all this trouble.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

As if on cue, at sunrise, two jounins show up. They seem less chatty than the last group, but still don't attack on sight. Why?

"Look. We've already taken out bandits, genins, chuunins and tokubetsu jounins. Do you see any injuries that might suggest we'll have a problem taking you out?" I ask, trying to get them to see reason. It's hard to reach jounin level. Killing them is just… a waste. Even if there's a five million Ryou bounty on each of them.

"Namiki Aya. Konoha's She-Wolf. Age thirteen. Ranked as chuunin, but I don't buy it." The shorter of the men recites. Ah, so I have a moniker. Cool. "Current bounty set at eight-hundred and fifty thousand Ryou."

Warning bells are going off in my head. Why would the last group give me a different number? An older Bingo Book? A different kind of bounty? A mission? Things aren't adding up.

"Sarutobi Asuma… Somewhat more troubling, but the fifty million Ryou bounty will offset that nicely."

"Okay, now I just feel undervalued." I complain.

 **Snap! Snap! Snap!**

I place Shika-nii, Chouji and Ino in Mime's Barriers again, only this time, hovering them high in the air. And I unsheathe my kodachi, wielding her left-handed this time. I need to really focus; jounins won't go down easy.

"Aya. You sure?" Sarutobi asks, also wielding his blades.

"Only one way to find out. And remind me to put in a complaint about the weak bounty on my head. I'm not developing an inferiority complex because people can't see my worth." I complain.

I hear Chouji murmuring for me to be safe. And Shika-nii is whispering little plans from his bird's eye view of the battlefield. Ino is mostly just in shock.

"You have a preference? The bounties on these two are exactly the same." I don't turn to him, but he doesn't need me to.

"The shorter one. I've faced him before and he got away."

"Works for me."

"Cute scar, little girl." My target taunts.

"It took an elite jounin to put it there." I taunt right back, already feeling him subtly moulding chakra below me. Idiot. I'm an earth release user too. I know a trap jutsu when I sense one.

I seallessly cast the paralysis genjutsu and body flicker to him. He's already broken out of it by the time I get there, but that's okay. I still get in a knee to his thigh and a light cut to his bicep.

He's decent at dispelling genjutsus, but he's no Kashi-nii. I smell blood. A brief glance tells me that Sarutobi's already done with his. Not bad. "Oi. You're just making me look bad now." I complain.

 **Snap!**

His whole body convulses, but he doesn't fall. Dang! That he can stand while no long having any working organs in his ribcage! "You're on a whole other level. I'll be sure to do something nice with the bounty. I promise." He wants to snort, but it's kind of hard to with no lungs to push the air up. Instead, blood spills from his mouth. He still tries coming at me though.

Jounins. Never assume they're dead while their head is attached to their shoulders.

 **Snap!**

He falls to the ground, wrapped in my Devouring Shackles. "You know. If someone ever finds a counter to my sound release jutsu, I'm going to be pissed." I say, focusing the Shackles to squeeze his neck so hard that his head pops off a second later.

I seal the head away, but… I'm curious what the second step of the Devouring Shackles looks like. It's not as if I've ever had to use it before.

I make the Seal of Confrontation, looking on in morbid fascination. The normally see-through, cloudy rope/snake turns blood red. And… wow. That's… not a nice way to die.

And the smell of burnt flesh and organs isn't helping me opinion on the matter. It's not that the Shackles burnt the corpse. It's… more like it tore it apart by exciting the molecules until they started cooking on their own. Before… evaporating.

That's… pretty gruesome. Even for me.

I unseal some chocolate. "Want some?" I offer Sarutobi.

"Couldn't hurt. And, please… call me Asuma."

"Aya." I return the offer.

"Well, Aya. I think I'll be requesting you if I ever get sent on a mission I don't trust." He says, smiling as he catches the chocolate. "You ruined the equipment though."

"The bounty makes up for it. I'm more upset I got dirt on the head. Dirty heads in my clean seals." I point out, shivering at the thought. "We should get going. I doubt those three want to smell the air around here."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We stop for lunch. Looking around the plains we find ourselves in. I see some patches of trees and whatnot here and there, but nothing that would offer the cover I prefer to _go_. "Guys, a few healthy steps back, please." I suggest. They don't hesitate.

 **Tiger – Hare – Boar – Dog – Earth Release: Mud Wall!**

I spit out the mud in a spiral design, like the Uzumaki swirl, around me. It pops up a second later, smooth as polished stone, and with the Kanji for 'wolf' chiselled onto it every few metres – each taking up a metre on their own.

"Ino! Come on in! We should be able to handle our business privately this way!" I call out to her. We see to our needs quickly, walking out of the impromptu labyrinth. I motion for the guys to 'have at', and they walk in to see to their needs as well.

I start unsealing and handing out lunch, wondering at the funny looks in their eyes.

"You know that's going to leave a trail." Shika-nii voices his concerns.

"No more than five battles will." I point out. He shrugs, not disagreeing. I seal the empty bottles, break down the Mud Wall, and used the Earth Release: Churning Earth to cover our scents. At the very least, we don't have to worry about us –specifically– being tracked.

"Imouto-chan… are you… even really human?"

"I… think so?"

"How do you…?"

"What, the killing?" He nods. "Namiki heritage. I've seen wild animals eating people and it doesn't bother me." I'd rather not have them associate my sweet and loving wolves with that image – even though it's true. I think that's why Namiki's are naturally Anbu quality; nothing churns our stomachs.

Well, not 'nothing'. Badly seasoned foods will have my spewing in an instant. Strange… now that I think about it. Whatever.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the Land of This around dinner time. Asuma-san seems to know his way around, so he leads us to an impressive looking palace. For a city-state –no bigger than Konoha, might I add– they are well off. I wonder how they come about that wealth, seeing as I only see farms and standard stores as a source of food and income. This reeks of bad news waiting to happen.

We're shown in to the 'throne room' immediately and the twenty guards now surrounding us seem well trained. Their eyes stare straight ahead, but their focus is so intense I can almost feel it.

On the throne, is a young, brash looking teenager, sixteen-ish, with a bored expression. That is, until his eyes land on Ino and myself. Now he's interested. I narrow my eyes, not liking where this is going at all.

Using Whispering Winds, I warn Team Ten, "High alert. I smell trouble." They don't react, but I know they understand just by Shika-nii's gaze sharpening.

"Sugawara-sama, it's a pleasure to meet you again." Asuma-san bows politely.

"Sarutobi Asuma. The last time I saw you, you were still one of the Twelve." The boy says, his tone still quite bored. "What brings you to the lands of my ancestors?"

"A delivery." Asuma-san says, taking out the scroll and offering it to the guard that approaches him. The boy takes the scroll, but doesn't open it. He doesn't seem to even care really. "By your leave, Sugawara-sama."

"Hold." He demands, almost laconically. "It will be dark soon. What kind of host would the Land of This be, should we allow you to travel in the dead of night." A wise one. "It would seem the girl with the scar is displeased."

"Merely cautious, my lord. We've been attacked repeatedly en route. Her inexperience doesn't allow for her to take to these things gracefully." I don't even react to the insult. I know he's approaching this politically, and really, I understand what he's trying to do. "However, I must agree with her this time. There has been… a series of coincidences that troubles me. I'd very much prefer to leave immediately."

"I'm afraid that's not possible." The door slams behind us. I narrow my eyes, sniffing the air. Mostly chuunin level shinobi here. The three behind the boy are jounins. And five by the door are tokubetsu jounins. This will be a fight.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Asuma claims. He understands perfectly. This is the prick behind it all. And you've just invited the standard idiot monologue to explain his twisted –and likely simplistic or simply idiotic– scheme to get whatever it is that he thinks he's getting form this.

"I highly doubt that. But, seeing as you were so kind to me when last we met, allow me to explain anyway." I groan, glaring at Asuma. Monologues aren't fun to suffer through. "You see, my mother has been bothering me about settling down recently, but I'm picky. So I knew I'd have to find a kunoichi bride that could transform into whoever I wished to bed for the night."

My blood pressure skyrockets. "However, none of our own measure up, and I've tried them all. As such, I needed to send for others. There have been other teams sent with the same pointless scroll. Yet, yours is the first to bring two true beauties worth my time. I'll have them both."

"Asuma."

"That's an admission of guilt. Try to keep him alive."

"… fine." I REALLY don't like that idea.

 **Tiger – Hare – Boar – Dog – Earth Release: Mud Wall!**

I make the same spiral as before, so the others know to keep near me. The Wall pops up, and I get busy with my next jutsu.

"Oh? A feisty one. I think I'll enjoy you most." I snarl at the boy's words. I'm so going to enjoy skinning you alive. I stow my glasses, grinning at what I'm about to unleash.

 **Boar – Bird – Dog – Monkey – Ram – Summoning jutsu!**

 **Dragon – Boar – Tiger – Dog – Tiger – Snake – Okami jutsu!**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _~3rd Person PoV~_**

When the guards hear the howl, they know something just went wrong. They've seen things go wrong before, but… never an unsettling howl from an animal they can't even identify. And when six wolves howl along with the first beast…

They don't even need the order to attack. It's obvious this is going to-

No one can say they're sure what happens next. All they know is that a wolf pack just poured out of the labyrinth. One the size of a small cow, five the size of Great Danes, and… the last straight from a werewolf movie! Only the last has a scar, exactly where the brunette has one and wearing the same clothes. Not that their brains are able to process that.

Sugawara Ashihei, twenty-third daimyo of the Land of This, watches with the same bored expression as his men are slaughtered. He doesn't find this half as boring as the last few teams, actually. Even the gore isn't bothering him too much – he's seen worse. The joys of being the daimyo of a country most don't bother with.

And besides, the elite guard isn't attacking. The cannon fodder will wear them down, as they always do. When they do, the elites will move in and clean up this mess.

Only… the cannon fodder seem even more inept than usual. And the screams are starting to grate on Sugawara's nerves; it's repetitive.

With a lazy wave, the second wave –not his elites, not even close– are sent in. A howl announces just how bad an idea that is – not that they realise that in time. The scent of burnt flesh meets Sugawara's nose. That's new. And he can't even say he saw what happened. One second they are closing in from the door, the next they are writing on the floor and screaming in pain. More screaming. How drab.

The only screams Sugawara will admit to enjoying are of the girls he's… _met_ privately.

When the fighting –or just the screaming– dies down, he starts getting curious. No one has ever forced him to send in the third wave before. He looks to the captain of his guard, tilting his head to those oh so entertaining Konoha shinobi.

The only thought in his head, is how delicious it will be to break his two new brides, have them begging him to do them harder, faster, deeper. Genin kunoichi are shameless when it comes to things like that; when properly motivated.

Three jounins –or perhaps more accurately, two jounins and an elite jounin– disappear, entering the fray without fear. Smelling the trouble coming, there's another howl, from the larger wolf. The five pups disappear with a poof… then the growling starts. From two sources.

With that growling comes the most vivid, grotesque genjutsu anyone has ever seen. Seeing their own vital organs being ripped out and eaten over and over and over again. Feeling the pain, smelling their blood and other fluids. Only, their bodies don't react. Can't react. Sugawara, for the first time in his life, knows fear. The two jounins fall before there's even a half a hope for them.

However, the elite jounin… starts humming.

The genjutsu fails, and Aya starts growling even more menacingly. She was in a bad mood before. Now… she's **_pissed_**!

She'd warned the gods what would happen. She'd warned her would be targets, whether they could hear her or not. And they just had to find her a target that can counter her sound release jutsu. And elite jounin no less!

Aya continues growling, only this time also using the Offsetting Sound, to allow Asuma to join the fray. He notices instantly, pelting wind laced kunai through the Mud Wall to keep the enemy on their toes. Constantly dodging, trying to keep his insides where they belong.

He dodges again, already coming up with the perfect plan to take out the-

Nevermind.

Tsuren pops up from under the jounin's feet, slashes his legs at the knees with her claws –though not exactly sharp, with her fire cloak, they are hot enough to melt through skin and bone– and she bites down on his neck.

Never let it be said that Tsuren of the Wolf Clan is a pushover.

"Impressive. Well and truly astounding." Sugawara says, clapping. "However, now I'm afraid I'll have to kill you all. The third wave will be hard to replace." A button is pressed, and one new person enters. Two metres tall, orange hair, grey eyes, and looking pissed off.

"I spent years training those three." He grinds out. "You will regret killing them."

Asuma eases out from behind the labyrinth, hoping he isn't… no he is. Hagino Koto. The only thought going through the Sarutobi clan head's... well, head: Shit.

Asuma focuses his Flying Swallow, feeling the familiar wind chakra peeking out from his trench knives. Without giving the man half a chance to attack Aya –he's WAY out of her league– he engages Koto, trying to keep the man's attention on himself, rather than on her.

Nothing he does seems to be working though. Koto keeps out of range of the Flying Swallow, Aya's enhanced speed isn't helping at all – and even the earth chakra in her blades isn't putting a dent in his seemingly perfect defence. Tsuren doesn't seem to be faring much better, but at least none of them have been injured so-

Koto kicks Tsuren in her ribcage as she comes in for another pass at him. The sound of ribs breaking… does things to Aya. Bad things.

The only true link to her mama –heedless if Miwako returned– just had six of her ribs broken by this man.

"Tsuren… go home. I will summon you to tend to your wounds later." Seeing nothing more she can do in her current state, Tsuren nods. Disappearing in a poof.

"You sound upset, Namiki." Koto teases, a smile in his voice. "What's the matter? Can't stand to see your little bitch hurt?"

Aya tries the genjutsu, but isn't too surprised when the Offsetting Sound comes into play once again. The master that taught the students. Aya understands exactly what this means. All too well. So much so, that she starts throwing attacks at Sugawara. Attacks that start to unnerve the daimyo, because now… now Koto has to defend himself his daimyo, and still continue the onslaught to wear these two down to make them sloppy.

Only… this is no longer working out the way he'd planned. Not for Koto, not for Sugawara.

The attacks start getting more and more unpredictable. More and more widespread. Sharper and sharper. Asuma, understanding the tactic, starts firing Air Bullets as well. Koto is NOT very happy right now!

Still, his lord is in one piece, and he plans on keeping him that way.

If only he'd been smart enough to advise his lord against this. Mist and Stone had needed the money, so they'd sent run of the mill, ragtag teams. Konoha… isn't in the same situation. Not if this is the team they'd sent on a barely-a-C-rank mission.

You see. The reason Aya and Asuma can quite comfortably stay where they are, buying time? Because Shimaru has been watching from a peep hole created from Asuma's kunai earlier. He's been analysing, studying Koto, finding the hole he needs. And both Aya and Asuma know that.

Koto doesn't have a clue. He thinks the other three are just pests, barely worth noticing.

Never. Ever. EVER. Underestimate a Nara when he's protecting his precious people. You will regret it. Guaranteed.

Just as Aya and Asuma fire off their respective 'bullet' jutsus, Shikamaru acts. His Shadow Possession catches Koto at the last moment, shifting him into the attacks and dropping his defences. The Air Bullet snaps his ribs, the Mud Bullet his right –dominant– forearm.

Koto had been loyal to his daimyo as long as he'd held the throne, and twenty years he'd serve Sugawara's father, before him. However, he'd long since decided that a cruel master isn't worth dying for.

He breaks Shikamaru's hold on him, body flickering away from this madness. His bones will heal, and he can find new students. But… once you're dead, there's no coming back.

Koto is no one's fool.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After Aya –with her Okami jutsu still active– seals away Sugawara and catches her breath, she summons Tsuren again.

The proud wolf whimpers, the pain almost too much to bear. Not the physical pain, mind you. It's her pups whining and licking her snout, obviously worried if she'll live. It's seeing Aya, even in her current form, grief stricken that Tsuren is in pain.

Aya shakes off her emotions, activating her jutsu to tend to her summons. Even as the bones right themselves – a painful thing to suffer through. Even as the punctured lung is healed. Even as the bruised and cracked ribs that hadn't broken from the blow and healed. Tsuren doesn't make a single sound. Only the sound of her breathing can be heard.

But the sounds she hears? Her heart aches something fierce, nearly snapping in two when Tsuki, her only daughter in all these years, starts crying and muzzling her neck, whimpering pitifully.

"I'm sorry." Aya's voice assaults Tsuren's heart. "I'm sorry." Two words, said over and over.

"Do not be sorry, Aya. Prepare. Our prey has escaped. We must hunt him down and kill him once we are ready."

 _ **~End PoV~**_

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 81_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Wow. What exactly went right on this mission? And now, we have a very emotional, very upset Aya. Will anyone calm her down? Can anyone? We'll just have to see.  
_**


	97. Just one little country

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 82 – Just one little country**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Aya, you need to calm down." Ino is begging me.

"Imouto-chan, really. You know she's right." Shikamaru's on her side.

"Please. Let's just go home." Even Chouji is against me in this.

"I reserve the right to kill anything that tries to attack us." I demand. I don't like that they're babying me, but… I can understand their concerns. We just essentially kidnapped their daimyo, in the eyes of this 'country'.

"… That's… fair…" Shikamaru's already calculating the route least likely to encounter anyone dumb enough to trouble me right now.

After I scalp the fallen's weapons, seal the –worthwhile– heads and unseal some chocolate, I nod. "Let's go."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Twenty minutes to get into the city. Most of the fricking night fighting my way out of it!

No. Scratch that. The sun's coming up! ALL NIGHT FIGHTING MY WAY OUT OF IT! I can't decide if I'm being lead in circles or not! But we've encountered dozens of roadblocks, hundreds of army personnel, and… well… lots of carnage gets left in our wake. Mostly my wake, because I'm still pretty pissed! But… that's not the point!

Yeah. You'd think that after dealing with the elite guard, people would be smart enough to just leave you the hell alone, right? No. Who does that? That's silly. No, you see the elite guard is merely decoration, and the run of the mill guards patrolling the city, those are the ones to look out for.

Uh huh. True story.

"Aya, really. You didn't have to break his arms." Ino complains.

"You suggested I let him walk away. He can walk away." I counter. She huffs, pouts and crosses her arms, but doesn't respond.

"You realise you've killed at least half their army." Shika-nii complains.

"They attacked. I defended with lethal accuracy." I defend.

"That might have something to do with you waving your sword and being covered in blood." Ino is once again on my case.

"Like they could see the blood in the dead of night! You know what? Whatever. If you guys would lead us hell out of this place!" I am in no mood! That last idiot got his blood all over my chocolate! Go bleed somewhere else!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Finally outside the city, finally away from the idiocy. Finally…

"Seriously?" I complain, smelling a long idiot stalking us from behind. I unsheathe my kodachis, wondering what convinces this chuunin level idiot that he will succeed where jounins have failed.

Having decided we're on to him, he attacks. Wakizashi in one hand, katana in the next.

 **Sniff.**

He smells different than the others. And he's not wearing their uniform either. He's… dressed like Tagarashi from the movie Ronin. Standard komon kimono that guys used to wear all the time back before other styles were invented. Oh kami! Dressing like that is a thing in this day and age!? How old fashioned can you be!?

He has black hair kept up in a poofy ponytail, black, beady eyes. An elongated scar from his chin, curving up and well into his hairline. His hands are calloused to show he's trained long and hard with his blades. His chakra is vibrant and strong, yet calm and almost muted at the same time. Two conflicted states of being. He's overly emotional about something.

"Something on my face?" I ask, noticing his stare.

"I didn't expect a butcher to be so pretty." He almost sings as he speaks. Only, in a traditional Japanese, nasal, dying cat way. He was taught to speak that way.

"I didn't expect a simple mission to include a corrupt daimyo trying to kill my team and enslave me." I shove him back, knowing that will throw him for a loop. "Life's just fun like that."

He comes for another dual blade slash, but I block both attacks with ease. Sure, he puts some serious power into it, but using the speed of my shorter blades, the added weight of the Earth Fang Style, and enhancing my strength… and it's not that hard to counter.

"You are skilled, butcher."

"I am Aya, not 'butcher'. Why is it that no one has the common decency to call me by my name anymore?" He comes at me again, reinforcing his blades with neutral chakra. I block him just as easily, kicking his shin hard enough to make him wince, but not break skin or bone.

"… As in 'pattern'?"

"Logic." I counter. Yeah, 'Aya' can be spelled with like eight different kanji. 'Logic' happens to be the least commonly used, so no one ever guesses that first.

He sheathes his blades, grabbing the katana and its sheath. He assumes a stance. I don't recognize it, but I know what he's doing. Battoujutsu – attacks designed to draw the sword from its sheath in one, lightning fast attack.

As expected, he's on me before I can blink, trying to take my head in one fell swoop. He just never expected me to block. Or to trip him. Or to sit on his shoulders and grab him by the hair to pull his head back in place the sharp side of my kodachi against his throat.

"Reverse edged. Why? That's a defensive blade." He sounds more confused than upset.

"I'm a medic. And my team's defensive fighter. It fits." I explain seriously.

"Medics don't slaughter."

"Namiki medics do." I counter. "And the next idiot that tries to bed me against my will, will receive the same or worse."

To prove my point, I cut his arm with my kodachi and heal the cut almost instantly. "You… speak the truth."

"Gee, you think." I drone sarcastically. "Now buzz off. I've got these idiots complaining enough about the blood I've spilled."

I get off him, leaving him there in the dirt.

"You would let me live?"

"Did I stutter? Go back to Three Wolves, samurai." I sheathe my kodachis, annoyed beyond belief.

"Aya, chocolate." Chouji reminds me. I nod, unsealing a new bar and digging in.

"I am no samurai. Just a wandering ronin." He corrects, getting up and dusting himself off.

"Only samurai even use the term 'ronin'." I point out. His chakra still smells of snow and iron ore. No matter what he thinks, his being craves his homeland. I take a bite of my chocolate, enjoying the simple, almost understated sweetness of this one. I tend to store a bunch of different kinds so the flavouring never gets old.

"Unsweetened pure chocolate." I sigh, grateful that insanity is behind me.

"A samurai has honour. I have none." He says, his wooden shoes tapping the dirt as he trails behind us.

"That's nice." I intone, taking another bite. "Hey, Chou? You're my cuddle bunny later. Try to weasel out of it and I'm never going to forgive you."

"Only if you wash down first. I'm not getting all that blood on my clothes. Mom would kill me." He tries.

I shrug. "She'd understand if you tell her what happened. But I'll agree anyway. I feel icky."

"Why not take a break now then?" He suggests.

"No. I'm not washing down with a stalker behind us. I swear, ronins have no sense of self-preservation." I point out. Hoping the idiot just leaves. "Come on!"

I force them to pick up the pace. Both wanting to get back to Konoha quickly to tend to Tsuren, and just wanting to get away from the nutcase that is obviously intent on stalking me. I have the worst luck with guys these days.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Six hours later, we need to take a break, and the idiot is still fricking following us! "OI! I'm tempted to change my mind and kill you, you know! GO AWAY!"

"Saromi Yoshitoshi." Okay, that throws me for a loop.

"… What?"

"My name. Is Saromi Yoshitoshi." He gazes at me, his eyes soft and gentle. His chakra has settled, no longer churning with the emotions from before.

"You're point." I demand. I need to _go_ , and I haven't had chocolate or a fight in hours! This is **not** the time to test my patience.

"It is common courtesy to introduce oneself by means of offering one's name, is it not?" He bows, gentle and gracious. There's an odd… grace about his movements that I didn't notice before.

"Are you flirting with me?"

"I wouldn't dare, Namiki-dono. Your consort would be most cross with me, I should think." 'Dono'… 'consort'? He thinks me royalty?

I blink.

…

I blink again.

…

"Shika-nii, did I just end up with another overly loyal stalker for life?"

"Why are you asking me that?" Shika-nii sounds annoyed.

"You usually figure out people quickly. Ino?"

"It seems that way." Ino is being useful at least.

"No. Just no. I have enough people like that in my life. Ino, you take this one!"

"My loyalty is not so frivolous as to be offered to one so easily."

"Saromi, is it?" He nods. "You just all but swore an oath to guard me so long as you breathe. I'm in no mood. And I certainly do not have the need."

"Namiki-dono, pl-"

"What did I just say?" I am not taking on another one! I have enough going on!

"I cannot. Though the words never passed these lips, the oath has long been made, Namiki-dono."

"I am not royalty, Saromi! I am not a daimyo. I am not even a good person!"

I so ignore three snorts.

"Your guards think otherwise. No matter how commonly they act with you, I sense their loyalty is no less than my own." He tries.

I am SOOOOOOOO not going to point out that I'd left my guards in Konoha, because then he'll… hmm… "Ah, but you seem to misunderstand, Saromi. You see, Shikamaru-nii here is the true royal. Heir to the Nara clan of Konoha. And currently without a guard of his own."

"You mix truth with lies, Namiki-dono. I thought it beneath you." He isn't impressed.

"I do no such thing. Every word is true." I challenge. "The fact is that this team is nothing but royalty. Yamanaka Ino, heir to the Yamanaka clan. Nara Shikamaru, heir to the Nara clan. Akimichi Chouji, heir to the Akimichi clan. And Sarutobi Asuma, head of the Sarutobi clan. Each is far more deserving of your loyalty." Anything is better than putting up with another one! I don't mind with Tsu and Tomi, because I know how to shake them when I need to, and I'm accustomed to having them around. They're good company.

I can tell this one will not be so easy to manipulate. And I don't want to pull more strings to get another one into Konoha so soon.

I have enough people to take care of these days!

"You think I should point out that she's the head of the Namiki clan?" Ino… I know where you sleep. I know where you bathe. I know where you work and train and shop. Are you sure you want to annoy me right now?

"… Have I offended you, my lady?"

"Saromi. Seriously. Shut it. Now." Chouji wraps his arms around my middle, his breath hot against my neck. "Chou…"

"Just until you calm down. We need to get moving soon, and you need to see to your needs." He whispers. There's at least some decent tree cover here, so I don't need to make a new hidey hole. "Just breathe."

I take a few deep breaths. My eyes closed to block out the insanity that once again found me. I swear, Kami-sama must be out there, watching, eating some heavenly popcorn and laughing their divine ass off at the life I lead.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We run until an hour after sunset. I still can't convince Saromi to buzz off. Ino's taken to teasing me, calling me 'your highness' and 'princess Aya', and more useless crap like that.

After we all see to our needs, I hand out dinner. As annoyed as I am, I'm also a medic, so I hand Saromi his dinner and a water bottle as well. I find myself noticing that he's undernourished and unhealthily pale. That annoys me, because now I want to scan him to see if he's in good health.

He notices how everyone is eating the bland looking bar, so he nods and decides to do the same. He doesn't like the taste of it, if the look on his face says anything. I sigh, wondering why I even bother to notice. I don't want another shadow! I don't need another shadow!

"You guys need your rest. I'll take watch." Asuma-san offers. Saromi seems shocked by that, almost as if he's discovering that up is down and down is up. After all, he's probably not used to the leader taking care of his subordinates, not on this level. I can't say for sure though – I don't know _that_ much about samurai culture. Or even about other hidden villages. I just know that Konoha is like that. And that's why I love our village.

"Asuma-san, really, I'm not eve-"

"Medics don't take watch, Aya, you know that." He cuts me off. I roll my eyes, annoyed that every Konoha jounin is like that.

Whatever.

"Saromi, please stop staring at me. It makes me uncomfortable." I say, annoyed. He looks away, embarrassed. "I'm going for my wash down. I'm tired of the blood on me. Ino?"

"Co~oooooming." She sings, amused.

We head a bit further into the night, but I smell the others staying in the camp they're setting up. I unseal a change of clothes, two bottles of water and the scent-free soap I use on missions. It's annoying to a fault, but I love the feeling after a wash down. Even if it means half streaking in public like this.

After washing every inch of skin, washing my hair –with the same soap, but that's alright, it's a soap that's designed for it– and getting dressed again, we start heading back to camp. I feel almost human again, even if my flak jacket is still covered in blood and therefore sealed with the rest of my dirty clothes. I came prepared, with a peach furisode top. So I'm good.

Back at camp, I find Chouji waiting for me. He smiles, motioning me over. "Come, you need your rest." He tells me. I don't argue, at all. I'm tired. And annoyed. And confused what I Kami's name I'm going to do with Satomi. And wondering who in the heck named their child 'Yoshitoshi'!

Chouji lets me cuddle up in his lap, wrapping me in a blanket to stay warm – even though summer is coming closer, the nights are still chilly.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You found another one, Namiki?" One of the guards asks, amused. "Every time you go out on a mission, I swear."

"Don't remind me. I'll take him to Senju-san to sort him out. His name's Saromi Yoshitoshi. Originally from the Land of Iron."

"Under Namiki protection, I take it?" The other guard asks, just as amused. I grumble, walking through without another word. "Careful, Namiki! Silence is almost always a yes with you!" He calls out after me, laughter in his tone even though he isn't actually laughing.

"Tsu, Tomi, I don't want to hear it." I intone, finding my usual shadows there waiting on me. They look seriously annoyed.

"A country." Tomi starts.

"I don't. Want. To hear it." I repeat.

"A country!? You go with Chouji's team to keep an eye on him and come back the conqueror of a country!?" She's not letting up, at all.

"Tomi, if I knew it would go down like that, I'd have brought a far more specialised team. I didn't because it shouldn't have happened. Now quit it."

"Aya. A country! You overthrow a country and you expect me to 'drop it'? SERIOUSLY!?" Tomi is not happy with me.

"Yes. I do. Because I have enough headaches coming my way. And how the heck did you even know?"

"Because Hokage-sama called for a meeting the second you get back. The Fire daimyo wants to meet the woman that overthrew the Land of This. Solo!"

"My hearing works just fine. You can stop shouting. And I didn't do it solo. Asuma-san and his team were helping me." I point out.

"Then why is it that the Land of That daimyo sent word to the Fire Daimyo and to Hokage-sama, wanting to thank the hero that finally conquered his nearest neighbour?"

"Stop exaggerating, Tomi. Seriously. It's not a big deal!" I try, knowing that I'm wasting my breath even as I say it.

"Uh huh. Let's see if you say the same thing when you enter the Council Chambers." I groan this time.

"I'm in no mood for the Council. Not today!" I grouse.

"Tough. That's what you get for-"

"Can it, Tomi!"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

All the way to the Council Chambers, Hitomi keeps complaining about how I left her and Tsu behind. How I went to war without my faithful shadows. About how I even went and picked up another stray. Saromi bristles at that, but doesn't comment.

"There was a time you were a stray, Tomi." I remind her.

"And there will be a time when he won't be. For now, he's a stray." She doesn't back down. At all. I groan again.

"Whatever. Do me a favour. Collect the bounties for me." I unseal and hand her my bounties' scroll. "There's a dirty one in there. Sorry. And take some of the money and take Saromi shopping. I'm almost certain he has nothing more than the clothes on his back. The thought alone makes me cringe. And no, Hitomi, I don't care if you feel like shopping or not. This needs to happen. Bring Kin with you if it makes it less torturous, but he needs clothes. And Tsu, I'm going to need you stay here with me. Consider your lack of shopping punishment for not helping me when Tomi was on my case."

Both of them whimper pitifully. I grin, enjoying their reactions. "Make sure you bring him back here when you're done. I need to talk to Senju-san about him before he's officially allowed in our den. Understood?"

" **Yes, ma'am.** " I nod, walking into the Chambers, already being bombarded by Naruto-nii and Kashi-nii and Momochi-san.

"A country?" Naru-nii's the one that starts.

"What? It was barely more than a city!" I defend, again!

"That's not the point. That still means you conquered a city, 'ttebayo!"

"That sounds more accurate than a country." I counter. "Look. The point is that there was no other option. He wouldn't stop just because we got away."

"So you conquered a country to defend other villages?" Momochi-san is NOT helping!

"I didn't conquer a country. Stop saying I did." I demand. "I defended myself when an obvious tyrant wanted to kill my teams and enslave me. Nothing more."

"A tyrant **daimyo**." I swat Naru-nii for that.

"Look. Just settle down, we can discuss details later. For now I need to relax. I have enough going on." I point out.

"Like Saromi?" Kashi-nii raises him only visible eyebrow.

"We'll talk about it later." I leave the 'with less curious ears about' unsaid. The three of them nod, settling down a bit.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Thank you all for coming. You've no doubt heard about the recent mission to the Land of This and its… interesting outcome. Now, the Fire daimyo and the daimyo from the Land of That are both coming to Konoha within the week to meet the one responsible. In the meantime, I understand that the daimyo to the Land of This is currently in T&I's care?"

"That is correct, Senju-san." I say. I'd dropped his depraved backside down there myself. And I made sure to ask Mitarashi-san for a personal favour to break him herself the second they get the go-ahead from Senju-san.

"Right. Now, as I've yet to receive the mission report, there is no other news at this time."

"Hokage-sama, if I may?" Shimura, I'm not in the mood. At all. Seriously. Don't push me. Even after taking out most of my anger on their army, I've got more than enough pent us to take it out on you as well. "With your permission, I would hear this report as well. And seeing as the highest ranking of that team, and the one responsible are here…?"

"No." I refuse. "This isn't a political move, Shimura. This is a kunoichi defending herself, nothing more. Stop making mountains out of anthills."

"I disagree, Namiki. To overthrow a country, no matter how small, is very political. Just because there is also a humanitarian motive, doesn't excuse that." He counters smoothly.

"That's nice. But the answer is still no." I say.

"Hokage-sama, are you really going to allow Namiki-sama to get away with this?" One of the civilians tries.

"Get away with what? Refusing to give a mission's report to the council? Following protocol to the letter? What am I allowing her to get away with?" Senju-san demands. The man wisely shuts up. "No matter no much sense Danzo makes, the fact is and remains, this is a mission that was grossly mislabelled, once again. I believe an investigation is in order to uncover the reason why this is so common."

"… Actually… Hokage-sama… I'm pretty sure it's just Aya." Asuma-san points out. "She wasn't in the least surprised by any of it. Upset, yes, but not surprised."

"Heh, have you heard of the missions we got sent on? The reason they're so common now is because our Team stopped taking them all." Naru-nii points out. I shrug, not disagreeing with him.

"I would have to agree, Hokage-sama. Our team took the bulk of the mislabelled missions." Kashi-nii backs him up.

"I see. I still don't believe this should be allowable. Hatake, I want you to lead this investigation. Find out what's going on. And be as ruthless as you can." Senju-san demands.

"As you wish."

"Now. As for the other reason for this meeting. It would seem that…" Yeah, nothing important. Not to me. Are we done yet?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I go through the motions, explain Senju-san about Saromi, what little I know of him, and his oath. She nods, demanding that he be processed before anything else happens. I don't fight her. I don't want to. I bring him down to T&I myself, explain Ibiki the situation, and tell him that Saromi is in his care until he's satisfied.

With the official part done, FINALLY, I head home. I don't care that it's the middle of the day. I enter the bathroom and I start washing down so I can soak. I wash my hair, I get rid of the worst of that stupid… stupid mission.

I finally realise that the tub is empty. And I'm in no mood to fill it. So I just dry off and get dressed. I go down into Naruto-nii's old office, glad that it's still very much empty and clean. I go through the motions, summoning my six wolves.

"… Mama's still sleeping, Aya. Why is she still sleeping?" Tsuki asks, on the verge of freaking out.

I walk up, seeing Tsuren's laboured breathing. "She's fine, Tsuki. She's just recovering. That's why I summoned you guys here. I want to keep a close eye on her to make sure she's okay." I explain carefully. I then activate the Mystic Palm jutsu, scanning Tsuren from snout to tail. The blood clotted in her lung. She hasn't been coughing it up like I asked her to. "Tsuki, you remember Hana, right? I need you to go call her for me. Now please."

Hana enters the room not five minutes later, questions in her eyes. "Hana, please." I beg, looking to Tsuren.

Hana comes, scanning her to see what's wrong. "Ah… pretty rookie mistake. Canines don't cough up the blood. You have to take it out manually. It's alright, so long as our patient here allows me to, I can tend to her. I've dealt with canines all my life after all."

"… Please…" I beg, on the verge of tears.

"I'll take care of her, Aya. What I need for you to do in the meantime, is to get some really big pillows to keep her comfortable. Check in the Inuzuka Ninken Store, they'll have an idea how to help. You might also want something for the pups. They won't want to be far away from their mother. And she's going to need a few months to recover. At least."

"She's staying here." I say, finality in my tone. There's no way I'll allow her to go back to her den in this state! I should have…

No. Now's not the time. Focus!

"Pillows. Something for the pups. Anything else?"

"Soft foods. Chewing raw meats will be too much for her. I recommend a wet mix for now. Just until she gets her strength back. Same store. Explain the woman and she'll recommend the best bet."

"On it."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I buy four of the biggest pillows. We'll likely only need two, but I'd rather be cautious. I buy the canned… grrrrrr… _dog_ food… the woman recommends. And enough of it as well, because Tsuren isn't just worth it, she needs it. Recovery plays havoc on so many things, and your energy output is one of them.

I buy five of the bigger pillows for the pups as well, to make sure they have something and don't feel left out. I know they'd rather sleep close to Tsuren. I know. But… I… there isn't much else I can do for them right now. As much as it pains me to admit that…

Anyway! After paying for everything and sealing it away, Tsu and Hitomi decide I need some R&R, but I turn them down. I need to get home. I need to get these thing to Tsuren. She…

Aya. Stop. Stop thinking. Do something! Move!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Back in Tsuren's room, I find Miwako helping with what little she can. Satsuma is here as well – Hana doesn't seem too bothered by either. I don't think I can handle dealing with them as well. I unseal everything I bought, carefully explain the pups that their mama is going to be alright, and that everyone from my pack is going to take super good care of her.

"Aya, can you make a sound barrier big enough and stable enough to lift her to put the pillows under her?" Hana asks.

"Of course." I say without having the think about it. I've made much bigger Barriers before, after all.

 **Snap!**

I hover the Barrier up into the air, keeping Tsuren perfectly straight and as comfortable as the situation will allow. Hana flattens the pillow to the point it's like a hospital bed, I think she even uses a jutsu, but not one I know.

"Alright." She says, satisfied with her work. I lower the patient back down, nice and easy. "Perfect. I got out most of the clotted blood already. And I've been checking her for any other problems that might crop up. She's going to need some pretty intensive care, Aya. More than I can offer her right now."

"Hana, what are you suggesting?" I narrow my eyes at her, already afraid I know where this is going.

"I can help, Aya. I've dealt with wolves for years." Satsuma offers. I don't even acknowledge he's here.

"Aya, you might not like it, but I'm already swamped with those new patients and Tokara. Yes, the others are helping, but frankly you and I are still the only two the patients trust." She explains, sorrow in her tone. "Don't think about him… think about her. What she needs. He can offer that right now."

"Fine." I say, walking out of the room. I… I can't be here right now.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I spend the rest of the day doing what I do best when I get like this: training. Nonstop, full-tilt, training. Either the pain will stop, or I'll pass out. Something is bound to happen.

"Aya."

Not listening. Training. Training, not listening.

"Aya."

I kick my mud clone so hard that I turn some of the mud into dust. Having dispelled that last of them, I make twenty more. My chakra reserves dip dangerously low, but I haven't passed out, so I'm good!

"Stop."

Stop? I'm just warming up! I blaze through the clones, tearing through them with my bare hands, punching, kicking, breaking them over and over again. The scent of my blood is so mixed into the mud by now that I'm not even sure if I'm still bleeding, or if it's just old blood.

That's why I don't know who's here. I don't want to know. I'm in the Namiki backyard. I'm safe. The rest is static.

"Aya." A pair of strong, welcoming arms wrap around my middle. They hold me, try to stop me from falling apart. "She's safe. She's in good hands."

I… can't do this. I won't do this. Not now. No. I need… I need to get stronger! I need to train! I… I need to **stop crying**!

"You did everything you could. Now let us take it from here. Please."

I turn into the embrace, needing this hug like never before. The woman lets me bury my face in her bosom, her baby bump warm and welcoming.

"I don't… I don't know what to do anymore… what to think… what to feel… I'm just on tilt all the time. It's… it's too much. It's just all too much!" I cry into the woman's welcoming embrace.

She makes a low, sussing noise, telling me to let it all out. That there's no shame in being human. I… I don't even know if I should believe her or not, but I want to. I want to so bad that it hurts.

I want to believe that this isn't my fault. That Tsuren will be alright. That her pups won't have to grow up without her.

I want to believe that I did the right thing, that I saved more lives than I'd destroyed. That I'm a good person. I want to believe all of this so bad that I can barely breathe…

But am I? Am I a good person? Good people don't tend to topple governments or conquer countries. What am I…? What am I becoming…?

Just what is this twisted world I live in turning me into…?

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 82_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: And there we have it. Aya, unwittingly gives her mother the time of day, even if she's too messed up to even realise that. Remember how I said there were two more missions left? One down. Some broken bonds to halfway repair, some counselling, bringing Yoshitoshi (I swear, I find the weirdest names to call people sometimes) and Ikoku a bit more to the foreground... stuff still has to happen. Lots of stuff. Lots of happenings.  
_**

 ** _Oh, and by the way... there's still the little matter of that meeting with two daimyos. I wonder what that will lead to?_**


	98. Just one little meeting

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 83 – Just one little meeting**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

"Ikoku, I want you in the dojo, meditating with the others. I've already told you I'm not going to tolerate you trying your bear thing before you master the meditation to my liking. And no, I don't think you're ready now." I demand. She rolls her eyes and pouts, but she knows I'm only getting on her case for her best interest.

"Sakiko, Hoshie, I want the two of you in there with her. You too, Katsuo. I don't like slackers and you three have been neglecting your training." They look like they want to defend it. "I'm sure your reasons are good ones, but you know I'm not going to listen anyway. I'm busy. You know I'm busy. If you waste my time like you did last time, I'm going to offer it to someone else. Is that understood?"

" **Yes, Aya-nee.** " They sulk a bit.

"Good. Then hop to. And after that I want the three of you working on a new piece for the next concert. Solo, duet, group, whatever you want. I want you three to perform. Understood?"

" **Really!? Cool!** "

"Work hard. I want to be able to brag about my amazing little munchkins." I tease a little. They glomp me before dashing off to join Ikoku in the dojo. I roll my eyes, but find myself smiling anyway. "Yuzuki, I understand Sasa-nee's been helping you train?"

"Nn!" She beams.

"Good. Then I'll leave you to it. Let me know if you need anything, alright?"

"I will, Aya-nee!" She glomps me as well, squeezing me a little before she dashes off. Moegi and Udon are both in the Uzumaki compound training – but I have no idea what they're up to. Something.

"And Ki-chan?"

"Nn!" Kenshin is glad he's getting the spotlight a little too.

"I have a really big job for you. One that only you can do."

"Let me at it!" He announces, pumping his fist dramatically.

"Come here… it's a secret job." I whisper dramatically. "You're really good at making people smile. And there are a lot of frowny faces lately. I need you to make people smile again, okay?"

"Dat's a biiiiiig job!" He says, eyes wide with surprise that I'm giving him something so important. I nod sagely, fully agreeing with him "Awight! Then I'mma stawting wid you, Aya-nee!" He announces, glomping me. "Don't fight de smile, Aya-chan… de powa of de cutiepie is ways too powaful!"

I squeal! I can't help it! He's right, my little cutiepie is just too adorable to resist!

"I know… I'mma iwwesitabable." I think he means 'irresistible', and although he's absolutely right, I think his ego is a bit overinflated. Something to work on in time. I'm not tolerating a 'Kiba' in the clan! Still he dashes off to spread a little love and laughter.

"Right. Tsu, Tomi, Kin, you three are with me today. I'm going to need more support than usual, because frankly…" I trail off, refusing to put it into words.

"She was so messed up that she ended up crying in Miwako's arms for nearly an hour before realising it." Hitomi explains Kin.

"Ah. So that's why _she's_ been walking on clouds." So ignoring you!

"Whatever. Let's get going." I say, ready to head out.

"Hold on. I need to get my gear. I'm not used to you dragging me all over the place!" Kin points out. I roll my eyes.

"Tomi?"

"Already working on a plan. I'll let you know if it needs ironing out."

"Good. Your weapon?"

"I've… considered the tonfa, but…"

"Tomi, it's your decision. We can only suggest, you know that."

"… I've offered to test a… prototype weapon. From Lee's teammate, Tenten?" She says, hesitantly.

"Sounds good. Use the resources available, Tomi. Ask for help, even if you don't feel you need it."

"I will."

"Mi-chan, you mind?" Kin asks, the picturesque damsel in distress. Hitomi rolls her eyes, but helps her mate to strap the chokutou just the way she wants it – diagonally across her lower back.

It's too tempting to not say something. "You two are too cute for words. You know that, right?"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The first thing we do is head to the Tower to collect Saromi. Ibiki decided to keep him overnight for whatever reason. I don't know; I'm not an interrogator. "Hey, Takara. Ibiki in?"

"Interview room two. He's expecting you." Takara motions me down the hall. I nod and offer a lazy wave as we walk past her desk. Entering the room, I see Ibiki leaning against the wall, and Saromi sitting seiza, his katana placed neatly beside him.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." Ibiki offers his usual greeting.

"Well, here I am. What's the situation?" I ask, nodding to Saromi meaningfully.

"I've never had someone so willing to talk before. It's refreshing." He says, almost smiling. "He poses no security risk to Konoha, and I've already put in my report. You can take him any time." He explains.

"Thank you, Ibiki. By the way, when you see Mitarashi-san, please remind her that…" I trail off, not wanting to think about it, not again. Not now.

"She knows. She's being ever so… _loving_ … with your little friend."

"Good." I nod, feeling a bit better. "I owe you a drink, Ibiki. When you get off, tell Mitarashi-san I said so." He grins, knowing exactly what that means. He's never been to one of our parties, but everyone is always talking about them, I'm sure. "Saromi, you coming?" The ronin nods solemnly, grabbing his katana and standing with that practiced grace of his. He slips his katana into his sash with the wakizashi, bows formally to Ibiki – who nods back, smiling a little. I think Ibiki is impressed with this one; not an easy feat.

"The first thing we need to do is register you properly." I say, waving to Ibiki as we leave. "You are a warrior, as such you will be registered as a shinobi under the Namiki clan. You will not be required to take missions, but this allows that you may. It also gives me the leeway to oversee your training and I will warn you from right now, Saromi, I have high expectations of every member of my pack."

"I understand." He says, nodding as solemnly as he sounds. "I assure you, I will not disappoint."

"Good. After your registration, we are taking you to the blacksmith's. You're swords haven't been properly cared for, Saromi. That kind of thing will not be tolerated. Do you understand?"

"I do. Forgive me, milady." Did he just slip into high society slang? He's been calling me 'my lady' up until now. Baby steps, baby steps.

"Nothing to forgive, just don't let it happen again. Are you particularly attached to these swords?" I ask, studying him from the corner of my eye.

"No, milady."

"Why is that?" I'm asking you to open up, Saromi, not to merely answer my questions.

"… My blades were… broken, milady."

"I see. Your blood swords." What little I know, mostly from rereading 'Ronin' so often, is that in some samurai circles they carry honour blades, forged with the samurai's blood to make it part of them, and likely their family line as well. Sometimes these honour blades can be passed down for generation! To break a blood sword…

"Yes, milady." He doesn't want to talk about this. I can see it's hurting him, badly.

"Then we will have new blades forged. The proper way, to honour your ways." I don't ask if that's what he wants. He'll turn me down if I do, but if I simply order it, he won't believe it's his place to fight me.

"As milady wishes." There's hope in his eyes. A longing for blades he can truly call his own.

"Does this daisho set bear bad memories?" I ask, wondering why they aren't better kept. I know he had little when he found me, but even I think that a weapon is part of me. To treat it badly, or simply not caring for it as it deserves, says something. And there were more than a few chips in it. For a samurai to have a chipped sword, let alone a katana and wakizashi –called a 'daisho', or 'long and short'– tells me there is a story there.

"… It does, milady."

"Bad enough for me to want to never see them again?"

"Milady need not trouble herself with these matters." He tries, trying to hide the pain in his eyes.

"That's not how I am, Saromi. If you want to be part of our pack, you refuse the right to hide from us. Now answer the question." I demand. We're still walking to the exit, being greeted by familiar faces every few steps.

"… There is a custom… When a samurai is disgraced, his swords are… broken… and he is given a… broken daisho to symbolise this." He REALLY doesn't want to talk about this.

"I see." I think about that. One the one hand, repairing this pair could symbolize repairing his honour, offering him closure. On the other hand, this could be seen as a halfway house, keeping him down where he wrongly believes he deserves to be.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Registration goes quickly, for once, and we head straight for the blacksmith's. Once I get the blacksmith's attention, I put phase one of 'fix a ronin' into action. "Saromi, your blades." I demand, holding my hands up, palms facing the ceiling.

He looks… broken. I know this is hurting him, but a little pain now will save him a LOT of pain in the future. He takes his katana, offering it to me in the traditional way I'd expect from him. I don't react as he releases his 'broken katana' into my grip. "Both of them." I demand. I know that he would consider being unarmed an act of treason to me – it's a samurai thing. He's likely to think that being unarmed means he cannot defend me, and blah, blah, blah, blah.

But this has purpose.

His movements are slower this time, he's fighting not to shake, not to revolt, not to react emotionally. I am taking away what little honour he has, in his eyes. I know that.

"With this, you offer me your broken honour. Is that correct?" I ask, my tone as formal as the situation –as he– needs me to be.

I notice the blacksmith studying the ronin closely. He understands what's going on. Saromi nods sullenly. "Good. Blacksmith, I would have you repair these blades. Have them fitted for storage. Repair his broken honour." I hand the blades to the blacksmith, enjoying the gratitude I find in his eyes. It's Saromi's eyes that really hit hard though. He's close to tears – in a good way. "As well, I will need new blades for him, worthy of him. Forged as a true samurai's blades should be."

"Of course." The blacksmith, bows his head formally once again. He takes his notepad, ready to take the order.

"He will need a set of four. A katana, a wakizashi and twin kodachis. All reverse edged. Of a chakra conducting metal, of course. What alloy would you recommend for a samurai?" I ask, carefully referring to Saromi not by his name, but as a samurai. I know he both cannot and will not fight me on this, and I know that this is the first step he needs to believing he is worth something in my eyes.

"Nectar of the Kami." He says, his eyes smiling again.

"…" Saromi obviously knows this alloy, if the pure and utter shock he's radiating tells even half the tale.

"An alloy reserved for the guards of royalty. A bit pricey, but if anything is worthy of the samurai you have with you, this is." He explains. I nod.

"Very well. I will trust you to pick a proper sheath, colour and style befitting my honour guard, blacksmith. He is of the Namiki now." I say, again being **way** too formal for my liking, but… Saromi needs this.

"Then he will need a new name. A samurai takes a new name when he takes a new master." I'm explained.

I nod… thinking about that. "From this day forth, you will be Namiki Keito. 'Kei' meaning 'respect'. 'To' meaning 'person'." Literally naming him 'respectable person' is meant to drive the point home each and every time he's called by his new name: you are worth something.

"As milady wishes." He says, bowing so low I wonder if he'll be able to stand on his own. "Then I, Namiki Keito, offer you my life. From this day forth, I am yours to command, Aya-dono."

Too formal. Too formal. Kami-sama! I want to scream just to break the cursed mould we've gotten stuck in!

"I accept you oath, and will honour it." That's taken straight out of 'Ronin'. If I hadn't read that book, I'd have no clue what I'm doing right now. "In turn, I will need you armed, Keito."

I take my twin kodachis from my sleeves, holding them palms down to show I am offering them to him. "Until your new blades are ready, you will wield mine. Guard me well, Keito." The formality is starting to make me itch! Seriously! Take the blades and let's be done with this!

"With my life." He vows, once again. He takes the blades from me, bowing much too low once again. That has to be bad for his back!

"Good." I say, nodding. "So anyway. You'll need a down payment for the order, of course." Ah! Much better! Now I can just be me.

"Nn. About forty-thousand Ryou. Under name Namiki, no doubt."

"Of course." I say, smiling. Even though we'll have to reregister Keito, I don't care. Now… now he can start a new life. A life with honour, hope… and who knows. We have more than enough singles for him to start trying his luck with.

I really do need to find out why he was dishonoured though, but I'm almost afraid to ask – for his sake and comfort, not mine.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Senju-san is quite amused when I explain why I'm reregistering Keito. I don't mind too much – seeing as he glows each time I tell the tale. She's especially amused that I gave him my family name.

"That's our Aya for you." A little too amused. "Welcome to Konoha, Keito."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Now that's just unfair! I get 'dono' and she gets 'sama'?

"Ah. Before I forget. I've taken the liberty of picking a headband for you." Senju-san says, still sounding _way_ too amused. She takes something out of her drawer, placing a red headband on the table with the Konoha symbol. Keitou takes the headband, then looks to me.

"How… should I wear it?"

"It's _your_ headband." I remind him. "Most wear it on their foreheads. Shika-nii wears it on his right arm. Lee wears his as a belt. I've seen people wearing theirs like bandanas, some even backwards. It's about what you want."

"Around the neck?" He wonders, looking at my headband.

"Mostly a girl thing, that's why I didn't suggest it. I won't care if you want to." I say, shrugging. Although…?

"What if we make it a Namiki thing?" Hitomi asks, either thinking the same thing as me or wondering if that's what I'm thinking. She wears hear headband on her forehead, a habit from her days of wanting to hide her Caged Brid Seal. Without a second thought, she ties her headband around her neck, snugly. Just like I wear mine. Kin is quick to do the same.

"What do you know, I'm a trendsetter." I say, amused. I used to be the only person wearing my headband like this. Sure, plenty of girls wear their headband around their neck, like a scarf but not a choker.

Keito ties it around his neck, snugly, looking to me –just me– for approval. I smile, amused that he cares what I think about how he dresses. "It suits you, Namiki Keito." I tell him, mostly because I like how his face lights up like a child opening presents on their birthday. "Now come on. I'm sure there will be another meeting soon just for the sake of annoying me. And we still need to introduce you to the pack."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"I hate being right sometimes." I complain, fidgeting in my seat in the Council Chambers. "I really do." Still, at least it's only the Shinobi Council – far less bothersome to deal with.

Naru-nii pats my shoulder, saying something about something I don't care to figure out just yet. We all settle in, and Senju-san enters soon after, starting the meeting immediately – even before sitting down.

"Thank you all for coming. I know this might seem like your standard meeting. It isn't. This is me laying things out and you all listening very carefully." She begins. I nod, grinning. That means I'm allowed to knock some head around if they interrupt her. "Now. Aya, would you say that Gaara and Kankuro are ready to return to Sand?"

"I would." I nod. Gaara has already laid a healthy foundation with his three genins.

"Good. Then you will assemble a team and escort them, including their genins to Sand. You will stay there for a minimum of a month to ensure that he is well received. And I expect you to lay down the law with Taiju, who is supposed to because Gaara's personal Anbu guard once he's Kazekage. I will also expect you to attend a meeting being held here in Konoha between the Fire daimyo and Wind daimyo. I suspect these meeting will take place over the next week. Gaara is to attend as well, seeing as he is the only true candidate for Kazekage. Furthermore, you will be the head of my guard during these meetings. Choose only shinobi you trust with this task, and ensure they understand that not a word they hear is to ever be spoken of. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Senju-san."

"Good. On another note. Mist has confirmed the joint training effort. They will be sending fifty of their shinobi to Konoha for the minimum of two years for specialised training. Namiki Aya and Momochi Zabuza will be spearheading this training. They are charged with the duty of forging deeply seeded bonds between our villages. These shinobi are scheduled to arrive in three months' time and arrangements for them have already been made. While they are here, it is every Konoha citizen's duty to foster these bonds. Should you be incapable of being nice and polite, then shut up and stay out of the way. Is that understood?"

" **Yes, Hokage-sama.** "

"Good. Aya, Zabuza, we will discuss the details privately." We nod, knowing she means after dinner. "As well, with everything going on, I've been trying to open as many friendly communication channels as possible. To both Great and Minor villages and countries. There will be very politically sensitive missions coming up shortly. I will need five specialized teams to see to these missions with grace and care. Jiraiya will be lead one. Hatake Kakashi will lead one. Akimichi Chouza will lead one. Ono Masao will lead one. Hyuuga Hiashi will lead one. You will each select three subordinates and be ready to be sent out at a moment's notice."

"Of course, Hokage-sama." They answer as one.

"Namiki Aya and Momochi Zabuza. You will both also have teams selected and ready to be sent out immediately, you are our first response cells. I am aware that this may conflict with your other duties. Be prepared for this eventuality."

" **Of course.** " We answer.

"Yamanaka Inoichi, I have a new project I need you to spearhead. You will report to my office at your earliest convenience. Bring Ino with you, this concerns her as well."

"As you wish, Hokage-sama."

"Nara Shikaku, I'll need a private meeting with you and Shikamaru as well."

"As you wish, Hokage-sama." Hmm, interesting. I really like how poor, poor Shimura is getting left out in the cold.

"Uzumaki Naruto. I am aware that you are leaving on a mission soon. However I have a top priority task for your clan. Report to my office immediately after this meeting for details. It will need to be handled swiftly and with extreme care."

"Alright, alright." He doesn't sound happy. This will cut into his pranking spree. Wait… shadow clones. No it won't.

"Honda Ikemoto, I have an idea for the Academy that you and Umino Iruka will be looking into. I'll need both of you in my office sometime this week. I expect you will both give this the attention and care it deserves."

"Of course, Hokage-sama." That same guy that came to pick up mom way back when. Meh.

"Ito Nariko, the time has come for each genin cell to pick a medic for training. You will spearhead this effort, ensure that each attends their classes and you are to not stop stalking them until they are at least Rank Four medics. Is that understood?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

"Inuzuka Tsume, you have more than enough going on already. However, I have a project that could use your… _tender touch_. Low priority for now, but I expect you in my office before the week is out for details."

"I look forward to it." I hear the pleased smirk in her tone.

"Tatewaki Satomi, now is the time to being your project. Do not fail me."

"As you desire, Hokage-sama."

"Aburame Shibi, I have considered your recommendations. I approve. You may begin whenever you are ready."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"Sarutobi Asuma, the Fire Daimyo has requested you as a personal guard during his stay here. You will report to my office today for details.

"Good. I expect regular reports from each of you. Konoha needs each of you to ensure our future is bright and promising. To fail me is to fail the future of Konoha." I grin. Shimura-san just got snubbed. Of the sixteen shinobi clans registered in Konoha, he's the only one that didn't get a project.

"Oh. And before I forget, there will be some… new arrangements in the Shinobi Council. I will be issuing memos sometimes this week. There will be a meeting to discuss the details after you've each had time to go over these changes. Bear in mind, I am informing you, not asking you. That is all. Dismissed."

Naru-nii, Kashi-nii, Momochi-san and I grin, sharing a knowing look. We don't know what that is about, but… We can guess. And if my guess is right… Shimura-san won't like it, at all. Especially seeing as the old ghouls aren't here – he's without backup and no one likes him.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hayashida-dono, welcome to Konoha." Senju-san greets the Wind daimyo. "I hope your journey has been pleasant?"

"Joyously uneventful, just how I like it." He jokes – I guess.

"Yamanaoichi-dono, welcome to Konoha." Senju-san greets the Land of That daimyo. "I hope your journey has been pleasant?" Wash, rinse, repeat.

"It was splendid, Senju-dono. Simply splendid. Ah, is this the Namiki-sama I've heard so many good things about?"

"Namiki Aya." I say, bowing but not getting into this any more than is needed. I don't have the patience for politics, and this is a meeting with three heads of state. I'd long since warned Senju-san that I'm keeping my mouth shut as much as I can get away with.

"A pleasure to meet you, Namiki-sama. Truly an honour." He slightly inclines his head, obviously thinking himself above me. I notice, but don't react.

"Aya-chan is here as my personal guard. Please forgive her reserved attitude, she is merely keeping her wits about her as her station dictates." Senju-san explains, smooth as silk. _Politicians_. I just don't want to insult a bunch of pompous windbags.

"Of course, of course." He goes on and on about something I don't care to identify. Senju-san seems to understand. Good on her.

Ten minutes later, the final guest arrives. "Mitsuzaka-dono, welcome back. I trust your journey was pleasant?" Senju-san must have the patience of a saint to deal with these people.

"It was, Tsunade-dono. It is good to see you again." The Fire daimyo says, his eyes smiling slightly.

"Likewise, Mitsuzaka-dono. As you requested, Namiki Aya is with us today. Though she is here as my guard. Please forgive her reserved attitude, she is merely keeping her wits about her as her station dictates." She rehearsed that. She'd have to, to word it precisely the same way twice.

"Ah, Namiki-san, it is good to finally meet you. You know, thanks to your efforts, the former Land of This is a new territory in the Land of Fire. Truly remarkable that you could accomplish such a feat at the tender age of thirteen. You do your clan, your village and your country proud, Namiki-san."

"Thank you, sir." I bow politely, sniffing the air to memorise his scent.

"Ah. A true Namiki." He probably realises what I'm doing. "Who do you have here with you?"

"Hatake Ryuuzetsu, Namiki Hitomi, Namiki Keito and Imamura Ikoku."

"I see, I see. How interesting. You wouldn't happen to be related to Hatake Kakashi, would you, young lady?" Tsu is asked.

"His daughter, milord." Tsu says.

"Good, good. I feel safer already. And Imamura… of the Imamura clan of Stone?" The Fire daimyo presses, his eyes boring into Ikoku.

"Formerly, yes. I am the last of my clan and currently under Aya's wing." Iki-chan explains.

"I see, I see. My, Namiki-san, you certainly choose your company well. My compliments." He says, smiling at me. I try not to shrug – their heritage and/or their skills isn't why I keep them close to me, after all. "You also seem to have adopted a Hyuuga and a ronin into your clan?"

"Samurai." I correct.

"Truly? How interesting. To have earned the loyalty of either is truly a boon and it speaks highly of your character, Namiki-san. I would love a private meeting with you later, to discuss certain matters. Perhaps in your home? I have heard so many interesting tales of your den and I would so love to see for myself."

"Not an option." I shoot that down without even thinking about it.

"Aya." Senju-san warns. "What sh-"

"I'm sure Namiki-san is more than capable of speaking for herself, Tsunade-dono. Please, explain." He all but demands.

"We are wolves, not dogs. We do not fetch and rollover. Our den, our pups, our pack… we are not suited for high society. And furthermore, I see no reason to invite your guards into my den as I don't know them."

"Why would that be a problem?" He asks, curious. If I didn't know better, I would think he's amused with my explanation.

"I do not invite death into my den. It isn't the Namiki way. You would pose almost no security risk, but your guards…?"

"Ah, but you see I'd already planned for that. That's why I requested Asuma-kun. He is, after all trustworthy?" Warning signs are going off in my head. Why would he want to get into my den so badly as to research and plot that far ahead?

"You'll have to forgive me, but you're planning that far ahead marks you a security risk. We can meet in a secure location away from my den, where your guards are more than welcomed to join you." I say.

"That's too bad, I was-"

"I don't do politics. I don't do silver tongues. And I certainly don't change my mind with what I see is a security risk. Our pups' lives mean more to me than your idle curiosity. Either the location I've suggested, or Senju-san's office. Pick."

"Now, now, Namiki-san, there's no need for hostilities. I'm only sugg-"

"Mitsuzaka-san." I interrupt him again. "Just as you would not allow me into your private quarters with your children and wife, I will not allow you into my den. This is non-negotiable." I glare at him. I don't care that he's taller than me. I don't care he's a daimyo. And I certainly don't care whatever he hopes to achieve.

People are let into my den because I trust them. I don't trust him. So there's no way he's getting in. Period.

"A true Namiki alright!" He sounds amused. "Please, forgive me, Namiki-san. I was raised around your grandmother, so I know how Namikis think and act. I was merely curious if her spirit lives on within your clan."

I fix him with my best 'we are not impressed' glare. He only laughs louder at that. "Tsunade-dono, I see why you like having her around. Even with a daimyo she doesn't back down." He sizes me up completely different this time, and he seems impressed. I roll my eyes. "This secure location of yours sounds adequate. I'm sure Tsunade-sama can arrange this private meeting for me?"

"Of course, Mitsuzaka-dono."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Yes, yes. Gaara most certainly fits what I would need of a Kazekage. You say Namiki-sama is to escort him back to Sand personally?" The Wind daimyo seems to like the thought.

"They leave the day after our business is concluded." Senju-san assures him.

"I see. And how does the future Kazehage feel about this?" He presses.

"I am uncertain. There is much work to be done. Much to reorganize. Much bad blood between Sand and Leaf to heal." Gaara seems to be right in his element. Good on him – less trouble for me.

"Too true, too true."

"However, it is for this reason I am grateful Hokage-sama has agreed to my request that Namiki Aya accompany me. It would show a strong bond between Sand and Leaf is not only possible, but inevitable given time and room to grow." Gaara explains, cool as a cucumber. How does he stomach the overly polite crap these people keep spewing?

"Yes, I see your point. And her blossoming reputation certainly shows that Leaf favours you as well. Nothing short of Tsunade-dono herself escorting you could top that." Not rolling my eyes takes considerably more effort than I expected.

"Agreed. Which is why I wish to petition Konoha for a training program, as Mist has. It would bode well for us if we could forge ties to the Village hidden in the Mist, would it not?" Don't roll your eyes. Don't snort. Don't react at all. This is their version of a spar.

"Hmm?" The Wind daimyo strokes his chin, thinking about that. "Yes, yes. This would prove most beneficial to us. Perhaps you should try to pay the Hidden Mist village a visit, to foster friendlier ties with them?"

"I was thinking along the same line, milord."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 83_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Notice anything? Aya not exploding on anyone, maybe? It didn't slip my mind. At all. She just doesn't have the time or the leeway, and no one's stepping far enough out of bounds to justify it, even if only to herself. That means... that the next chapter is going to be entertaining ^_^  
_**

 ** _And BY THE WAY! Butterflies has hit over a hundred reviews! That means, as I've kind of made a custom out of, that once the story ends, you guys get bonus content almost immediately! That's right! For every hundred reviews, you get 1 Bonus Chapter (with a teaser of what the future will bring), 1 Bonus Content Chapter (fun and interesting facts I haven't pointed out, and perhaps even an in depth breakdown of how Butterflies was set up and/or plotted), and 1 'Just Because' Chapter (containing either a deleted scene, or something that sheds light on the more subtle background noise that actually plays a bigger role than has been hinted at)._**

 ** _These three chapters will only be posted after the story is officially completed, which won't be long now. And each will be named accordingly. So, Enjoy ^_^_**


	99. You've got to be kidding me…

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 83 – You've got to be kidding me…**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

Sitting comfortably on one of the couches in the Four Clans' office in the Civilian District, I gaze at the Fire Daimyo. I open my mouth, trying to form the words I need to tell him in how many pieces I wish I could cut him right now. Something stops me. Not anything silly like logic, or reasoning, or rationality. No. It's laughter.

I'm laughing at his offer so hard that I think I'm going to pass out.

"So… let me get this straight…" I begin, trying to so hard to talk and breathe through the laughter still escaping me. "You want me to marry your son?"

"Yes." He isn't very happy with me right now.

"And you think… telling a Namiki who to marry… is a good idea?" The laughter is slowing, but the tears in my eyes aren't. Kami-sama, I haven't laughed this hard since Kashi-nii and Momochi-san decided to sing a song at one of our concerts – they were both too drunk to realise it was a bad idea.

"I am not 'telling', Namiki-san. I am asking. My son needs a strong willed woman to help him lead our country when it's time for me to step down." He explains carefully. I can tell just by how his four guards tense that they expect me to lash out. And really, I'm tempted to. If this weren't so kami-damned funny!

It takes me almost ten minutes to cool down enough to talk normally. "Look, I'd like to say I'm flattered, but I'm not. Being married to a daimyo is the worst punishment I can think of. I hate politics. I don't have the patience for people in the best of times. And to make matters worse, I'm not going to play second strings to a man I see as weaker than myself. And no, your clan's political power doesn't make you stronger than me, just better connected far wealthier. I'm a kunoichi, for Kami's sake."

"And that isn't even taking into account that I am the head of my clan. That would mean relocating my clan to the capital. Then there's our ties to the other clans to consider. No. Just no. I'm not going to abandon my den, my territory or my pack because of an offer that wasn't all that tempting to begin with." I shoot him down. Hard.

"… A simple 'no' would have sufficed."

"No." Happy now?

"… I see." He's about to start acting up, isn't he. He's about to start acting a fool, probably going to try to order me around just to lick his ego's wounds. "Would you consider joining the Twelve Guardian Ninjas then?"

"No." That's two. Want to go for the third?

"… Have I don't something to upset you, Namiki-san?" He asks.

"No. If I were upset, your guards would be crawling around on the ceiling. I'm not subtle." I explain seriously.

"Then why don't you even consider my offers?"

"Because I know the answer. Why would I give you false hope when I know now what I would tell you after six months of thinking about it?" I break it down for him. "Look, you claim to know how Namikis are. This is how we are. We don't abandon our pack. We don't abandon our den. We don't abandon our territory. Your offers all include abandoning them. There's nothing to think about."

"Alright. What if I gave you missions to take over other countries?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because there's no honour in that. I defended myself in the Land of This. I defended my pack. The country falling is collateral damage." This guy just doesn't get it, does he.

"Alright, what about sending you on missions to investigate sus-"

"No. I have enough going on and adding missions where you fully expect me to get into situations that would lead to me overthrowing other countries for your gain is not going to happen." He seems to be growing more and more impatient with me. "Look, you said you understand how Namikis are, but you show no understanding. You ask for things that go against my moral code. You ask for things for your gain and nothing mutually beneficial. That's complete crap. If you're looking for a puppet, you are barking up the wrong tree."

"What if I were to-"

I fix him with a glare that freezes him in place. I'm not leaking killing intent, or anything like that. I'm just glaring so hard he might catch on fire any second. "If your words turn out to be a threat to anyone or anything I hold dear… then let me assure you I would be the worst enemy you ever make."

As if a switch is hit, I perk up, happy and joyous, singing my next words to him. "You were saying?"

"I think it wise we reconvene another time. This meeting will obvious bear nothing fruitful." Senju-san offers, her smile a bit strained.

"No need. I've heard enough." I say, smiling sweetly. "Please leave." Trying to control a Namiki. Psh.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Meeting went well?" Kashi-nii asks, finding me in a random training ground… somewhere in the village. I have too much pent up anger to train at home. I think I would end up breaking the house by accident.

Earth release jutsus aren't helping me burn off the anger, so I use fire instead. Yeah, I'm using FIRE RELEASE JUTSUS! I'm **THAT** kind of pissed!

Instead of answering, I focus using the Fire Release: Flamethrower again. Watching imperfect copies of me –mud clones– writhing in agony as they're engulfed in a controlled stream of liquid fire… Kami-sama, that just feels so good right now!

"That bad, huh."

"Worse. And no, I don't want to talk about it."

"Hnn? How about a spar then?" He offers.

I grin. Now we're talking! "All out?"

"If you can handle it." He shrugs, not caring.

"How about we go all out for me? I…I need that so bad." He nods. Agreeing with me, agreeing with the offer, I don't care.

 **CLAP!**

I clap as hard as I can, making thirty Sound Balls and pelt them at him in one go. While he's busy figuring that out, I grab my shinobue and immediately start playing. I make sure to only breathe in through my nose to better track what's going on around me. And I place myself in a Mime's Barrier, hovering well about the training ground.

The unfair advantage of being me? All my primary skills –the ones I can do quickly, efficiently– are geared towards defence in one way or another. Sound Barrier, straight up defence. Sound Ball, mostly offence, but you'd be amazed how quickly that offence becomes a defence when the enemy is dodging so much they can't think up a strategy. Divine Hands, a defence because I can use my jutsus kenjutsu skills through them and simply stay out of danger's way. Devouring Shackles… well, what's better than having no enemy that can move – best defence money can buy! And Siren's Call, if they can't break out of the genjutsu completely, there's no need for a defence.

Well… then there's Sound Release: Scalpel. That's not in any way defensive. So most. Most of my primary skills are defensive.

But what's more interesting, is what I started testing a theory. I can do everything with my Divine Hands that I can with my regular hands. So why not handsigns for more complex jutsu, right? Yeah, no. That fell flat on its face, but! I can use my shadow crows for that!

But I'm here in a barrier, and they won't be able to get out to be effective. So… nope.

In this set up, sound release is my only viable option.

It is really therapeutic to see Kashi-nii dodging time and time again though. He tries substituting a few dozen times, but I just track him down and continue the onslaught; playing my flute and replacing each Sound Ball that he destroys.

Eventually it gets old though. It's fun, but repetitive. So I stow my flute and drop out of the Mime's Barrier and join the fray. He still has to watch out for the Sound balls, trying to… they can tear through trees? That's interesting to know.

What about a rocks? I stomp the ground and send an Earth Flow Spear up to impale Kashi-nii. He dodges of course, but I the Sound Balls nearly overwhelm him and he has to substitute again. Three of the Sound Balls tear through the spike of hardened earth, like a knife through butter. Good to know.

Eventually that gets old too, though. So I ask him to switch to taijutsu. I even let my other jutsus fizzle! I'm that much in need of something to keep me occupied and on my toes.

It's just a shame I know that I'm giving up my every advantage. My taijutsu is GOOD! But… against Kashi-nii? That's like pitting Ino against Lee and rooting for Ino. It won't work. Ever.

Still, Kashi-nii's the type of sparring partner that doesn't stop until you're better than when you started. Just a lot more bruised and maybe some cracked ribs – hairline fractures sometimes too.

We trade blows – or more accurately, he attacks and I try to counterattack, which almost never works out in my favour. Punches, kicks, knees, elbows… I think I need to look out for his head-butts though. No matter how hard I push myself, how far beyond me limits I reach, how absolutely insanely I drive myself to instantly reach new heights –the only times he'll compliment me after spar, by the way– he just never loses focus.

He redirects my punches, sidesteps my knees and kicks, completely avoids my elbows and just flicks my head-butts. He's… frustratingly good!

I don't have the time to talk –I need to focus on my breathing because I'm once again pushing myself so hard that Lee would be fired up watching us– but my mind and my body seem to work on different frequencies. I think I should do something nice for Satsuma, since he's basically losing sleep to tend to Tsuren for me.

I duck under a kick that would probably hospitalize me, trying to kick out his supporting leg from under him. He can't even see me, but he sees it coming. So he jumps over my kick and uses the momentum to offer me a backhanded fist to the skull.

I wonder if Sakiko and Hoshie really get along, or if they're just pretending to so I'll feel less worried. I mean, Hoshie finally has her big sister, but now has to share. And Sakiko has had to share me for a while, but used to be my only little sister. Something to look into.

I knee his fist, but Kashi-nii doesn't seem to notice. The force behind his seemingly simple attack is enough to counter my counterattack and still send my speeding towards that holey spike of mine. I substitute, not wanting to find out if there's enough force to send me through the spike, but I don't wait for him to find me. Instead I take the fight straight to him, using my training with Momochi-san to make no sounds at all – even I can't hear my own heartbeat now – I use the sound that should make to power the Offsetting Sound, because I know he's sneaky enough to try place a genjutsu on me, even though it's taijutsu only.

Yasu-nee should be about ten weeks along now, shouldn't she? I haven't scanned the baby in nearly two weeks. Shame on me! I'll see how mother-to-be and her little cutie are doing after I rest up. After all, I don't doubt I'll need a few days to recover from this. Kashi-nii is NOT a gentle sparring partner after all. If you want gentle, bow out before it even starts!

Not surprisingly, Kashi-nii still avoids my kick to his kidneys. I know I almost had it though, because he didn't have the chance to counterattack that time! Instead, he just ducks and lets my kick fly over him. I try to grab him with enough chakra to ensure he can't get away from me, but he sees that coming too and avoids my grab.

Stupid fast people are stupid!

 **Sniff.**

He's behind me already? I'm not interested in finding out what he's planning, so I substitute. Just in time to see him kick the log I leave behind so hard it snaps in two. Oh? So you like it rough, do you? I body flicker behind him, but don't 'unflicker' like I'm supposed to. The thing about the body flicker is that the jutsu makes you move so fast that you can't actually see what's going on around you. So you need to quickly assess the new situation you're in before you body flicker again, or whatever you're planning; which is why most people don't use it in a combat situation. So, instead of slowing down enough to be able to attack and move normally, I offer that chakra enhanced momentum into a single punch; I make sure I reinforce my muscles, bones and other important tissues –skin, blood vessels, nerves… blah, blah, blah– so I don't break myself with the attack should I get lucky.

Not surprisingly, he substitutes. My fist tears right through the log. Literally. Right through it. I actually have to use Sound Release: Scalpel to get my arm out of it.

A low whistle tells me Kashi-nii is impressed. "That could have killed me."

"If it misses, it doesn't matter."

"True. You calm down a bit?"

"… Yes?"

"Good. I wanted to talk to you."

"Crap."

"Don't worry, I'm prepared to pay for the chocolate spree." I really don't like the sound of that. "You guys should head back to the den. I'll bring her home in one piece." Physically maybe.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I know I'm not going to like what he has to say. Not because he's got a look, or there's any kind of tension, or anything like that. No. It's because he takes me to an upscale restaurant, the kind that makes their chocolaty deserts themselves, to stand out from the rabble.

When he announces we have a reservation for two, under Hatake, I know I'm right. He planned. Planned good. Planned way ahead. I'm not going to like this.

We're immediately shown in, to a secluded booth away from the crowd. Kashi-nii only asks for the desert menus, and orders a pot of jasmine tea – a middle ground, seeing as it's neither of our favourite, but it's one we agree on.

Looking over the menu, I see an entire SECTION with chocolaty desserts. "If you promise to hear me out until the very end, I won't complain if you order every single dessert on the menu." I'm liking this less and less.

I won't hear the end of it until I hear every word anyway. Even if I can avoid him, Yasu-nee is… doggedly determined when she wants something done. "Deal."

"Alright." He nods. "One of everything that has a significant amount of chocolate. Bring them out in waves of two or three, depending on how big they are."

"A-as you wish." She really doesn't know what to make of us right now. Still, that's a HUGE order. As soon as she's gone, he pulls down his mask. Yeah. I'm liking this less and less every time.

"I think you and Chouji need to get engaged." My blood pressure skyrockets instantly. "People are going to keep propositioning you until you do. And frankly we both know the daimyo only walked away because you placed your pack above your desire to break him in half."

I bide my time. I promised to hear him out to the end. I don't like breaking promises.

"There are other reasons for this as well, but that's the biggest one. However, I think you should consider the implications of not taking my advice. This is just one daimyo. There will be more. Some more influential, some less. Some more patient, some less. Some will not take you declining as gracefully as this one did. In fact, the heaviest bounty on my head is from a lady daimyo I gracefully turned down ten years ago. She's since married and has a son. And she still wants my head on a platter." He continues. I frown thoughtfully, going over that.

The waitress comes with the tea and two elegant teacups. Kashi-nii's mask is up long before she even gets close. Once she's gone, so is the mask.

"If you are engaged, they make a fool of themselves by propositioning you. And no one can blame you for the fallout." I bite my tongue, forcefully reminding myself not to interrupt him. I'm sure he notices. "I know you don't care, but the fact remains that others will. Wars have been declared over pretty faces that turned a daimyo down. Petty, yes, but these are people that don't fight in the wars themselves. They just give the order and thousands of people die for a stupid reason. Please try to remember that they are often taught from infancy that their people owe them as much, simply because Kami-sama allowed them to be born into such a position. Some even take it one step further and declare themselves gods. These are not the most logical of people, Imouto-chan."

"In fact, even being engaged sometimes isn't enough for the less tactful of them. Some of them will be dumb enough to put bounties on Chouji just to say that you are no longer engaged. Think you'll come running to them for comfort. But, that allows Konoha to strike back. Should you be legally single, there's nothing Konoha or the Land of Fire can do for you."

"Now, keep in mind that by talking to you about this, I'm not only risking you getting upset with me. I risk Yoshino, Shikaku, Satsuma and Miwako getting just as upset."

The waitress comes back with the first three desserts. Not surprisingly, Kashi-nii's mask is up before she notices it was down to begin with. The second she turns to leave, the mask is back down again.

I idly grab my spoon and dig in, going over his words, his reasons, his logic. I don't find fault in any of it.

"There's more going on that you are aware of. The daimyo has heard rumours that at least six lesser daimyos have already sent messengers with marriage proposals. Six. And those are just the lesser daimyos. How long before the other Great Nations' leaders want you for themselves? After all, your heritage is no less coveted than the Hatakes. Coupled with your looks? Your moral fibre? Your skills? People will go to war to make you theirs. That's why I wear my mask. To avoid the crap you're now going through."

"And furthermore, that's why the Fire daimyo is pushing for you to move to the capital. So he can protect you. He was practically raised by your grandmother, and wishes to repay her through you. That's why he wanted Asuma to be his guard, because Asuma would know who to talk to, should he fail to convince you. He knows that you will not be as patient with other daimyos as you are with him, simply because he registers as the alpha of your territory. He does understand, he does appreciate how Namikis are and think and act. However, you are not giving him any easy option to work with. Other than him moving to Konoha, there's literally nothing he can do now. And that isn't an option he can live with."

I sigh, pushing up my glasses to pinch the bride of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. Kami-sama, things can never EVER be simple when I'm involved. Ever.

It's like there's some kami out there that reads the scripts of fate, and every time she sees Namiki Aya, she giggles and scribbles some more crap I need to go through. It just isn't right!

"Go ahead and gobble down. I've said my piece."

Good… because I need the chocolate now.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Laying in my bed, staring at the ceiling. It's three in the morning, but sleep won't come.

We had a party. I drank six bottles of sake for my nerves. It didn't help. And I didn't pass out. And I'm still awake. And sleep still just won't come.

I…

I hate this so much.

I hate not knowing what to do. I hate how people that don't even know you feel they have the Kami-given right to make decisions for you. I hate how women and girls are little more than ornaments. I hate how people seem to believe that the world is theirs for the taking. I hate… I hate all of this. I hate it so much…

I even hate how tears won't come. Usually, if I'm upset like I am, tears come, I cry it out. After that, I either feel better, or at least fall asleep. Neither seems like an option now.

I… I need to figure this out. I need to find answers. I need to understand what to do. Because… This… this can't be my life. I was supposed to live a simple life. Carefully hidden behind my Anbu mask. I was supposed to save allies, kill enemies. Simple, straightforward. A bit boring, but hey, we can't have it all.

And now? Now… Now I need to figure out how to sort through this mess. Overthrow one little country and suddenly the world knows your name! I'll bet they can't even point out the Land of This on a Map! Heck, I was there and I can't!

Kami-sama! How stupid is this! Almost work myself into a grave every day for years, training harder and harder every day, and what am I known for? My looks. Wow. That's impressive. Why did I train then? Why did I study then? Why did I bother? I could have just sat on my behind and giggled at a passing daimyo. Insta-riches!

Completely crap! Complete and utter crap!

You know what! I'm done with their stupid crap. I'm done trying to figure them out. I'm done with stupid idiots that can't even notice half my worth.

I get up, and grab for my glasses, feeling Tsu stir instantly. She looks right at me, her eyes unfocused. I guess it's more like her nose is pointing at me, then. "Go back to sleep. I'm just going to the bathroom." She's starts snoring before her head even hits the pillow.

I leave my room, walk down the hall, silent as the grave, and down the stairs. I'm still in my pyjamas, but I don't care. I… I need this. I need this so bad right now.

To the front room, I quietly creep, where I slip into my slippers. I slip out of and around the house, through the little archway to the Yuki compound. I'm grateful I can track by scent, because I've never actually been inside their home.

I activate my night vision jutsu –silly name, really– and quietly enter the house, making sure to take off my slippers and stow them neatly. I sniff, searching for the one person that can make this day suck less. Up the stairs, I follow his scent. Into a seemingly random room.

He's here. Alone. I study him, how his chest rises and falls rhythmically. How his light snores seem to tease my ears. How his scent is so interwoven into the room, even though he's only been sleeping here for… a few weeks? I don't even know anymore. I'm tired, but sleep just won't come.

"Chouji." I call him, my voice soft to not startle anyone – but to let them identify me anyway.

"Hnn, uh… huh… Aya? What…?"

"Shh." I shush him, pulling up the covers and crawling in with him. It takes a moment, but I feel his familiar warmth seeping into me… I sigh, grateful. "Go back to sleep." I say.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"I will, in the morning." I promise, yawning. Funny. I stare at my ceiling for hours, nothing. In his arms for a minute, can't keep my eyes open.

Well… things could be worse.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 83_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: The sad part is, even though I'm being slightly dramatic about it, wars have started over pretty faces. Even in a world where there are now two female Kages... things like this, daimyos believing they have the right to claim any bride for themselves or their sons, is common. Heck, guys on the street believe themselves entitled to any pretty face they see. 'Might makes right' is all too often a justification, and woman are perceived as 'weak' by definition._**

 ** _So let's see what Aya... or perhaps I should say... what Chouji has to say about this._**


	100. Loyalty

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 _ **Chapter 84 – Loyalty**_

 _ **3rd Person Pov Chapter**_

 _ **A/N: In celebration of the 100th chapter! I give you one big confuffle of a chapter! This is the 'mission' Aya still has to take, and some fun stuff tossed in for the heck of it.**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

The sun hasn't risen, but those in the Namiki, Uzumaki, Hatake and Yuki compounds are already starting to stir, ready to start their day. In the Hatake compound, Hana is already busy dealing with Tokara's morning workout. He's too busy trying to make her smile to even remember how crumby he feels, and each time he does the exercise right, her eyes soften and he lips curl up slightly. He loves the effect this has on her, so even though he firmly believes this is hopeless, he pushes on. Just a little harder, just a little more, just a little faster… just for her.

In the Uzumaki compound, Fuu is complaining to Minori about her having to leave soon. Minori isn't too happy about it either, knowing she'll miss her best friend and roommate. Still, she knows that Naruto needs her. And at least Haruki's coming too. It isn't perfect, but it's something. She tries reminding Fuu that she has a lot of studying to do, that becoming a doctor isn't easy. Fuu smiles a little, thankful Tsunade is considering taking her. The two hug, wondering what tomorrow will bring.

In the Namiki compound, things are… a little different. Hitomi is already awake, has been for a while now. She doesn't get out of bed though. She doesn't want to. Why would she? Kin decided she couldn't sleep last night –not in her own bed, at least– so she snuck into Hitomi's. The second she was comfortable, spooning with Hitomi, Kin was out like a light. Hitomi couldn't sleep, however. Even curled up behind the love fate offered her, even though she's exhausted, sleep won't come. Her mind keeps going over Aya's situation, and her situation is troubling.

In Aya's room, Ryuuzetsu stirs. She… feels something is wrong, the picture she sees makes no sense. She feels Aya each and every time she moves, but she can't remember her coming back to bed. And Aya's side of the bed isn't made up as it usually would be. Her glasses are missing. And… her scent is too faded for her to believe she came back at all.

Ryuuzetsu jumps out of bed, still in her pyjamas, runs down the hall to Hitomi's room, doesn't knock and, "Aya's missing!"

Hitomi doesn't even think about it. She activates her Byakugan, trying to track Aya down. Interestingly, Keito isn't in the house either, nor are his or her slippers. On a hunch, Hitomi scans the Yuki compound. She smiles and deactivates her Byakugan. "Chouji's bed." Is all Hitomi has to say. Ryuuzetsu calms down, now that she knows everything's alright.

"Ah, should have known. Thanks." She waves, seeing herself out.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

In the Yuki compound, Zabuza and Maki are stirring. She stretches, her hand idly massaging his six pack, content. She wouldn't change a thing about how little he wears to bed. He, on the other hand, is idly wondering about his mission. Even as his hand caresses soft skin and gentle curves, he has a bad feeling about this mission. He feels slightly better knowing that Haku and Anko are going with him, but… it doesn't change the bad feeling. Not even a little.

"It'll be fine, love." Maki murmurs, feeling the pre mission jitters troubling her bedmate; her lover.

"I know." He says evenly. He'll make it alright; he has to. There's no way he's dying before marrying the woman in his arms. There's no way he's dying before he gives her the child they both know she craves from him.

"Why so tense?" She teases, he leg gently, teasingly, trailing up his.

"… Thinking about things." He says, his free hand now on her thigh. "About the future. Our future."

"Ooh, I like this train of thought. Do tell." She says, a teasing smile in her tone.

"You won't let me leave without telling you." He doesn't ask. He knows her well enough by now.

"Nope." She chirps happily.

He thinks about it some more. Finding no reason not to, he tells her. "I want it all, Maki." Her eyes narrow, one more than the other –mostly because her cheek is smushed against his rock hard pec– as she tries figuring that out. "We already have the house. So all I need is a loving wife."

Maki's eyes widen in shock. She wants so badly for this not to be a dream. So much so that she doesn't realise she's crying until his calloused hand wipes away her tears. "And babies. We can start with one, and wing it from there."

Her lips capture his, the gentle fire he just ignited obvious in her needy, soft kisses. And how her fingers gently scrape his scalp, combing through his hair as they do.

"I get… to decide… how many." She demands between kisses.

"You've… got… to… carry… them." He caves without putting up a fight.

Maki pushes him down, using that force to push herself up. "Lay back. You've got a mission, so you need to conserve energy." She demands, straddling him. He takes one look at her. Her steamy, bedroom eyes. How the oversized sleeping shirt hides her toned, yet soft, body.

He couldn't deny her even if he wanted to; and he doesn't want to.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

In the upstairs hallway of the Yuki compound, things are just starting to liven up. The Akimichi patriarch and matriarch come out of their bedroom at almost the same time as the Yamanakas. They take one look, seeing Namiki Keito sitting seiza in front of Chouji's bedroom. They don't ask, they already know.

Keito, for his part, is fast asleep while still being wide awake. An odd combination, but one that works for him. The conscious part of his brain is asleep, at rest. But he hears everything around him, everyone around him. He can identify them by their footsteps, judge that they are no threat to his lady by how they carefully avoid coming too close to him.

In Keito's lap rest Aya's kodachis and wakizashis. She's unarmed, essentially defenceless – in his eyes. That says something to him, speaks to him in a language only a samurai honour guard would understand. She's telling him: I trust you so deeply that I don't feel the need to arm myself. Of course, she sees it differently.

Even as Keitou slowly awakens, consciously starts taking in his surroundings, he hears his lady's gentle breathing. She's still asleep. So he forces himself to go back to sleep as well. She'll need him well rested.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

In Chouji's room, in his bed, the man himself is… at peace. Even though he couldn't go back to sleep after Aya came in, he doesn't mind. He's mostly just amused that she fell asleep with her glasses on, which now rest near his right hand.

Even though his stomach is growling angrily, he doesn't move. She's sleeping, and he doesn't want to wake her.

Instead of worry about how hungry he feels, his mind churns. Kakashi had explained to him everything he explained to Aya. Chouji knows what something like that would do to her, emotionally, mentally. He knows she's angry right now. She's pissed with this broken world, badly enough that she's probably tempted to burn half of it down.

He knows her well enough to know that she didn't come to him seeking the sleep that was eluding her. She came seeking comfort. She was tired of her chasing her own proverbial tail, and she wanted him to fix that – to fix this. He knows that he can, fix it. But more than that, he's clueless what to do.

On the one hand, getting engaged to her is a no brainer; to him at least. Neither of them is ready; and even if they were, they'd never convince their parents. Not an option.

On the other? If the Hokage is powerless, if the Fair daimyo is powerless, the other clans of Konoha are not. One clan complaining in a council meeting is just a whining child wanting their way. However, if half the council complains and starts putting in motions and petitions for action… that's a whole other story. Chouji knows the Uzumakis, Yukis and Hatakes will back her up without question. Now… now it's his turn to rally the others.

He nods to himself, already planning his day for the second Aya wakes up. Talk to Nara Shikaku. Talk to Yamana Inoichi. Talk to Akimichi Chouza. Talk to Sarutobi Asuma. Four more clan heads to stir the bees nest that is Konoha's Shinobi Council. He even vows to talk to Shimura Danzo. The man is honourless, conniving and vile. But he is also one not to be trifled with. If news were to reach him that daimyos are trying to weaken Konoha by 'stealing' the Namiki clan from her? Let alone the clans and shinobi that would follow her to the ends of the earth?

Chouji doesn't doubt that there'd be a string of 'accidents' involving daimyos all across the Elemental Nations. After all, one of the first lessons his father had taught him: never underestimate Shimura Danzo, he's called the Darkness of Shinobi for a reason.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

In an underground lair, deep under Konoha. Shimura Danzo listens to the report. His spies uncovered no less than six royal messengers from lesser countries en route to Konoha. Specifically Konoha. They are certain, because they are scheduled to arrive in less than a day.

"Bring me Sai, Torune, Fu and Hyou. Immediately." Danzo demands. As would be expected, the four kneel before him not five minutes later – even if they were sleeping when he summoned them. "You four will guard Namiki Aya with your lives. I will expect updates on all international activities surrounding her until further notice. There are royal messengers en route, likely with marriage proposals. You are not to hinder them, but if anything were to happen, they are to be assassinated immediately. You have your orders." Without a word, all four Root Operatives body flicker towards their target.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Hiashi-dono, there are four unidentified shinobi outside the Namiki compound. The one who draws I am familiar with, but the others…" Hiashi thinks about that. He doesn't like how busy things have been there lately, he worries for his daughters. In the Hyuuga compound her can guard them, but there? He doesn't even pretend to have enough sway with any of them to…

"Bring me Natsu and Kou. Immediately." He demands. The Cadet Branch member body flickers without a word. Not a minute later, the two requested individuals present themselves to their clan head. Natsu is dressed as a maid, though bearing a Konoha headband to hide her Caged Bird Seal. Kou on the other hand is wearing a black men's kimono, his unmarked forehead proudly left bare. "Pack your things. I will offer your services to the Namiki clan to help guard my daughters. If anything happens to either of them…" He leaves the threat hanging, even though the ominous tone gives the pair a pretty good guess what would happen to them.

" **At once, Hiashi-dono.** "

Hiashi doesn't have the sway, he knows that, but he has a plan. Simple, but effective: beg her until she relents. His daughters are worth the damage to his pride. He stands, activates his Byakugan to locate his nephew, and sets out too.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Torune… just what are you up to?" Shino mumbles to himself. He recognizes his childhood friend and clansman without any trouble, even if his allies do not.

Shino has gotten into the habit of checking up on Fuu lately. He doesn't understand why, but he knows his mind is more at ease when he knows she is safe. Surely there is no safer place than where she is now, but… still his mind is at ease when he confirms she is well.

He knows, without a doubt, that Torune is still a member of an organization that shouldn't exist. Shimura Danzo's organization. That bothers Shino. He doesn't doubt that the four clans can handle themselves against four shinobi, but… he worries for Fuu.

It isn't easy to find a female that isn't bothered by his clan's symbiotic bond with insects. Let alone a female that finds it intriguing. Let alone a female that shares his passion for studying and collecting rare insects. It would be illogical to allow something to happen to her. At least, that's what he keeps telling himself.

So, with his observations, suspicions and a rudimentary plan, Shino approaches his father, Shibi, to discuss what the Aburame clan can do to aid Fuu – and the others by extension.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Dragon. Unknown shinobi activity in front of the Rehab Centre."

"Two teams, there, now." She grinds out. Tsume doesn't even have to think about it. Not only are the Anbu's wounded there, but so is her daughter. She doesn't doubt that the off duty Operatives constantly there can handle it, but this is more than that. This is an Anbu Commander showing that not only her out of uniform subordinates, but also her wounded, are worth the manpower to protect at all costs.

Anbu look out for their own. They always have.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Aya is in a bad mood. A very, very bad mood. She'd overslept and is now running late. Why didn't anyone wake her?

So, after rushing through her morning, gearing up, and cursing every step of the way that she has to leave a warm and cuddly Chouji behind, she exits the Namiki compound…

"Okay. I'm not sure what's going on here. But let's start with you." She begins. Then she snaps and the familiar form of Sai falls out of the tree he usually camps in. "I've made my stance clear. You were not to come back here."

"Danzo-sama ordered it." Sai says, knowing not to toy with his target. Her temper has become something of a legend recently – overthrowing a country tends to do that.

"Sai, I don't care wha-"

"He knows of the messengers sent to proposition you. He wants you guarded. So he sent us." Sai interrupts her. He's been studying her for weeks now, and even though he doesn't understand her, he knows that she appreciates a desire to protect others.

"I don't need more guards. As you can see, I have more than enough." Aya counters, annoyed enough that her eye starts twitching.

"What if one of the messengers tries something?" Sai tries. He know he needs her permission to guard her – no doubt the reason he was selected for this mission, he understands her better than any other Root Operative.

"Then they die." Aya answers coldly.

"Which would put their blood on your hands and cause an international incident. If I were to kill them, my life is less valued." Sai says, stoic as ever.

"Leave, Sai. And take the others with you. If Shimura wants something of me, he'd better have the guts to come and speak to me himself."

"Then you'll have to kill me, Namiki. I will not leave."

Aya sighs. Why do people enjoy the hard way? She snaps three more times, and three more bodies drop in chains. "Now that that's dealt with. You eight, what's Dragon's deal?"

One Anbu Operative fades into view. "She heard of shinobi activity. She wants this location secure." Deer says in a lazy tone.

"There's no reason you should be out here then. Being inside is more effective." Aya tries.

"We're needed here, first line of defence." He counters. Aya shrugs, knowing he'd disagree with her.

"See. Perfectly safe here." She says, her tone souring as she turns to the Hyuuga group. Hiashi and Neji she recognizes easily. The other two are new. "But you're here to disagree with me anyway."

"I am." Hiashi agrees easily. "I've come to beg a favour. Please, allow Kou and Natsu to guard my daughters from within your walls."

"A jounin from the Main Branch and a genin from the Cadet Branch. Hmm. No." She doesn't think about it.

"Namiki-sama, please. I implore you reconsider." Hiashi bows low to her, shocking the other Hyuugas with him.

"A Cadet Branch member means your council has a plant in my den. No." Aya shoots him down.

"There would be no communication between them and the Hyuuga clan. And there was no time for either to receive orders without my knowing. They are no threat. On my honour, on my life, I swear it."

Aya starts mumbling under her breath, cursing that she's even considering bowing to this. "I don't have time for this." She bites her thumb hard enough to draw blood. "Get inside, the four of you. We'll discuss this later." Hiashi doesn't care that this will wreak havoc on his schedule. She isn't outright turning him down – baby steps, baby steps.

"As for you three." Aya turns to the Aburame head family. "Fuu is safe. For the love of Kami-sama, you see how much manpower we have here. We don't need more."

"I agree, Namiki-san. Logically there is little we can add." Shibi is quick to agree. "However, Shino's irrationality is not something I'm quick to disregard. He is emotionally invested in the one you guard. I would consider it a personal favour should you allow for at least him to enter and guard her."

"I swear, the entire village is starting to figure out I'm a softie." Aya grumbles, but can't bring herself to turn down something like this. Not if the ever stoic Shino is emotional about it. Besides, it's not as if she doesn't trust Shino. Other than his being Hinata's teammate, he's been a trusted ally –tried and true– for months. Never once has his loyalty been brought into question. She rolls her eyes, obviously annoyed. "Fine, fine." She's at least glad she was smart enough to not close the gate. "You know your way around. Make sure to talk to Yasu-nee so she knows."

"You have my thanks." Shino bows politely, entering the compound without a word.

"Correction, you have the thanks of the Aburame clan." Shibi says, bowing low to her. "Should there ever be need of it, do not hesitate to call on us."

"Aburame-san, I am not doing this for any debt." Aya points out, amused – but still very much annoyed that this is taking up so much time. "For your son to become irrational and emotional… there is no other logical option."

"Indeed." Shibi finds himself smiling a little. Few understand his clan's ways quite like the kunoichi before him. "The offer stands." He says, before he and his wife disappear via body flicker.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

With her usual shadows –and Ikoku, who is a recent addition to her shadows– in tow, Aya makes her way to the meeting she is now officially two hours late to. The guards recognize her instantly, letting her in, and she finds Shikaku and Dragon are now also participating in this meeting.

"My apologies for being so late." Aya says, her tone giving nothing away.

"Ah, Namiki-san, we were just talking about you." The Fire daimyo admits. "It would seem that you are spearheading the medical training for the Mist-Leaf collaboration?"

"Nn." Aya nods, wondering what that has to do with anything.

"Truly remarkable. To have garnered such a reputation so young. However, I still find myself wondering if she is capable of training so many. After all, we would be sending twenty of our own medics, should this come to pass." The Wind daimyo plainly shows his doubts, wondering how she will respond.

"That's fine. Don't send them." Aya offers without a care.

That throws everyone for a loop. That isn't the political response they were hoping for, but the Fire daimyo is amused. "Ever the Namiki." He muses. Aya shrugs, still not caring.

"Milord, I assure you, Namiki-sama is the woman for the job. She has been training her own people as well as ours for some time. Even though she also works as Hokage-sama's secretary, helps out at the hospital, and dozens of other duties I'm not at liberty to discuss. And that doesn't even include her training me personally whenever she finds the time." Gaara offers, impassively meeting his daimyo's curious gaze.

"Truly?" The Fire daimyo is curious about that. "What has she been helping you with?"

"Taijutsu, kenjutsu and genjutsu." Gaara answers evenly. He also thinks about how she is helping him train his genin team –one as a medic, one as a mid- to long range wind release ninjutsu specialist, and the last a kenjutsu specialist– but he doesn't feel that's important to discuss here. "If she says she can handle it, I trust her." He offers instead.

"I see. Well that is interesting."

Even though Aya's been in the room for just over a minute, she's already tired of this. Shikaku notices, of course, and beckons to her while carefully pushing his chair back to make some room for her.

Everyone –other than Tsunade and Dragon– looks at him curiously, wondering what's going on. Until Aya plops onto his lap and curls up in his embrace. The girl's light snores say more than words ever could.

Shikaku smiles, wondering why she came to the meeting at all if she's still so tired. He carefully removes her sandals, dropping them on the ground beside his chair. Then he removes her glasses, placing them in her flak jacket pocket for safe keeping.

To further show just how used to this he is, he reaches into another pocket of hers and pulls out a bandana, wordlessly handing it to Dragon. He carefully supports her neck and tugs her a bit away from him, so that Dragon can free her hair she's been laying down on. Dragon French braids it, rolls the braid up and carefully ties the bandana around her head – something everyone in her pack knows she does before she goes to sleep, even if she barely thinks about it anymore.

Three daimyos stare in awe. The Fire daimyo most of all. The simple display says more to him than the others. After all, if Aya didn't trust these people implicitly, she'd have made her displeasure known by now.

And just to prove the point, one of the Fire daimyo's guards strays a little too close to Tsunade. An elite who simply didn't understand that even as Aya sleeps, she guards her pack jealously. All he wanted was to refill her glass with water.

Instead, a snap is heard. Tsunade grabs the jug with water before it spills – she's used to Aya after all. And the guard? On the ceiling wrapped up nice and snug. His mind keeps going over what just happened and he comes up emptyhanded.

"I wouldn't come too close to us before she wakes up." Tsunade explains, amusement in her tone and a teasing smile on her lips. "She won't be able to differentiate between good and bad intentions."

Just to mess with them a little, she grabs Aya's dangling feet and gently sets them in her lap. Three daimyos rightly expect to see the Hokage on the ceiling – after all there's no way Aya wouldn't notice that, right?

Aya shifts into Shikaku's embrace, trying to find a more comfortable position. Eventually deciding on burying her face in his chest and resting her feet in Tsunade's lap. Her breathing evens out again, obviously happy with the arrangement.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

While the meeting continues, in another part of Konoha messengers from the Land of Rivers, the Land of Sound, the Land of Sea, the Land of Frost, the Land of Fangs and the Land of Bears arrive. Royal messengers sent by their lord to deliver a something of great importance. They, of course, _politely_ demand an audience with the Hokage **immediately**. Each believing their claim is of far greater importance than the next.

Figuring they don't want the headache, the gate guards send word for the Council to deal with this.

So, not two hours later, the both the Shinobi and Civilian Councils of Konoha meet these messengers, asking what news they bring. Each, takes a turn, in no particular order, unfurling a section of their scroll, and reading in a far too stilted and haughty manner. Each words it differently, but they boil down to the same thing. They want Namiki Aya.

The first time, the no one quite knows how to react. After the sixth? They know exactly what this will lead to. They deal with Namiki Aya on a regular basis. She'd slaughter them without a second though.

"Six daimyos all asking for Namiki-sama's hand in marriage. Quite the honour." The Haruno clan representative –from the Civilian Council– says, wondering what else there is to say.

"Quite the problem." Yamanaka Inoichi counters. "I know Aya better than most here. She will not accept any of your proposals."

Six messengers, then each take a turn to warn that their lord will not take kindly to being turned down so frivolously.

"You misunderstand, though Aya is currently single, there isn't anyone in this room other than yourselves that does not know of her desire to be with Akimichi Chouji." Inoichi counters, patting his long-time friend on the back as a sort of congratulations. "She will turn you down, because she will not abandon her village, and because she is spoken for."

"Then I demand to speak to your Hokage. Immediately." One of the messengers is stupid enough to step forward, speaking these words.

"Hokage-sama is in a meeting with the daimyos from the lands of Fire, Wind and That. Do you find your lord's request to weigh heavier than that of these three?" The room goes eerily quiet at Danzo's cold words and tone. "We only catered to your request because we thought it was worth our time. Each in this room knows Namiki Aya will not agree, and frankly it's healthier for you if she never hears of this request."

The messengers want to say something, but the way how every councilmember is nodding, gravely, with a subtle lining of fear in some member's eyes… it unnerves them. They'd heard, of course, that Aya had overthrown the Land of This on her own – it's what sparked their lord's interest in her. Though each messenger came to Konoha under full guard –as their lord's future bride would deserve– they aren't foolish enough to believe they can force someone like that to come with them.

Seeing as Aya herself isn't present for them to press the issue –which, according to the entire council, is a blessing– and the Hokage is unavailable, the only thing they can do is wait. Their lord would not be pleased if they come back emptyhanded, after all.

And so, they each decide to wait until they may speak with the Hokage – obviously having figured out that speaking with Aya might not be that bright an idea.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The second day of talks continues without a hitch. Everyone feels these talks are going well, and there are more than enough propositions being tossed back and forth. Trade agreements, stronger alliances proposals, the Land of That sending all their missions to Leaf and Sand, there is talk of having a few teams from either village stationed in the Land of That's capital for extra security measures, and even more talks about approaching the Mizukage and the Water daimyo about joining this alliance.

The third day goes more or less the same. Dragon isn't needed this time, but Shikaku is. Aya is once again curled up in his lap, lightly snoring. The man doesn't seems to mind in the least, and Tsunade finds a twisted pleasure in massaging the girl's calves, just to show she can touch the sleeping wolf without reprisal – something that without a doubt earns her no small amount of respect. Even the Fire daimyo's guards have learned not to test the young Namiki, or to stray too close for any reason.

It's the fourth day that breaks the mould. Dragon and Shikaku are once again present. Aya is once again sleeping in Shikaku's arms. But… there's an unexpected visitor. Akimichi Chouji.

When Tsunade orders he be let in, everyone looks around curiously. The heir to a noble clan, while important, isn't quite in the same ballpark as three daimyos and two Kages – even though Gaara hasn't been officially instated.

"Please, forgive my rudeness." Chouji says, bowing to those gathered. "Uncle, you really should have sent her home. She's exhausted from training all night." Chouji gets on the Jounin Commander's case.

"Well, since you're here anyway." Shikaku says, smirking. He carefully pushes his chair back, standing to his full height with his daughter still carefully snuggling in his arms. Chouji feels everyone's eyes on him, but he can't figure out why. It's not like Aya would ever do anything to hurt him, after all.

So when Chouji takes the sleeping brunette into his arms, no one's brain can quite function right. Seeing her in Shikaku's arms as she slumbers was hard enough to wrap their brains around, but eventually they'd accepted that she sees him as her father and left it as that. Now here this genin that no one would ever confuse for a heart throb, taking her from her father without a fuss. Someone that knows her well enough to know she's exhausted, why she's that way, and willing to give his commanding officer a hard time about it as well – calling him 'uncle' notwithstanding.

Shikaku offers her sandals to Keito, knowing he's going with her.

Another enters. Anbu Operative Cat. He whispers something into Tsunade's ear, before disappearing again. "Dragon. There's been an ambush. Have team Wolf in my office in five minutes. Excuse me gentlemen. I need to deal with this immediately."

No one even notices Aya's eyes popping out, now wide awake. Other than Chouji that is.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Four minutes later, in Tsunade's office, five Anbu arrive. Wolf wearing a white flak jacket and painted mask to show she's a captain. Rabbit, wearing panted mask and grey flask jacket, the standard gear of an Operative. Koala, Bear and a 'new face' each wearing blank masks and 'blank' jackets to show they are trainees. "The situation is as follows. Momochi Zabuza's team has been ambushed en route to the Land of Snow. They are guarding an actress, while shooting a movie. You will provide backup. Momochi Zabuza will still have tactical command. You leave immediately." Tsunade tosses a scroll with the details to Wolf.

The only thing that goes through Wolf's mind: They better have chocolate there, I don't know how long this will take!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

What had taken Zabuza's team three days, Wolf's team travels in mere hours. They don't have any civilians with them, after all. It would seem that, given the popularity of one famed actress Fujikaze Yukie, they were 'ambushed' by fans of hers. Zabuza, being more than a little annoyed, described it as just that in his report he sent back to Konoha.

So… when Team Wolf arrives, he finds himself grinning like a madman. "It wasn't that kind of ambush, Wolf. Go home."

"Thanks. I'll pass." She says, waving it off. "A few weeks in the land of Snow sounds like a vacation compared to what I just left behind." Wolf looks around, finding herself in a movie studio. The first location where the movie will be shot.

"Seriously. Just pretend you're still out on a mission, Tsunade won't care. But we'll need your team there, should another team actually need you."

"I hate you right now. I really do." Wolf tells him. He grins even wider.

"Just ask her for a team that is more than five minutes late reporting. Someone is bound to need you, Wolf-chan."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Hours later, a very annoyed Wolf interrupts the meeting, updating Tsunade and demanding another mission immediately. It takes the Fifth Hokage considerable effort not to laugh, but eventually offer that Team Gai is taking some peddler's protection mission that might be worth looking into. She also makes sure to tell her to send any more such communications through Asami or Naruto. It's more effective.

Wolf nods, and makes sure to buy more chocolate than is healthy for her at this point. She just knows she'll regret not having on her.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

On finding Team Gai two days later, Wolf is even more annoyed. He updates her that the caravan was ambushed by three shinobi and that one of the 'peddlers' named 'Shun' turns out to be Lady Haruna, the soon to ascend daimyo of the Land of Vegetables.

Naturally, the three were no match for Team Gai, so there was literally nothing they needed to do. "Perhaps we should escort Lady Haruna to her destination then? That way they will arrive swiftly, under full guard and you may continue with your mission?" Wolf offers, in no mood to even consider bothering Tsunade for another mission – but she will if she has to.

"How do I even know I can trust you?" Lady Haruno –still very much dressed as a guy, but smelling like a woman anyway… do people actually fall for that?– demands.

"Lady Haruna, I assure you this is Team Wolf of Konoha's Anbu. They are loyal to Konoha without question. If they say they will protect you, they will protect you with their lives!" Gai announces, offer the nice guy pose and a thumbs up. Light still glints off his far too white teeth for Haruna's liking, but even she has to admit he's a skilled combatant. "Wolf, the two with her are Kikunojou and Yorinojou. They are her bodyguards."

"Thanks Gai. We'll take it from here."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Wolf is at least pleased that the bodyguards are fast. They run most of the day, jumping branch to branch to save time. Lady Haruna isn't very happy right now though. She flatly refused to let anyone touch her, so Wolf decided that Mime's Barrier would be an excellent middle ground – no one's touching her after all. In fact, they can't.

The travellers only stop to eat, drink and see to their needs. Wolf takes it upon herself to stay by Haruna's side – to make sure nothing happens.

It's during one of these stops that Haruna gets curious. Or bored, but she wants to know anyway. "Your men seem to respect you."

"There is the possibility." Wolf says, _going_ near a tree. Haruna had long since gotten used to going in the wild like this – stupid Kikunojou and his suggestion to travel like this! Princesses shouldn't travel like common rabble! "Why do you care? You don't seem the type to care if your men die in front of you."

"Why should I? If they are sacrificed for the greater good then their deaths will at least have meaning." Maybe it's the sessions with Inoichi, but Wolf finds herself calming down easily this time.

"You are no leader, Haruna. Leaders are willing to die for their people. They don't sacrifice them like pawns." Haruna bristles, infuriated that some… **commoner** would speak to her in this way! "Don't give me that look, _princess_. I come from a long line of true leaders. Wolves that lead their packs with honour, with dignity. Wolves that provide for their young, teach them our ways, protect them. I know what it takes to lead. And you don't have it."

Haruna snorts, not believing it for a second. It's a shame she can't see the look in Wolf's eyes, it might have prevented what comes next. Wolf body flickers to Haruna, grabs her by the neck and pins her to a tree, all completely without making a sound. Wolf then takes off her mask, glaring holes into the supposed princess.

"Perhaps I haven't been properly introduced. I am Namiki Aya." That… is a name even Haruna knows well. She might have been kept in isolation all her life, but her father made sure she was up to date on all the latest news so she'd be prepared to lead one day.

Wolf releases her throat, letting her breathe. "Do not think your status as daimyo, or even kami, would faze me."

"The Butcher…" Haruna manages without a stutter, but Wolf can tell it takes considerable effort.

"Do you know what really happened in the Land of This?" Wolf continues without a care. "The daimyo believed he was entitled to me, that he had the right to kill my team and claim me as his bride. That the 'sacrifices' brought to him were a gift from the kami he could do with as he pleased. That sounds a lot like you sound right now, _princess_."

Haruna wants to say how she's nothing like that, but Wolf cuts her off. "And then there's the six other daimyos I hear are vying for my hand. To bring strength to their country I'll bet. After all, why would a _mere commoner_ turn a daimyo's marriage proposal down, right?"

That shuts Haruna up. That's exactly how she thinks, and she knows it. "Come, _princess_ , let me show you what makes a leader."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Back with the others, Aya drags a very subdued Haruna along. Everyone tenses, wondering what possessed Aya to reveal herself to a non (Konoha) Anbu. "Guys, it's alright. Haruna here needs this." The Anbu team relaxes somewhat. "Masks, please."

Without hesitation, each member removes their mask. "Haruno, meet the people behind the mask. Namiki Hitomi, born Hyuuga Hitomi. Her clan ostracised her for her sexuality, which is a common practice, mind you. Hatake Ryuuzetsu, originally of Grass. I met her on a mission, where a village her battalion was meant to guard was being constantly ambushed and killed off one by one. She later had to bisect and behead her own father to save her people. Only to find out that her village refused to send the backup they knew was needed. Imamura Ikoku, formally a Stone rogue. Her clan was plagued by their inability to control a jutsu, and they ended up killing each other off for it. When I met her, her father tried to smash her head in, only to later ask her to end the cycle of hatred that plagued them all. She is the last of her clan, and now finds herself a loyal Konoha kunoichi under my protection and guidance. And last is Namiki Keito, formally a ronin, dishonoured and cast out of his ancestral home. He went by a different name then, and doesn't talk about his past at all."

Haruna stares, unsure what to make of any of this. "They are my pack, Haruna. They would give their lives for me, and they know I would give my life for them. We are strong because we stand together, as wolves should. I would not send them to their deaths even if it would benefit my village or my country. I would stand by them to the last breath."

The purple eyed brunette drops to her knees, overwhelmed by what she's hearing. Her bodyguards are at her side instantly.

"These two men, your bodyguards. Would you die for them? Would you live for them?" Aya presses. Haruna looks to them, seeing the warm acceptance in their eye that's always been there. "If you answer no to either question, you aren't fit to lead."

And just like that, Wolf dons her mask, unseals dinner and water bottles and hands it out to both her people and to the three they guard.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Haruna finds herself staring up at the sky as they travel the next day. Aya's words are looping in her mind, over and over. "If you will not die for them, if you will not live for them, you have no right to lead them." Haruna murmurs, thinking about that. Over and over again. Always thinking about that.

She was taught by scores of private tutors how to run a country – macroeconomics, governing, Land of Birds' laws, international treaties, international relations, all of that and more she could do with ease. But to lead? She thought the two ideas –'running a country' and 'leading'– were one in the same.

But, if this person that could conquer countries on her own, if she would only use that power to protect her people? Doesn't that make her a better leader that Haruna has ever been?

That's what Haruna is thinking, that's all she's thinking. Well, that and trying to figure out if she would die for her people, if she would live for them.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Team Wolf drops off the princess in her oh so lovely palace. They are invited to stay for the coronation; seeing as nothing important is happening, and Wolf still flatly refuses to deal with the idiots waiting for her in Konoha –and Naruto confirms every day faithfully that those messengers are still waiting for her, even after Tsunade turned them down– they decide to stay.

So they stay a few days, spending almost all of it training. Typical for Aya, really. Kikunojou amd Yorinojou join them whenever he can, finding that even Keito –admittedly the weakest of their group– could kill them in an instant if they ever truly fought.

Each time Haruna comes to see them, she finds Aya teaching them, training them, helping them in every way she can. Even Haruna's two bodyguards are forced to take lessons to improve their skills. "I swear, you call yourselves the bodyguards of a daimyo? My five year old sister could take you!" Aya leans into them, continuously pushing them harder and harder. Haruna stares in slack jawed awe. Aya is taking on both of them at the same time, and she is embarrassing them. In Haruna's eyes at least.

When the fighting ends, Aya helps both of them to their feet. Then the weirdest thing happens. "Keito, what were they doing wrong?"

"They work together well, but they weren't looking for your weaknesses. They seem to think brawns over brains is a good thing." The sole male of their group answers.

"That's part of it. Tsu?"

"They weren't thinking, like Keito said. They were only attacking." The silver-haired one agrees with her teammate.

"Looking for a different answer. Ikoku?"

"They weren't covering each other's weaknesses." The quiet one with glasses answers.

"Exactly. To be part of a team doesn't just mean knowing your teammates strengths, but also their weaknesses. You need to know what they can and cannot handle and act accordingly. After all, who wants their teammates to die?"

Haruna thinks about that. To have your flaws pointed out so callously, and be happy about it? Shinobi are a species Haruna cannot admit to understanding.

Aya stiffens for a moment, almost as if something is being whispered into her ear. "Team, fun time is over. We move out immediately."

Haruna hears this and runs over to them, wanting to beg them to stay. "Haruna, I don't want to hear it. It's fun and games here. We're needed where lives are on the line. Contact us in Konoha if you need something."

"Will we ever see you again?"

"That depends on you. Lead your people well, Haruna." With that, Team Wolf disappears. Haruna can't even tell if that was advice or a threat. Somehow, she feels it's both.

"I think I will contact Konoha, if for no reason other than to thank her." Haruna says, smiling at the… **really** abrasive ways Aya does things. Still, even she has to admit it's effective.

Kikinojou and Yorinojou smile, finding they already miss the members of Team Wolf. " **Milady, if you need a messenger, I would gladly go to Konoha for you.** " They say as one.

"You just want to test yourselves against her team again." Haruna teases, finding herself smiling for the first time in years. Both of her bodyguards rub the back of their head, embarrassed to have been found out so easily, but smiling anyway. They aren't denying it either.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Team Wolf travel for days, back the way they came, up north through the Land of Waterfalls, to the coast. On arrival, they once again find Zabuza, looking annoyed. "I'm going to stop telling Tsunade what happens during a mission. Seriously. We're fine. It was just a group of mercs. They didn't even put up a real fight."

"Momochi-san, we're currently avoiding Konoha. She knows this. Don't tell her about an ambush without telling her clearly the threat has already been neutralised."

"I did. But… There's still a problem. One I think you might like." Zabuza is a lot more serious now. "We need to talk, privately."

Wolf shrugs, not really caring too much. Zabuza leads them into another set, interrupting the filming without a care. "Oi! We need to talk. Now." He demands. The assistant and the lead actress look at the familiar masks – this group is here for the second time, for some reason.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Privacy." Zabuza demands, looking to Wolf. She rolls her eyes behind her mask, but casts the privacy jutsu anyway. "Now, it would seem that these idiots here have been lying to us. Constantly. Repeatedly. This isn't just some actress."

"Hey!"

"Shut it. She's also Kazahana Koyuki, rightful heir and 'daimyo hopeful' to the Land of Snow." Zabuza isn't the gentle type, so everyone from Konoha knows not to expect any different from him. "Not only that, but it turns out that we might well be facing the entire army and their shinobi village. And they don't think to mention any of this in advance. Not to mention they've been trying to capture me and my team on camera without wanting to pay us for it. I swear, I'll have a lawyer sue them into the poor house if they try doing that to my daughter."

"… Idiots." Wolf snorts. "Konoha has five teams to deal with situations like this. And you go and lie. Why do people lie to shinobi? Do you think we won't figure it out?"

"It gets worse, of course." Zabuza says, smiling – even though only the Konoha shinobi even notice that.

"Of course." Wolf intones. "I've been sent twice. My bad luck will no doubt have serious consequences."

"Hey, that last one went off without a hitch." Koala tries.

Wolf isn't buying it. "Because Team Gai already dealt with it. Anyway, continue."

"They want to overthrow the country, reinstate Kazahana as daimyo."

"So that's why you want me to stay." Wolf says, amused.

"It's a bigger country, but you have more backup this time." Zabuza smiles again, his eyes twinkling with impish delight.

"What do you think Mitarashi-san?" Wolf asks.

"You already know what I think." Anko says smirking.

"Haku?"

"I'll have a natural advantage." The look in her eyes says there's more to it though. Those that know her well, know she'll follow Zabuza into the stomach of the death god without blinking.

"Alright. And you are?"

"Ku-"

"The idiot we got saddled with because Haku's not a rank fifty medic." Zabuza cuts him off, obviously annoyed with the medic dumb enough to wear Konoha's medic uniform. The second one Wolf has met, mind you. There has to be a pattern.

"Ku-"

"Are you still trying? I don't care what your name is, my daughter is the only one other than Wolf that will be tending to me. You are dead weight. You can't fight. And frankly if not for having two people I could already trust with my life, I'd have refused the mission." Zabuza lays it out in no uncertain terms.

"His name is Kusushi, Wolf. He's a Rank Eight medic." Haku explains, smiling serenely as her father glares at her.

"Good. You're up to Rank Five aren't you?" Wolf asks.

"Yes, but on paper I'm still a Rank Three. So Hokage-sama wouldn't hear of my own estimations."

"Works for me. Momochi-san, you have tactical command. We'll work from the shadows." Wolf offers.

"Alright. Then for the love of Kami-sama, I need a spar."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

With more manpower, they are far more capable of spreading out shifts so that no one gets bored to the point of killing the target so they could go home already – mostly implying Anko and Zabuza.

Meanwhile, Wolf finds herself wondering about something. A lot of somethings actually. Too many somethings. Not wanting to actually deal with that can of worms, she alternates between training her team and sparring with Anko and Zabuza. Their spars are starting to draw a lot of attention. A few days later, they board a ship meant to take them to the Land of Snow. On board, Wolf makes a unique suggestion. One that has every shinobi – other than Kusushi – grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey guys? How about Shinobi tag? Stealth style. No visuals allowed, no making a sound, and once you're tagged you have to count to a thousand before you're allowed to move."

"Stealth training huh?" Zabuza thinks about that. "Might do what's his face some good." He thumbs the medic he still thinks should have stayed in Konoha.

"Momochi-san, is that really needed?"

"Yes, it is." He assures him.

"What have I done to deserve this treatment?"

"It's what you haven't done." Wolf explains, seriously. "I'm a medic, Rank Seven. I'm also an Anbu Captain. And I actually enjoy sparring with Momochi-san, Mitarashi-san and even Hatake-san."

"… N-nn…" Kusushi wonders about that. To have the brains to be a Rank Seven Medic, and to have the brawns to live by Zabuza's standards? "It's a fluke." Kusushi says to himself. It has to be, he reasons. No one can do both.

"I think not. Hokage-sama is a Rank Fifteen medic, and current reigning Hokage, is she not?" Wolf argues. "As well, Haku here is a Rank Five medic and an excellent defensive combatant. Koala is a Rank Four Medic and an excellent offensive combatant and infiltration specialist."

Kusushi thinks about that, but doesn't know what kind of picture that paints. People that kill and heal… that just doesn't make sense to him.

"Well, anyway. I'm it. I'm starting to count… now!" Wolf announces. With that everyone, other than Kusushi, fades from view.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

They spend their days on the boat training. Stealth training, silent killing style training, even some medical training. Kusushi is more than happy to help the medics further their studies, even Wolf.

Keito, codenamed Crane, needs the most work on his stealth skills and jutsu and sensory jutsus. Still he has the right people around him. Wolf and Rabbit take turns working with him until his techniques are good enough for Zabuza to admit they are good enough.

Koala focuses most on her medical and her kenjutsu training, seeing as she feels they need the most work. Bear is mostly focusing on her silent killing style and the Namiki meditation.

Everyone has something to focus on, everyone has something to keep them busy for the three week, waterlogged journey.

Every step of the way, Wolf relays updates to Konoha. She also keeps asking for updates on her people, on their training, on whether or not those idiot messengers are still waiting. And oh yes, they are. Waiting faithfully, and desperately annoying everyone to see things their way. Naruto's taken to pranking them endlessly.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

They eventually make it to the coast of the Land of Snow, and Team Wolf bids them farewell. They are going to scout ahead. Zabuza is almost to the point of begging to go with them, so is Anko… but someone has to stay with the idiots.

When the ship arrives at port, the crew starts disembarking. Zabuza and his team –and the idiot medic– are already on the dock, shadowing the 'actress' and her assistant.

The director starts ordering people around to set up for a scene, already walking the actors through it, already getting the camera set up and ready to roll.

That's when it happens!

The director remembers he left his script on board and runs to collect it.

Zabuza finds himself missing Team Wolf, mostly because Wolf comes up with some unique ways to train. Even though Zabuza doesn't really need the low level stuff her team is working on, she keeps it entertaining even for him. It's so much fun to watch sensors mere centimetres in front of you and know that they can't sense you. Entertainment right there!

"Oi!" Zabuza turns, recognizing Wolf's voice anywhere. "You know where Mitarashi-san is? We got three idiots that tried ambushing you guys." Zabuza grins. He just loves going on missions with Wolf, never a dull moment.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The film crew take a few days to do their thing. In the meantime, Anko does hers. And she's good at her thing. Better when motivated, but she's good enough for now. She gets locations, names, plans, dates, the whole shebang. She almost kills one of them, but she sees it as practice for the medics. She's fine with it.

With everything they need, Zabuza calls for a meeting with the 'actress' and her assistant. The assistant at least knows the lay of the land, the actress is mostly just complaining and wallowing.

"Wolf… you deal with her. Because I'll-" No one has to guess what he'd happily do.

"On it." Wolf grabs the woman and drags her away, not wanting her to hear the very graphic things Zabuza is without a doubt plotting to do to her.

While Wolf is busy, so is Zabuza. Sandyuu, for the most part, is resourceful. But all the resources the supposed rebels have is a fifty samurai. It takes every ounce of self-restraint in Zabuza for him to not strangle the man. "Look… I don't care what numbers you have, I can for the quality of those numbers. What are their ranks, what are their skills? Because everyone, other than the useless medic, we brought with us could take on fifty shit-for-brains that carries a sword without even breaking a sweat."

Sandyuu doesn't even know how to respond. He himself was taught to wield a sword, but… he'd seen these people during what they call spars. He doesn't doubt for a second that even the medic could take him.

"Forget it. I don't deal with cannon fodder. Tell your people to lay low until we need a human sacrifice or something." Zabuza really hates dealing with people some days. Other days, like today, he realises that it isn't just 'some days'. "I swear, if Tsunade didn't send Team Wolf…"

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Wolf, for her part, is trying not to pull out her hair. Koyuki is… emotionally crippled. There's no other way to explain it. As she is, she feels no emotion at all. No joy, no sadness, no love, no nothing. She just is. A corpse who's heart has yet to catch up with reality – or just a corpse with lazy rigor mortis.

Wolf wonders why she ends up dealing with deadbeat daimyos – it seems to be a pattern in her life. She tries explaining things to her, the same things she tried explaining to Haruna. And she just asks, "What's the point?"

"The point," Wolf is **_this_** close to losing her patience and breaking something vital on the woman. "Is that your people need you. And don't try telling me you don't care, because if you didn't want people to notice you, you'd never become an actress. You like the attention, you crave it."

Koyuki just stares at the masked –she assumes– girl in front of her. "WAKE UP, WOMAN!" Wolf shouts out of the blue. "People suffer because you can't get over your past. People are dying because you won't act. Can you live with that?" When the woman doesn't react, Wolf gives up. If she pushes any further, she'll end up joining the ' _let's just kill them and go home_ ' camp, and there's no doubt in her mind that Anko and Zabuza are just waiting for her to come around at this point.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Seeing as they really just are in no mood to linger, Wolf seals the princess and the assistant –and, as per Zabuza's direct order, the 'useless medic'– in her scroll and they take the fight straight to Dotou.

The plan is simple: start at the top and work their way down, just like Aya did in the Land of This. They are going in stealth mode and they are going to find their way into Dotou's little hidey hole, and kill him. Well, one team is. Zabuza's team.

Wolf's team is supposed to focus on the diversion. Not the ' **big** diversion', that comes later. They're meant to knock out as many grunts as they can – the ones Zabuza can kill twenty of with one swing, so they're no fun. The three 'big fish' are already taken care of, but according to Anko there should be another twenty at least that should put up a 'decent fight'. Not a good fight, but… decent.

Figuring it's better than nothing, Zabuza hopes his team finds them before Wolf's does.

The first sign that something is dreadfully wrong in Kazahana Castle, is that people start dropping for no reason. They're breathing just fine, and seem to have nothing wrong with them, but… they just won't wake up. More and more of their men start dropping. Like flies.

Then… things just get worse. There's a fire in the courtyard. Six of their men are screaming, rolling around in the snow to put the fire out. But the fires just won't die down. It's almost as if whatever is happening to them just keeps happening to them over and over again.

There's quite a crowd standing around them, wondering just what the hell is going on. Then, suddenly they hear singing. The most beautiful voice they'd ever heard. And they're all suddenly thinking back, reminiscing about the good ol' days.

In twos or threes, this group falls too. Comatose.

The guards in the security room can't make sense of any of it. They can't see anything that makes sense. He sounds a red alert, because he doesn't trust this… only to find that… as much as he presses the button… the alarm won't sound!

The guard looks to the button, finding an elongated needle preventing it from being pressed. "What the-" Two needles land in his neck, and he drops like a ragdoll. If he was paying attention, he'd have noticed that the five others in the room with him have are also very much comatose. Haku makes a mental note to talk to Koyuki about training these people better. This is just sad.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Systematically, every major post in the castle falls. The minor posts are mostly pests, so who cares. This is around the time that someone like Dotou would decide to sound the alarm. Nothing happens though. And the more things that go wrong, the more it becomes obvious that Dotou simply isn't here.

They don't care. They just keep going. Either Dotou will show up, or they'll find a lead that leads to him. He needs this castle, it's too symbolic to the Land of Snow for him to not need to retake it.

A castle, manned by over a thousand guards, falls in less than two hours. And almost no one puts up a fight. Zabuza is **LIVID**!

"WHO THE HELL LEAVES THEIR MAIN BASE THIS POORLY DEFENDED!?" His voice carries down every hall, down every corridor. And no one reacts. No one even registers what happened. They're all either dead –mostly the people that annoyed Zabuza– or in a coma.

Team Wolf starts meticulously collecting the people, starting with the ones outside, and dragging them all into the castle. In the dungeon. Once in a cell, they are roused from their coma – unless Haku got to them, in which case, the 'useless medic' has patients. And Zabuza makes sure he hears it too! Kusushi is _not_ amused.

Koyuki and Sandyuu are unsealed in the throne room, where they are informed of the situation. Koyuki doesn't have a clue how to respond. She never thought it possible, and yet… it isn't just possible, it's happening.

"We're not out of the woods yet, we still have to face Dotou. We have the castle. He'll come to us." Zabuza points out, still itching for a fight. A good fight.

"There's a railway that he might use to sneak back in. Sandyuu is –finally!– being useful. Zabuza orders him to lead the way. Anko's staying with Koyuki, and Team Wolf is manning the security room, with a suspicious group of crows hanging about the castle perimeter.

"What if he's holing up somewhere else?" Zabuza asks. "Where would he go that's secure?"

"Hidden Snow Village."

A day later, a castle guard stumbles into Hidden Snow with a note stuck to his arm with a kunai: _We've got your castle, bitches!_ For some reason, the handwriting looks suspiciously like Zabuza's.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

It takes four days. Four whole days, but they finally arrive. Zabuza and his team survey the enemy from above. Hundreds of shinobi carrying what looks like rifles. Ballistae. The whole nine yards. "Now **this** , I can live with." Zabuza says, seeing hundreds of shinobi littered about just outside the courtyard of the castle they 'need' to defend. "One point for genins, five for chuunins, ten for tobubetsu jounins and twenty for jounins. Highest tally gets to order the others around for a month!"

" **You're on!** "

Zabuza grabs his sword's hilt and he looks to his daughter, his pride and joy. They nod, already agreeing that they're teaming up. Anko doesn't like the unfairness, so she decides to summon three of her larger snakes – deciding for herself that her summons' kills count are added to her tally, so long as she keeps track. Wolf and her team don't even think about it, they're doing this as a team. Zabuza pours an almost unhealthy amound of chakra into the Hidden Mist jutsu and…

They… _have at_.

Within seconds the ground is littered with body parts, blood, and the very air is tainted with screams.

Team Wolf tear into the enemy, hacking and slashing as they go. The worst part isn't that the enemy isn't prepared… it's that they don't have time to react properly. Even with their superior technology, a combination of the Hidden Mist jutsu, and the fact that the castle is literally designed to be easily defendable… it's a massacre.

Eventually the enemy starts losing it. They start firing their kunai launchers at any little sound. Which doesn't help them at all, because the Konoha shinobi aren't making any sounds; they're opening fire on their own.

Wolf mostly focuses on the ballistae, and her team focuses on taking out the enemy – knocking out as many as they can and killing who they can't, because they know Zabuza won't bother. He's on a killing spree, and Anko isn't getting left behind.

The supposed shinobi army? Withers, their numbers dwindling fast, and they can't even see well enough to notice.

Sooner, rather than later, the mist is lifted. Dotou stares. He just stares. What kind of army did Koyuki bring with her!?

In the middle of the carnage stands one little girl. It was Zabuza's idea to toy with the enemy's head. Nothing messes with you quite like coming to the realisation that a little girl with long, flowing hair and glasses –can't forget the glasses– just slaughtered an army. Nothing.

And the look on Dotou's face certainly doesn't disappoint. He looks like he wants to crap himself and laugh so hard he'll pass out from lack of oxygen at the same time. It takes him and the ten jounins left almost a minute to process what they're looking at. Black hair, glasses, vertical scar on right eye. "Namiki Aya. So what, we're country number two?"

"Hmm? This is a country?" Aya drones, looking around curiously. "I dunno. Looks more like a backyard to me."

"Are you here alone?" Dotou asks, almost begging to hear that there are at least a hundred jounins lying in wait somewhere. _Something_ has to make sense here! **SOMETHING**!

"Well, there's always the voices in my head? Is that what you mean?" That did it. That seriously did it. Dotou grabs on of the kunai launchers and opens fire on the…

 **Click-click-click-click-click!**

Dotou looks at the kunai launcher screams in frustration and runs for the Gatling gun on the train. Same response. He looks closer, seeing ice had formed on the loading mechanism. He's too frustrated to even guess if it's natural ice or not.

"I WANT HER HEAD, YOU HEAR ME! KILL HER! KILL ANYTHING THAT MOVES!"

The only response is five bodies hitting the snow, headless. The remaining five drop, three of them with needles in their necks, two seemingly for no reason at all.

Dotou loses it. He just loses it. He starts laughing, soft at first, but slowly, ever so slowly, the volume starts picking up. Soon he's laughing at the top of his lungs, unable to understand what the hell just happened.

This shouldn't be possible. It can't be possible. There's just no way this can happen. No way.

Dotou sees the girl walking up to him, sees her unseal a scroll seeing out of nowhere, sees her unroll a section of it. He does nothing but laugh, his hands gripping his hair, wondering why pulling on it hurts. This is just a dream, a bad dream. This… isn't reality. Reality doesn't work this way. Little girls don't overthrow countries. It's not possible. It's-

His last thought is interrupt as he gets sealed away in Aya's scroll.

"Momochi-san, you're an evil genius, you know that?"

"I try." Zabuza says, grinning. Seeing the look on Dotou's face… he's taking that memory with him into the afterlife. He wants to see the look on Kami-sama's face when they talk about this. Seriously… just too perfect for words.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 84_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: After this chapter, there's only wrapping things up in Konoha, seeing Naruto off, and sending Aya off to Sand with Gaara and co. I figure, two chapters max. Maybe three if I get a funny idea I want to work out._**

 ** _Sorry that there weren't two updates today, but this is two updates. Seriously._**


	101. Coming home

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 85 – Coming home_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Nuance. Sometimes nuance makes all the difference in the world. And the better you know the person, the more nuances might mean.

Nuances like Momochi-san's non-existent eyebrows twitching in annoyance. Nuances like Mitarashi-san's right index finger twitching almost microscopically to show she's tempted to grab a kunai and carve something pretty –in her eyes– into the source of her annoyance.

The reason I find this so amusing? I'm the source of their annoyance? Why? "I don't know why you're being so touchy about this. There's no longer any need for my team to stay. The bad-bad man is in jail. Mitarashi-san can have her fun with him. And Kusushi can continue showing Haku-chan how to deal with the hundreds of patients we're leaving in their care."

 **Twitch-twitch.**

I don't fight the grin. They know I'm right. There's no longer any need for backup. Protocol dictates that my team head back home. "Namiki. I hate you so much right now." Momochi-san says, even more annoyed now.

"Aww, Momochi-sa~aaaaan, don't be like tha~aaaat!" I sing happily. I know they're so annoyed because I can leave and they can't. The film is only half done. And dozens of scenes have been postponed because Kazahana-san activated some big machine that turned the Land of Snow into the Land of Spring. Something like that could put a real dent into the planning when you're expecting a snowy backdrop. "I'll be sure to let your darling know you've been good." I wink, knowing I'm just making things worse. He wants to tell her that himself, after all.

"Anko… you're rubbing off on her." Momochi-san isn't taking the blame for this. It must really annoy him to know that anyone else would find him being annoyed with them to be a threat of almost assured death.

"Alright, mister grumpy. What has our big, scary swordsman in such a bad, bad mood?" I ask using the same tone I'd use when teasing Kenshin. Momochi-san knows that. Mitarashi-san knows that. Haku-chan's giggle tells me that she's also quite aware of what I'm doing.

"Namiki. If I didn't just kill a few hundred people, I'd take offence to that." He says, his tone showing just how annoyed he is.

"Chocolate?" I make a peace offering, knowing he'll understand just what it is. He sighs, but holds up his hand anyway. When I unseal some of my fancier chocolate, laced with brandy, he knows… he knows just how much I wish I could take them with me. I offer him the whole box, knowing I mean it's for his team – mostly, seeing as even I am kind of annoyed with Kusushi-san.

"Alright, alright. Get going you. And take Haku with you. No reason to make her suffer through this crap when she could better spend her time in Konoha with her mother and brother." He tries sounding annoyed, but I know him better than that. I hug him and Mitarashi-san, telling them to be safe. Haku, wanting an extra few seconds with her father, is slow to follow. We wait, knowing she deserves as much.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it to the coast in less than an hour. The first leg of our journey will undoubtedly be the hardest, seeing as we're facing at least twenty-four hours of nonstop running over open waters. I'd already updated the guys that we're en route, that Haku's with us, and that Momochi-san and the others will come when the mission is wrapped up.

Interestingly, when I start handing out breakfast, I smell the others already catching up. "Miss us that badly?" I ask, teasing them.

"I convinced them to sign that the mission is complete." Is all Momochi-san will admit to. I grin, knowing that he already planned that and didn't want Haku-chan to witness the 'negotiations'.

"Works for me. That means you have command again." I say, not caring. I'm a bit of a control freak, but I'm not _nearly_ as bad as Momochi-san. I update Naruto-nii, who just laughs.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We enter Konoha a week later, glad to be home. Mostly glad to be home. I see one of the royal messengers camping out at the gate, hoping to spot me, but not recognizing me thanks to my Anbu uniform and mask.

We report to Senju-san's office, offer our initial report, are officially welcomed back and told to take at least a week to rest. I nod, we leave, and other than Kusushi-san, we all head back to our den.

Once home, I enjoy the simple fact that I'm home. I go check on Tsuren, finding that she's doing much better now. She's weak from recovering and the inactivity, but she's eating raw meats again, and her eyes are far sharper than when I last saw her.

She's still not allowed to do much, but she has strength enough to walk to the back porch to laze about in the sun. And she enjoys watching her pups running about playing with each other. Well, _we_ enjoy it.

We don't talk, not even a greeting. There's no need for it. She just lays her head in my lap and I idly scratch behind her ear as we drink in the moment.

Hoshie, Sakiko and Katsuo find us here, squealing and trying to glomp me. I glare at them –mildly, when compared to what I'd do to others– to wordlessly remind them Tsuren needs her rest. They still grin, hugging me tight to welcome me home.

"I have a week off. And I plan on spending that week with my pack." I tell them. They're all smiles, knowing just what that means. "I'm also going to start working less at the Tower, so I should be home more now."

They take turns telling me how awesome that is and how proud they'll make me when they show me how hard they've been training. I smile, warm, relieved. "I know you will. That's why I want to be home more. I've… been offering my time to all the wrong people lately. It's time to make things right." I murmur that last part, knowing that only Tsuren will hear me, as intended.

"Guys, I'm going to go wash up. Please tell the others that I want a Namiki clan meeting in a bit."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Hitomi, Kin, Keito, Sakiko, Yasu –who still counts as a Namiki regardless if she took her husband's name– Hoshie, Kenshin… Miwako and Satsuma. I study them for a long moment, going over what I have to say.

We're in the visitors' sitting room, with the sliding paper screens wide open so Tsuren and her pups can listen in. No privacy jutsu has been cast – it's not that kind of meeting, yet.

"Hey guys, I just want to start off by saying that this isn't a big deal kind of thing, but I want you to know what I'm planning for the future." I begin, showing them how casually I'm taking this with how I'm talking to them. "I want Tsuren and her pups to listen in too, because this involves them just as much as it involves you guys."

I get nothing but nods. "Alright, I want to start with some announcements. I'll only be working half days at the Tower from now on. That means I'll be home more. That means I'll focusing on your training more. All of your training. Even you Ki-chan."

They nod, most of them happy about that – I've been absent a lot, even when home.

"Other than escorting Gaara and Kankurou to Sand next week, there are no major missions coming up. And frankly, I need to make sure my teams is properly trained, so I plan on not taking missions for a while. By that I mean at least six months, maybe a year."

Again nothing but nods. "I have some major and minor plans I want to discuss in a bit, but that's going to be way too boring for our little munchkins." I tease a little, getting four smiles since they know I'll let them go play soon enough. "But the biggest thing I want you four to focus on is the six wolves we have with us. I want you to spend time with them, get to know them. Really get to know them. I don't doubt you will be signing with their clan, so I want you to know how to act around wolves when the time comes. Alright?" All the pups sound excited about that – Tsuren's and ours.

They shout something excitedly – Hoshie being the exception, who closes in on herself. Too many loud noises too close to her. I offer her a special little smile, promising myself to help her deal with that the best I can.

"Alright. Now, pups, I want you guys to go play in the backyard while we talk about all the things too boring for you." They don't hesitate. Hoshie and Kenshin hug their parents, and all four of them come to hug me, before disappearing into the backyard. "Tsuren, you mind coming inside?"

She's slow to stand and moves a bit jerkily, but she moves on her own steam – baby steps.

Once she's comfortable, with her head in my lap once again, I cast a privacy jutsu. All present know that means this is far more serious.

"Hitomi, Kin, Keito. I'll be blunt. I'm going to be running you into the ground with your training. You're not going to enjoy it, but I promise it'll be worth it." They nod seriously. Only Kin seems surprised. "Don't give me that look. By becoming Tomi's mate, you make your training my top priority. The last thing I want for her is to lose you because you were lax in your training. Do you understand?"

"N-nn." She blushes happily.

"You have some sound release training, but frankly I find it laughable. I'm going to be retraining you from the ground up. I don't know what your sensei thought he was teaching you, but… ew." She looks crushed. "Don't blame yourself, Kin. Whoever it was obviously meant to keep you in the gutter. I plan on making you a kunoichi worthy of the Namiki clan crest."

She looks a bit happier about that – knowing that I don't look down on her for someone else's stupidity. "I won't let you down." She promises.

"I know you won't." I say, nodding. "On to other matters. I have a few ideas to ensure our clan will prosper for generations. Starting with investing. Satsuma, I know you know about this." He starts, staring at me with shock.

"Don't give me that look. I've read the books in your office on investing wisely. I know you have, too. I need someone that has the time to deal with this and make the phone calls to do the research and be available to be called back. I just so happen to know you have the time and the knowledge this needs."

"Nn." He noises, nodding solemnly. "I won't let you down." He promises.

"Good. Miwako, I expect you to start giving Yasu-nee a hand around the house. Don't give me a reason to start getting on your case about taking it easy, but… so long as you take breaks when you start to get tired, and you promise not to overdo it, I see no reason why you can't get in some exercise regularly."

"Nn. I will." She says, tears in her eyes.

"Good. Yasu-nee, you're the Hatake matriarch, but you are also a Namiki. I want to help you with your studies. I know you're a noble. I didn't care then, I don't care now. But that can be used to the Hatake clan's advantage. I want you to focus on Konoha clan laws, general laws, all the fun stuff I have no patience for. I want Hitomi, Kin and Keito to join you as well. You'll be in charge of educating them as clansmen, not as shinobi. And no, Hitomi, I don't care if the Hyuuga clan taught you their version of this stuff. I don't trust how they trained you."

"They didn't, so…" She admits, looking annoyed. Figures. We share a look, both of us wondering what is wrong with the Hyuugas.

"If for any reason I cannot attend a council meeting, I'm going to need someone to stand in for me. That means I'm going to need you all to know how to deal with them the Namiki way. Yasu-nee, you're the only one exempt from this. You and Kashi-nii have to decide for yourselves what you want to do. I'm not getting into that, not my place."

"I'll talk to him tonight about that." Yasu-nee assures me.

"Good. Apart from that, Keito, Kin… you are both officially registered as genin. I want you entered into the next chuunin exams. Hitomi will be your jounin sensei for this. I plan on talking to Kashi-nii about having Tsu as your third teammate. The next exam should be held in Mist, for the first time in years. I will make sure you're ready for those exams. And I want you to show the world that the Namiki clan isn't depending on my reputation. Is that understood?"

" **Yes, ma'am.** "

"Good. I want you two and Hitomi to start spending time with the wolves as well. I do not decide for them who is allowed to sign, that isn't our way and it certainly isn't theirs. Should Tsuren give you the greenlight, I will let you sign the summoning contract. Not a moment before." The three of them nod seriously. "Good. And Tsuren. I plan on spending a lot more time training with you and your pups. I want to make sure we are at the top of our game. After all… we still have our escaped prey to hunt down, do we not?"

"We do." Tsuren agrees, grinning a little. She's thinking about repaying his… _kindness_.

"That means I want to teach even you some new skills. Some basic, most advanced. I also want to work with you on the more advanced collaboration jutsus I've found in the Namiki library. As well as some interesting ones I've come up with. Is this agreeable?" I ask carefully. I know she is proud of her skills, but I also know that everyone can stand to learn a new trick or two.

"It is." She nods.

"Alright. Oh, Kin, Tomi… when are the two of you going to admit you want to share a room?" The two of them blushing is too cute for words. "Seriously, it's not like I haven't figured it out, and I certainly don't mind."

"We… were going to… speak with you… about that… tonight…" Hitomi hesitantly admits, still blushing deeply.

"Well, if it's my permission you're waiting on. You have my blessing." I say, rolling my eyes and wondering why they'd need my permission in the first place. They share a look, nervous but excited, before thanking me. "And let me know if you two start seriously considering making the arrangement more official. I can't promise I'll be able to change Konoha clan laws to allow you two to get married, but I can officially adopt Kin into our clan and offer you at least that. We all know I'll honour your relationship as such, and I will fight for you should you need or simply want me to."

Kin is almost moved to tears, but I can tell Hitomi isn't far behind. "And that includes if you two ever decide one of you wants to get pregnant, or if you decide to adopt. And don't write off pregnancy because of the 'guy factor', there are a few tricks I've read about to work around that. Neither of you would have to mate with a male for that. Alright?" That did it. I'm engulfed in two tears hugs as both of them blubber out their thanks.

"Don't thank me. I'm only offering you what you deserve."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After –politely– kicking everyone out, other than Satsuma and Miwako, I gaze at the nervous pair across from me. "I don't like beating around the bush, so I'll get right to it. Senju-san wants the two of you here for a few very specific reasons." They share a look, wondering about that. "First off is rehabilitating you in a safe environment, mostly because she's a medic first and Hokage second."

They shrug, having figured as much.

"Second is Namiki babies." I say, refusing to lie about my well founded suspicions. Miwako blushes, not hating the idea. "You both know I'm not going to push one way or the other. I'm just telling it like it is." They nod seriously.

"Next is more of a suspicion than anything, but I believe I know Senju-san well enough to say this is more likely true than false. She wants your children to get to know their parents." I carefully don't –exactly– add myself into that statement. I have no doubt that Senju-san does include me in that. They look almost hopeful at that, but I ignore it.

"I'm telling you this because I'm seeing improvements in you. Hoshie and Kenshin are much more open and trusting towards both of you." I explain seriously. "That is the reason I offer you your tasks. And that is the reason I will also be overseeing Satsuma's Namiki training. Honestly, married for over a decade and still knowing next to nothing of the Namiki ways." I roll my eyes, annoyed with Miwako's stupidity.

"I…" Satsuma obviously doesn't know what to say.

"Don't read into it. I'm correcting her idiocy. However, it would be nice if I could trust you to oversee the pups' training when I'm busy. You'd have to learn it first though and that's something I expect you to offer your all to. Do you understand?" I fix him with an annoyed stare, showing that I'd write him off as hopeless the second he slacks off. Just to be sure though, "You get one chance, Satsuma. Use it wisely."

"I will." He nods, tears collecting in his eyes for some reason. I roll my eyes, even more annoyed now. He probably thinks this is me offering more than just training – I'm not. I'm trying to make sure there's a safety net for our pups. Nothing more.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Having dealt with that, I track down Tayuya. But she's busy _getting_ _busy_ with one of the Operatives, so I'll just leave them be. I didn't think the Inuzuka would be her type, but hey, to each their own. Not Hana, Ichiyo, one of the new Anbu Captains. Still, whatever.

Aya, just breathe. You have to deal with the idiots eventually. Better sooner than later.

 **Sigh.**

With Tsu, Hitomi, Kin and Keito shadowing me –and Ikoku for some reason, but whatever– I make my way out into the street. I know the messengers don't know where I live –they would've been hounding my den otherwise– so I figure just going out into the village for some shopping will lead them to me.

It takes less than ten minutes to prove me right.

"Namiki-dono! How fortunate to run into you here of all places!" The messenger acts like he hasn't been haunting these streets to find me.

"You're one of the messengers. I don't care which one. I don't care which land or which lord. Find the others, tell them I will be holding a meeting in my office in the Civilian Sector tomorrow at three in the afternoon, because frankly I'm not going to repeat what I have to say. Is that understood?" I say, glaring at him, daring him to deny me.

"A-a-as you wish, N-n-n-n-namiki-dono." He manages, before bowing low, turning and hightailing it out of here.

"Well that was fun." I intone, obviously being sarcastic. "Anyway! Shopping!" I ignore Hitomi's annoyed groan. I count to ten, barely making it to three before Kin swats her arm. I grin. "Don't worry, Tomi, we're also going to blacksmith's. We have to get Keito's new blades after all."

"Ooh! And I still have to see Tenten about that weapon!" Hitomi's in a much better mood now.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I try to be nice about it, so we alternate. One civilian store, then one shinobi store, then one civilian store… and so on. Hitomi and Kin need a much bigger closet, so we get one for them. We have two babies on the way, so I buy two of the most adorable cribs, changing tables, the works. We even make sure to go into a clothing store to get some baby clothes. I really like this cute little baby romper with the text 'Careful, I bite' and a picture of a wolf on it, so I buy two – one for the Namiki on the way, one for the Hatake.

After that, we do the blacksmith's. Keito is moved to the point of tears when he receives four new blood blades. The white sheaths and grips meant to make them look like fangs, the kanji for 'wolf' engraved in gold –not actual gold, just the colour– onto the sheath and on the butt of the grip. The blades themselves have a stylised wolf depicted near the hilt. All in all, the perfect blades for a Namiki samurai.

Once I offer them to him in that traditional, overly formal way, and he both checks each blade in turn and properly arms himself with them, we start nosing around to see if there's anything interesting.

I mention that Hoshie needs to start her kenjutsu training. Hitomi and Kin agree. Tsu mostly just talks about Kin needing to focus on her kenjutsu training – this time Hitomi gets on her case, slacking off like that. Ikoku is mostly listening, quietly studying the merchandise. Keito asks about some of the more interesting looking kunai and shuriken, and I take the time to explain what I know about most of them. I make sure to point out that he'll need to really step up his training with projectiles. I'm not having a slacker that can only swing a sword – no matter how good he is.

He seems to like the Fuuma shuriken, so I tell him I'll let him nose around in what I have at home so he can try his luck with the different types to see what he finds is a worth invested – both of time and money.

Then a thought hits me… "Hey guys, what if we design a custom shuriken just for the Namiki clan? Maybe even custom kunai?"

"…Why?" Tsu asks.

"Why not? It would be cool, and we wouldn't be the only clan that does it." I point out. "Then again, I already have my custom windmill shurikens. Maybe just some regular ones, and the kunai? I won't mind of the Uzumaki, Yukis and Hatakes use it, but I'd want it to be just for us, you know? Stand out a bit."

"Not a bad idea." Keito gets it! "Perhaps I could offer lessons on tessens as well. It is rather basic, but useful all the same."

"Hnn?" Tessen? Battle fans? Well, that is a pretty common samurai thing, really. "No training is worthless. I say we buy a few and see who's interested in learning it." With that I start bugging Keito about the things to pay attention to for good tessen. We make our way into the section that has tessens –these mostly look like something you'd buy at a festival, but even I can tell they look sturdy– and I ask him to pick at least six good quality ones. Ones he'd use. "No, better yet. Tessen you'd have me practicing with." I'd rather not give him the chance to pick out subpar crap just because he thinks he isn't worth the money, or whatever.

I make a mental note to talk to Momochi-san, Naru-nii and Kashi-nii later about my ideas about the kunai and shuriken. We'll see what they have to say about it.

It takes him nearly ten minutes before he selects what he sees as the best of the bunch. He offers them to me, probably for inspection, or something. I don't really know. He's the one that knows these things. Still…

"I like this." I admit. "A polite weapon you can wield in an upscale restaurant. I'm definitely up for learning." He beams, obviously happy about that.

We go through some more weapons, mostly just talking about this or that regarding them. It turns out that Keito knows quite a lot about most of them. "Ah, the nodachi." He says pointing at a long blade with a REALLY long handle. I mean, seriously! The handle alone is longer as my kodachi! "Most commonly used by mounted forces, but I've met a man that claims he could wield it as smoothly as I can wield a kodachi."

"Che, arrogant much?" I offer my two Ryou. No one can wield a sword that big like… then again, I'm sure Momochi-san could. He's really good with his blade, and he keeps up with my speed even while I'm wielding my kodachis. It's _possible_.

"Ah, this is one I have not held in some time. The jitte." He says grabbing a matching set. It's a funny little weapon, with no blade to speak of. It almost looks like a little metal stick, but with a little hook sticking out to capture –and likely break– an enemy's blade. It's a very defensive weapon, I guess. "There are many palaces where the lord does not wish for any to carry a blade. Because of this, many centuries ago, a wise blacksmith crafted the first jitte and gifted it to his son, who wished to become his lord's honour guard. The son, though his name long forgotten in the mists of time, became a legend. Ever since the jitte has been a symbol of samurai guards and high ranking officials. Even more so than the daisho."

"That is so cool!" Tsu says, obviously enjoying the history lesson.

"It's official, Keito. You're getting this. We're arranging that you get your own cache. Hitomi, would you mind if Kin shares yours?" I turn to the couple.

Tomi snorts, amused. "She already is."

"Yeah?" Kin gives me a look; _what'd you expect?_

"Good. Keito, if you see any more weapons you're either good with or just like, let me know. I don't mind splurging a little now and again."

"It's alright, Aya-dono. I was paid well for that last mission. I-"

"Keito, if I say I'm paying, you are not to argue with me. Your money is meant to be used on things like clothing, armour, scrolls of jutsu you like. And speaking of which! We should check out the scroll section! Maybe they'll have some tessenjutsu as well? Maybe a style for it? It can't hurt to know more than one style with the same weapon, after all."

"Ah, I'm afraid you misunderstand, Aya-dono. I like these weapons, and I would happily purchase them." He tries anyway. I roll my eyes, amused and annoyed at the same time.

We make our way to the scroll section. Technically this is the 'jutsu section', but not every scroll contains a jutsu, so I don't call it that. "Lucky!" I exclaim, finding a large scroll on a tessenjutsu style. I... my hands are getting a bit full like this.

"Aya, at least give me something to carry. I'll put them on the counter so long, because we both know you're going nuts in this section." Tsu teases, already grabbing my tessens. I don't fight her – no point. As if on cue, the blacksmith comes over, amused as ever whenever we feel like nosing around.

"Another new weapon, Namiki-san?" He says, smiling. "That style's from the land of Tea. I bought it off a noble down on his luck, a steal if you ask me." He explains seriously.

"May I?" I ask, wondering if I can take a look.

"Sorry, no. It's sealed and I won't unseal it unless you buy." He says. That alone tells me this is worth something.

"Good." I say, smiling. "What else do you have here? Keito is taking the jitte, maybe you have a style he hasn't heard of?"

"Hmm, depends. Where's he from?" He asks.

"Land of Iron." I answer. Keito looks at me, questions in his eyes. "What? You still smell like it too. Your chakra's scent is almost set by the time you turn five. That's why people can identify where you're from just by scent." I explain.

"Hmm… Three Wolves samurai huh?" The blacksmith thinks about that. "Yeah, I've got another large scroll here for a jitte style form the Land of Fangs. And another from the Land of Forests. Ah, there's also another tessen style from the Land of the Moon… and I believe I still have one from the Land of Sand as well. You're an earth release user, right…? Hmm, I think the Land of Tea style and the Land of the Moon style would better suit you than the Land of Sand – they tend to prefer water release users and it shows in their styles."

I LOVE shopping here! I fish out the Land of the Moon tessen style scroll, and I demand that Keito takes the jitte style scrolls as well. He doesn't fight me this time. I offer my new finds to Tsu, who carries them over to the counter for me.

"Ooh! Chokuto style!" I announce. Tsu and Kin are on me instantly. I let them fight over it, until I find a second one for them. They each hold one. I just grin and keep digging for more.

No more interesting weapon style scrolls, so I head to the elemental scrolls. I love how these scrolls are set up. Colour-coded to show which element they are, letter-coded to show which rank they are. Other than that, it's only names.

"Keito, we still have to confirm your element. Kin, you too. Would you mind going with Sengo-san to have that confirmed now?" I instruct. They nod and head to the counter, coming back with the most obvious news in the world. Keito's earth, Kin's lightning. I can usually tell just by smelling them, but I like being absolutely sure. "Let's see… I have more than enough earth scrolls to entertain us. I have quite a few fire and water as well. But almost no lightning or wind."

I grab six scrolls each of E, D and C-rank for both lightning and wind; making sure to check these aren't scrolls I already have copies of. That should tide us over for a while. "Speaking of which! I want to start testing the kids as well. You're never too young to learn E-rank jutsus." I pick up a few E-ranks of the other three elements as well; again confirming I'm not picking up copies of scrolls I already own. The lower ranked jutsus are dirt cheap after all, so why not? It's only when you start looking at B and A-rank jutsu that I start having to think twice. And there are almost never S-rank jutsus on display. I've never felt the need to ask if he has.

Sengo-san is kind enough to offer me a basket to set my purchases in – obviously noticing that I'm still going strong.

"Ooh! Genjutsu scrolls!" Interestingly they're marked as 'yin release', but that basically means the same thing to me. I filter through them, finding that I already know all the E, D, and C-rank genjutsus he has on display. I'm not too keen on asking about the prices for the B-ranks, so I don't even look – I'm not willing to splurge _that_ much today.

Looking through the 'yang release' scrolls, I find that most are simple medical jutsus. A few are simplified body modification jutsus, I don't trust that idea too much, I already know one –the Okami jutsu– and it's MURDER to learn properly!

"Hmm? Sword of Silence jutsu?" I read the name.

"Nn. From the Land of Silence. Designed to work with pretty much any blade." Sengo-san explains. It's a C-rank, and the price isn't too steep.

"What the heck. Could prove interesting." I add it to my growing pile of jutsus. "Hey! Tessen jutsu! And jitte jutsu!" I grab them without thinking. Interesting that they'd be here in the yang section, and not the weapon's section. Whatever.

I think about that. I go back through the elemental jutsus. "Any elemental weapons jutsus I might be interested in?"

"Well…" That isn't a no! I love shopping here!

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Thank you all for coming." I begin, eyeing the six messengers and their armed guards. I'm tempted to believe they are here for intimidation, but… it isn't working. Not even a little.

Keito, Tsu, Ikoku, Hitomi, Kin… heck even Mitarashi-san, Momochi-san, Kashi-nii, Naruto-nii and daddy are here. Chouza-san too, as is Chouji. I grin, knowing exactly what their reason is for being here.

"Now, let me start off by saying that I'm not going with any of you." I let them get their stupid complains out of the way. But when they start shouting to be heard over each other, " **SHUT IT!** " I grab their attention, bathing them all in just enough killing intent to hear quite a few frightened whimpers.

I smirk.

"I'm not going with any of you, because I don't care for any of your countries, your lords or your people. In fact, I would happily accept your declarations of war for turning you down. Whether you want to issue that to the Land of Fire, to Konoha, or just the Namiki clan. **Bring it**. I've toppled two countries already, I won't mind trying my hand at a third."

They start fidgeting nervously, obviously not liking where I'm going with this. "What, you haven't heard? Oh right. Away from home. The former Land of Snow? It's now called the Land of Spring. Took out the castle and their hidden village in less than a week, mostly because they took forever to bring the fight to me. So tell me, which of you will be country number three? Hmm?"

Mind you, I'm still bathing them in killing intent. "And do keep in mind. I'm don't usually work alone. Everyone you see here is here to send a clear message to you and your lords. The Namiki clan is not without allies. Just to name a few, in case you're addled little brains can't recognize them. Here we have," I name them all as I go. I really like how their eyes nearly pop out when I mention Kashi-nii and Momochi-san.

The messengers and their so called armed guard, their hopes sink lower and lower with each passing second.

And the nail in the coffin? Chouji decides to show off a little a wraps his arms around my waist. "Chou, behave. I'm busy." I swat his bandaged arm, wondering why he wraps them up. I'll have to talk to him later about that.

"I know." He whispers in my ear, his warm breath kissing and teasing my skin as he speaks. I fight the smile, but the shiver can't be helped. Kami-sama, I both love and hate it when he does that. "Tell me to stop then." I shiver again.

I'm so getting you back for this later!

"Now that we've settled that." I say, grinning at what I'm about to do. "Who's up for a game of _capture the daimyo_? It's fun."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 85_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Just in case anyone wonders, the sequel to Butterflies is most definitely assured! I will start working on it after the spin-offs, so it might take a while, but it is set in stone that it's coming out!  
_**

 ** _Now... let's see... what haven't we already dealt with...? Hmm..._**


	102. Did we forget anything?

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Chapter 86 – Did we forget anything?_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Mom, I'm fine."

"What about-"

"Mom, I've been to Sand before. I know about the extra water bottles. And the hats. And the cloaks. And the heat. And the sunblock you conveniently didn't tell me about last time. And the travel documents that you didn't even ask about last time."

"What about-"

"Mom, I have everything packed. Enough spare equipment and rations for a group three times the size we're travelling with."

"What about-"

"Mom. There's nothing I forgot."

"You're not even going to let me finish a sentence are you?"

"I just did."

"…"

"I did!"

"…"

"Mom, we'll be fine. And Temari's coming with us too, so we'll have someone that knows every inch of that desert. More or less."

"… You do realise that I can't lose you, right?"

"I'll be back before you know it. Besides, shouldn't you be bugging Naruto-nii? He's leaving the same time as us."

"…"

"And he has two far less experienced shinobis with him."

"…"

"And they're leaving for at least two years. I'll be back in a month, and I'm heading straight for a village. You don't even know where they're going."

"… You do realise I'm onto you, right?"

"You do realise that you've already thought about everything I just said and now want to double-check just in case before you come back and bug me some more, right?"

"…"

"Tell me I'm wrong."

"…"

"…"

"I've taught you well."

"Yes. Yes, you have. Now go on. I need to check on my team, bug the heck out of them. And make sure Ikoku knows to pack some extra water as well."

"I'm so proud of you, baby!" We hug, grinning like mad. It's how we love each other.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I'm not sure what's weirder. The fact that I'm not in the least bit worried about Naruto-nii, or the fact that I find myself wanting just five minutes alone with Chouji.

…

I'm not sure. Still trying to figure that out. Maybe it's because Minori's going with him? Maybe it's because I'll still be talking to him around the clock anyway? Maybe it's because I can summon him if things go bad? I don't know. I'm more worried about Chouji than Naruto-nii. And that's… weird.

Still… I find myself tracking Chouji down, wanting my five minutes. Maybe more. So why can't I find him? He's not in the compound, in any of the compounds. That means I'd have to leave to find him, and that would create a mad dash for everyone to get ready, because the team coming with me happens to be the same group that happens to follow me everywhere anyway.

Other than Temari and her team – it's still kind of weird to think of them as anything but her team. I mean, I have people following me around everywhere, just like Temari, and I consider them my team. So why wouldn't I consider Temari's shadows her team?

…

Aya, you're starting to think a bunch of crap.

…

And now you're talking to yourself in your head, telling yourself that you're thinking a bunch of crap; which, by the way, is more crap to add to that bunch you were just complaining about.

…

Chocolate. That's what I'm missing. Chocolate. But… I only smell muffins. And that means two peaches. And milk.

…

I can live with that.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"You have everything?" I ask, leering over Ikoku's shoulder as she lines everything out on her bed.

"Don't do that, I'm thinking." She says. I bite into my peach. The first one. I have to make sure Ikoku's packed properly, that's why I had to rush mom along. I'll make it up to her. I can actually see Ikoku going over her mental checklist, tapping her finger against random spots of air, going lower each time.

"Think out loud, that always helps me." I offer, mostly because I want to hear what she's thinking. I'm good, but mindreading isn't in my skillset.

"You're distracting me." She says, starting back at the top. This time mumbling, but nothing I can make out. I pay attention to the amount of syllables as she mumbles.

"You want four meals a day, not three. Always better to have more." I say. She looks at me, rights her glasses and opens a drawer, taking out extra water bottles and rations. She counts them, mumbling as she adds them to the already calculated total. Happy with it, she starts moving to her bed with her added load.

"…" She stops mid stride. "How did you…"

"Counted the syllables. You started on weapons, then clothes, then travel documents, the started calculating your water bottles and rations bars." I explain seriously. "Did you think about sunblock? Your skin will hate you if you forget."

"… I don't have any sunblock." She admits, tapping her finger against some more air, obviously making a mental note.

"Do you have a cloak and a hat designed for desert passage?" I ask.

"… Where would I even find something like that?" She asks.

"I have enough for our whole group. I'll show you where you can get stuff like that when we get back. Shinobi specialty store. The prices will make you cry, but the investment is so worth it." I explain.

"Ah. So that's where you got the winter gear?" She asks.

"No, I bought that at the outfitters. I mean, it does snow here, you know." I remind her.

"… I see. It almost never rains in Stone, so I knew it was winter because it'd get cold. And even then, a decent windbreaker would do. The land of Snow was… interesting." She says, a warm smile on her lips.

"It's psychological. Seeing the snow makes you feel cold." I explain. "Just be glad we were there in the summer. They have three months of pure, unending darkness in the winter."

"… So that's why it felt the days would just never end." She sounds amused, finally discovering something that should have been obvious. Then again, not everyone has my internal clock. Or my sense of direction. That's probably why people are scared to leave me on my own. I'd get lost in an empty lot.

Well… an empty lot I'm unfamiliar with. I don't get lost in familiar places. Usually. Any more.

Back to Ikoku, because I'm going to start arguing with myself again.

"Ever been to Sand?" I ask, still somehow wondering what Kin and Hitomi are up t…

 **Sniff.**

Nevermind. I know what they're up to.

"Once, when I was little. All I remember is the gate guard asking me what I thought of the weather." That bastard! It's a standard line!? "Why were you blushing a second ago?"

"Jealousy, mostly." I admit. Those two are having some pre-mission fun, while I'm stuck trying to make sure Ikoku's packed everything she'll probably never use.

"… Huh?"

"Sniff." She does… She thinks… She processes… She blushes. "Not all of us can be that lucky. Chouji's avoiding me."

"You'd…?" She blushes even deeper.

"Honestly I'm not sure. That boy knows how to do things you to that I never thought I'd want, let alone enjoy… If he plays his cards just right, I'm not sure I'd be able to turn him down." I admit, blushing at putting that into words.

"You've thought about it." She doesn't ask.

"Well, yeah. Of course I think about it." Why wouldn't I? I'm not a nun! "But I'm not ready for that." Luckily he's a bit slow when it comes to these things. The other day… the day I was giving him his medical exam before greenlighting him for active duty… when he was squeezing my butt cheek… If he'd have moved his hand less than five centimetres the wrong (or right, depending on your point of view) way… he'd have touched the Promised Land… and the fact that I was dripping wet at the time didn't really help matters much. I somehow doubt I'd have had the mental capacity to stop him at the time.

I blush, wondering why I'm even thinking about that. And why I moved his hand back after he –being a true gentleman– tried to stop groping me. Why did I want his hand there?

…

Well, it felt good, I guess. But… we're not ready for that so why did… Why am I thinking about this? Why now? And why in Kami-sama's name am I just staring at Ikoku as she folds her underwear?

Hey, I have those same panties! They're comfy! Especially to sleep in. For some reason, I can't stand wearing anything but cotton during the day, but I've gotten simply addicted to sleeping with satin. Why am I thinking about this, again?

I bite the last edible part of my peach, sucking on the last of the juice on my hand.

I'm weird, aren't I.

"Anyway." I say, trying to change tracks on my train of thought. "We leave in an hour more or less. Don't forget to have everything sealed and ready. Anything you leave behind, stays behind."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I track down Tsu, who's only now starting to pack. After planting the peach seed in the hopes of getting a peach tree… but, that's a work in progress. How can you plant a seed wrong? I don't know, but I seem to manage.

She's been to Sand before, so she knows what to expect. She knows I deal with meals. And she knows I pack too much of everything just in case. So she only focuses on her clothes. "What makes you think you only need clothes?" I ask, just to be sure.

"Because your mom was in here earlier and left with a smile. You're packed for three months for a group twice the size we're travelling with." She says, smirking.

"… It's sad isn't it."

"Nope. It's a good thing. If mom were a kunoichi, she'd be in here bugging me too. As it is, she usually just bugs dad days before a mission for him to come bug me."

"So that's why you leave your underwear out until the last seal. You want to discourage him from getting into the habit." It finally makes sense.

"Yup. For some reason he just pinches the bridge of his nose and walks out. I wonder why." She's grinning, obviously not wondering about that at all. Especially since I can smell who's underwear it is, even with the fabric softener Yasu-nee uses.

"Bad girl." I tease.

"Look who's talking. You've been slightly aroused ever since Kin and Tomi started."

"What's bad about that? I'm a healthy kunoichi with healthy needs." I defend. "And, Miss Kettle, I suggest you realise my sense of smell is better than yours."

"I know that. But mine works just fine when this close. Even with the panty liner you're using to hide the worst of it." I blush. She can even smell that! Wow. And this without… wait a minute…

"You're guessing."

"Not really. Seeing as your scent is far less noticeable than mine, it doesn't really take a genius to figure out why. I'm just trying to learn from someone with more experience is all. I mean, seeing dad pinch his nose in annoyance every time he smells it can only amuse me for so long before it just becomes embarrassing." Good point.

"He'll smell it anyway, you know."

"… True. But, still."

"Can't argue with that." I bite into my muffin, the first bite. "You know it'll only get worse when you get a mate."

"… I don't even want to think about it. I've seen the effect Chouji has on you." She says, blushing a little.

"Then why are you thinking about it?"

"…" The blush deepens.

"Seriously?

"…" Her neck is starting to turn pink.

"Keito?"

"…" I can't see it to know for sure, but I'm almost positive her heels are turning pink.

"Does he know?"

"He only has eyes for _his lady_." She sounds a bit bitter.

"And this works to your disadvantage because…?"

"…?" She can't quite figure that one out.

"Talk to him about something that has something to do with me. Duh. That's your common ground."

"…" She thinks about that.

"Look. Face facts. The two of you follow me everywhere. In the village, on missions. The only place he doesn't follow me is when I need to _go_. In other words, discuss with him that you can guard me when he cannot. You'll win points, and he'll feel better in one fell swoop."

"…"

"Tsu, it's not like you don't have the time to get him to notice you one baby set at a time. He only has eyes for his lady. So unless your theoretical competition hangs out with me around the clock… you're safe."

"… Iki?"

"… What about her?"

"What if she's into him?"

"She isn't."

"How do you know?"

"The same way I figure out that you are."

"… How did you figure that out? I mean, not even one wrong guess!"

"Hindsight."

"…?"

"You purposely walk close to him every chance you get. At first, I thought it was because you were letting Kin and Hitomi watch my other flank, but… the second I noticed you were thinking about someone that might be mate material, it clicked."

"You're going to make me regret you finding out, aren't you."

"I'm not Kashi-nii. All I'm going to do is offer advice and let you make your moves at your own speed. You have to live with whatever the result is."

"… That's fair."

"I think so too."

"… Is it worth it?"

"…" I think about Chouji. About the uncertainty –and worse, the certainty– of him liking me back or not. "It's scary. It's nerve-wracking. It'll cause more heartache and sleepless nights than you can imagine. He's going to make stupid mistakes without even knowing it. He's probably going to be a clueless jerk more often than not. And there will be times you're going to feel like killing him…"

"Is it worth it?"

"… Chouji is, to me. Only time will tell if _he_ will be for you."

"…"

"Hitomi never thought she'd find acceptance. Neither did Kin." I point out. She smiles a little this time. "And the age difference didn't affect them at all."

"How old are they?"

"Kin's fourteen. Hitomi's nineteen."

"And Kin made the first move?"

"Hitomi thinks it's because she was too aroused not to."

"… That sucks."

"Fear of rejection?"

"Yeah!"

"How about lost chances?"

"… Aya, please…"

"Am I wrong?"

"It's… not that you're wrong… I…"

"Chouji still scares me."

"…"

"The fear of rejection doesn't go away with time. It only gets worse so long as you don't know."

"Chouji would die for you."

"So would you. Are you in love with me?"

"… Chouji loves you, Aya."

"I know."

"… But…?"

"…"

"Aya…?"

"…"

"Does he love you enough?"

"N-nn."

"Hmm. I guess you'll just have to find out."

"…?"

"Shouldn't you go check on Keito?" I see what you're doing! If I didn't already have so much going on, I'd interrogate you until I know what you know!

"… Would you mind doing it? I want to make sure the others are ready."

"…!"

"I'm not forcing you. I'm asking you."

"…" Time's a ticking!

"I'm not going to offer again."

"… Fine."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Temari is quite happily terrorising her little brothers, and their genin. I find myself smiling. Obviously I don't have to worry about them at all.

I bite into my muffin. It's about half done, but I have time so there's no need to rush. There's **always** time for chocolate.

I listen to Kankuro muttering under his breath about his sister – before muttering how Sand won't be the same without her. I listen to Gaara quietly agreeing with him. And Temari is so busy asking Sari, Matsuri and Yukata about this and that… that she misses the most important parts.

"Is it weird?" Kankuro asks.

"Nn?"

"That Konoha feels more like home that Sand ever did."

"… No."

"You have that, too."

"Nn."

"Is that why you asked that Aya escort us back?"

"… Nn."

"Bring the most important part with you."

"Nn." I hear a smile this time, small, but there.

"… Aya's listening isn't she."

"Has been for a while."

"… And you couldn't warn me?"

"It's not my fault you can't sense her."

"I'm not a sensor."

"Also not my fault."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… I can't tell what's worse. Worrying if she's listening. Or worrying that I can tell if you're lying or not." Why would you worry if I'm listening? You've said nothing I'd get upset over.

"Why would I lie?"

"That's exactly what a liar would say."

"Then go outside and check. She's sitting on the top stair." Point to Gaara.

"What's the point? Even if she _is_ there, by the time I reach the door she'll have disappeared." Point to Kankuro.

"Then pretend she isn't there. You'll never know." It's sad how much sense that makes.

"…"

"…"

"Why does that make so much sense?"

"That's not what you need to worry about." It isn't?

"… It isn't?"

"No. It's whether Aya's knowing smile has anything to do with listening to this conversation. That's going to bother you the entire journey to Sand." I smile, knowing exactly how I can get under Kankuro's skin now.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Am I wrong?"

"I hate you sometimes."

"I can live with that."

"…"

"It's only sometimes."

"Okay. I'm going to check on Akihito, 'cause you're making way too much sense." Just to see if I can mess with him a little. I activate my camouflage jutsu. Kankuro exits the room, stares at exactly where I'm sitting, but can't sense me at all. He shakes his head, mumbling as he goes down the hall to check on his genin.

Interestingly, he'd left the door wide open. And Gaara is meeting my gaze with a little smile. I drop the camouflage, wave and head out to check on things in the Uzumaki camp.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Okay… Is everyone but me getting in _happy time_? I smell you, Hina-nee! I know!

The almost muted grunts tell me Naru-nii isn't complaining about the _festivities_. A moment later, Hina-nee walks out of the room. Her eyes meet mine almost immediately. She's halfway to freaking out. Then she swallows.

I smile. Grin really. She swallowed so much more than just saliva. I bat my eyelashes at her, grinning wider. Without a word she turns on a dime and walks right back into the room she just came out of.

"It's not like she couldn't smell what we were doing from downstairs. Or even in the yard." I hear Naru-nii whisper soothingly.

"…not. helping."

"Hina, she knows I love you. She knows you love me."

"…not. helping."

"She sleeps in a house full of noses and couples, Hina. She can smell when her parents are having fun. When her sister is having fun. She's desensitized." More or less. Jealous, but desensitised.

"…"

"It's like your Byakugan. Sometimes you see more than you'd like to. Only with her, she can't turn it off. It's not like she can stop breathing after all. Not for long, at least."

"…"

"It's fine, Hina. Really. Come with me, you can see for yourself."

"…"

"Or would you rather I return the favour?"

"…" Hina-nee's scent is suddenly far more noticeable.

"Careful, Hina… sis isn't the only nose around here." Naru-nii, you tease. I hear a kissing sound. D'aww, kissing her right after? That's sweet. Another kissing sound. And another. Each time, Hina's scent becomes more pronounced. It's official. I'm the **only one** not getting _happy time_.

I have no idea if they're packed or not, but when I hear a zipper, I know it's time for me to leave. I don't doubt hearing her moaning and whimpering is more than I can handle right now.

That no one else notices this… that they didn't think to put up a privacy seal… then again? In a house full of shinobi, shinobi in training, Byakugan users, a nose, and would be Sealing experts? What point would it serve? They could disable it, hack it, simply see through the door, or smell the air in the room anyway… and Kami knows what else. I guess a certain level of trust is needed in a clan like this. Just like in the Namiki clan.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Time to leave. I've already said my goodbyes to the pups. Everyone is ready. And mom keeps looking at Hina-nee and Naru-nii, blushing. Naru-nii smirks each time she does. I'm guessing mom walked in on them, judging from how Hina-nee can't met her gaze – or mine. I don't know why? I mean, I can smell him on her. Literally. And even though I can smell he washed up after, I can still smell her on him. And a female's arousal is far easier for me to smell than a male's, even days after.

Anyway.

Still no sign of Chouji. And I'm no longer in a position to go search for him. I sigh. I hug mom, tell her to take care of everyone for me, and we start our trek to South Gate.

I manage to convince everyone that I need to buy some extra chocolate – muffins and the like, seeing as my normal bars would melt before long in Sand. So I end up dragging them to four different stores – trying to see if I can track that boy down!

Eventually I stop making excuses, and simply follow Chouji's scent. I'm **tired** of not getting my five minutes!

…

South Gate? Why is Chouji waiting with a knowing smile at South Gate?

…

I walk up to him, questions in my eyes.

"I'm coming."

"…?"

"Don't give me that look. I go on a mission and you get to tag along as you please. This isn't a top secret mission, and I'm quite capable of keeping up."

"…"

"We're wasting daylight."

I ignore the knowing smirks, smiles and grins. I don't care. "Let's go then." I walk past him, making sure to flick my hair at just the right time so its scent meets Chouji's nose.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After we all go through customs –mostly waiting for the Sand group again– we say our goodbyes.

I hug Naruto-nii, warning him to be on his best behaviour. That I'll know if he tries something stupid. He just grins, wiping the side of his mouth. I narrow my eyes at him, pissed that even he got some kind of snuggle time – **very** _snugly_ , but that's beside the point.

I hug Minori, asking her to take care of the guys for us. She promises she will, petting Haruki's hair and swatting Naruto-nii as she does.

I hug Haruki, telling him that I can't wait for us to spar when he gets back. He smirks, but doesn't say anything. He hugs me again. I kiss his forehead, kiss the crown of his head, and squeeze him a little to let him know I'll miss him – even as quiet as he tends to be. I want to tease that the only sane Uzumaki is leaving, but Haruki would make a comment – he'd be too tempted not to. And I really don't want Asami-nee to have her cover blown just yet. Maybe when they get back. Maybe not even then. We'll just have to wait and see.

I have my team wait, watching Naruto, Minori and Haruki disappearing into the distance. I'm going to miss them. But, as a consolation… I know Jiraiya won't be back in town for a few years too. That makes me feel somewhat better. And I can tell it's going to wreak havoc on my wanting to be happy when they're on their way back. Because they'll be coming back… but they'll bring _him_ with them.

"Temari. You know where we're going. Everyone, keep up."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

That night. Lying in a tent. I find myself happier than I have in a long, long, LOOOOOONG time.

I can't even think about _happy time_ , I'm not ready for it. Sure, I talk (mostly think) big around others, but with Chouji here? With me snuggled up to him? With my head on his arm, hand on his chest, leg carefully snuggled between his? All I can think about… is wanting to lie here.

That's all. Just… lie here.

Just feeling him. Just smelling him. Just seeing him, even without my glasses on. To kiss his bare skin and taste him. Have his warmth.

My eyes flutter. Darkness trying to claim me.

One last kiss. On the lips. Tasting him. Smelling him.

Akimichi Aya…

Chouji… and… Aya…

Scared… always… scared…

Worth it.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Chapter 86_**

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Butterflies._**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: A bit of an outro really. Either way, it's like 1:00 AM here. Good night.  
_**


	103. Bonus Chapter 1 – Good Enough

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Bonus Chapter 1 – Good Enough  
_**

 ** _Timeline: Butterfly Hurricane_**

 ** _A/N: Warning! Fluff overload ahead!_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

There are people that believe that words make a deep impact on our fate. They believe that the words you speak, the vibrations of it, create a tremor in the fabric of fate, and that you should therefore speak sparingly, if at all. That you should choose your words carefully, that you should be mindful of the impact your words, your vibrations, will have on your life.

Namiki Aya thinks that's pure crap. She'll say what she wants, when she wants, thank you very much. True, she'll only say things she'll stand behind, things that will honour her pack, her clan, but... that's as far as she'll go. After all, if that idiocy is to be believed, then her shortness would be her own fault for referring to herself as a a midget over the years. Sixteen years old, and by far the shortest of them all. The kids don't count, there's still hope for them.

Yet, even with her short stature, you'd never guess it was her height bothers her at all. Even though the love of her life, Akimichi Chouji, is two and a half heads taller than her, even though when they go out dancing she has to put on six inch heels, even though he teasingly calls her his chihuahua. She stands tall. She stands tall and she stands proud.

And her feet are killing her from dancing in those shoes!

Aya decides she can stand being short for this next dance, she really loves this song. Evanescence - Good Enough. She, she just loves this song. It fits how she feels about Chouji so well. So, even though she's now barefoot, even though she'll bury her face in his tummy as they dance, even though she knows everyone gets a kick out of watching them dance like this... she drags him out on the dance floor anyway.

Surrounded by couples from the clans. The Akimichi, the Yamanaka, the Nara, the Sarutobi, the Hatake, the Yuki, the Uzumaki, the Uchiha and even from the Namiki clan. She feels their eyes on her and Chouji.

Then his arms wrap around her. The slow, cathartic singing starts. She finds herself dancing to the rhythm he sets for her. He leads and she follows. Oh, she follows. Hearing his heartbeat, strong and steady as they dance. She decided long ago that she would follow him anywhere.

The world slowly fades away. All that matters to her is the beating of his heart. All she cares about is where he leads her. That his arms hold her just a little tighter. That he sings the words for her, off-key, scratchy, and with a slight slur showing he's had a few drinks already.

Part of her wants to wonder why he's been drinking tonight. After all, nothing stressful has happened recently, and he usually isn't one for drinking. It's the vast majority of her that doesn't care. He's holding her, guarding her from the world, even from the doubts that plague her. He's enough. That's all that matters to her.

Chouji's been taking steps right to left, no longer leading her in circles. Aya doesn't even notice; she doesn't care. The music starts to fade, the lights dim. The couples surrounding Chouji and Aya give them wide berth, all standing around and gazing lovingly at the pair. Aya doesn't even notice; she doesn't care. Three different coloured spotlights shine onto Aya and Chouji. The music has stopped entirely, the room is silent, no one making a single noise to disturb the moment. Aya doesn't even notice; she still seriously doesn't care.

She's where she wants to be. That's enough.

Then Chouji stops moving altogether. Aya stops as well, but doesn't seem to notice. His heart is still beating for her; only for her.

He pushes her back, gazes lovingly into her brown-yellow eyes. "Namiki Aya." He begins, his booming voice echoing off the walls and finally drawing her attention to the situation. She pales, her eyes widen, and she no longer has any feeling in her face.

"Ch-chou...?" She sounds uncertain, frightened. Chouji finds himself smiling, finally seeing without a doubt that he is her weakness. This woman that's faced A and S-ranked shinobi without batting an eyelash. This woman that's conquered countries. This woman that stands next to the likes of Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto and doesn't feel small. This woman that brings him to his knees with little more than a glance.

As deeply as she affects him... he affects her. He finally sees that.

With the sudden revelation, he finds his courage, and he speaks the words he's been rehearsing for months. Though sometimes it feels like he's been rehearsing his whole life for this moment.

"Today. It's been a year since we started dating. A year since we declared to to our friends and family that we mean more to each other than friends that kiss now and again." If her body would react at all, she would blush. Instead, she stands there, her hands gently held captive in his. He sees how vulnerable she is, how vulnerable he makes her. Raw fear swims in her eyes, she can't predict him. She always gets so scared when she can't predict what he'll do next. "So today, before our clans, before our allies, I want to honour our anniversary. And I want to ask you something I've been dying to ask for some time now."

He slowly drops to one knee, bowing to her like the queen she is to him. Her hands start to shake. Tears start to fall. As he slowly looks up at her, he finds her far more fragile, more vulnerable, than he's ever seen her. He clears his throat, scared but more sure of this than anything.

"Aya." He says her name again, loving how rolls off his tongue. He gazes into her eyes, offering his fear to her, his love, his devotion. Offering the words that will forever make or break him: "Will you marry me?"

Her heart skips a beat. She... she can't believe this is happening. Words fail her, breathing is almost too much for her. Not know what else to do, she glomps him. The fall, together, him landing on the floor, her landing on him. She claims him lips, breathes new life, new hope, into him. Over and over, they kiss. His hands lay flat on her back; one on the small of her back, one between her shoulder blades. He gently clutches the kimono she's wearing, telling her with the simply action that he doesn't want her to ever go anywhere, begging her wordlessly to stay with him forever.

She wants to scream at the top of her lungs, let the Elemental Nations know that her answer is yes. She can't.

She can't speak at all.

She pulls back, her glasses start slipping from her face. He sees this, he just doesn't care. He's not letting her go, not now, not ever. He... he needs her right where she is.

She grabs her glasses, leans in, rests her forehead against his.

She nods. "Nn."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _Bonus Chapter 1_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: I'd planned and gushed over this scene ever since the chapter Sing For Me._**


	104. Bonus Content 1 – Namiki Aya

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Bonus Content 1 – Namiki Aya  
_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Aya was originally envisioned as a Byronic Hero (google it, it's fascinating). She began with an almost crippling social anxiety, unable to hold the most basic of conversations, and so much pain and anger in her heart. She honestly believed her parents were dead, that the village all but disowned them. And she hated people for that. This, of course, warred with her innate need for a pack, her need to be social, her need to be valued and needed. So even though she was almost narrow mindedly devoted to her self-appointed mission, to guard Naruto from the shadows, she refused to let anyone near her.

She put into words that she didn't want to hurt people with her death, and this is true. But she also didn't want to ever be hurt again.

Over the course of Butterflies, she was forced to face her ghosts, her fears, her shortcomings. Nara Yoshino is by far the biggest catalyst in this, even though I'm sure most assumed she was the catalyst that forced Hatake Kakashi to grow into the Team Leader his team needed him to be... and to an extent this is arguably true. But if you compare the changes in Kakashi to the changes in Aya? If you were to compare Aya from the first ten chapters, to Aya in the last ten?

In Aya's growth, during the worst of her growing pains, Aya changed people. It's true that Yoshino is Aya's catalyst, but Aya, in turn, is the catalyst for Naruto, Kakashi, Chouji, Ryuuzetsu, Hitomi, Kin, Ikoku, Yasu, Sakiko... etc. And yet, Aya cannot bring herself to see things that way. She would have died long ago if not for Naruto and Yoshino. So, she argues that she isn't responsible for any of those life altering moments, but a messenger... an extension of Naruto that saves people for him.

She isn't like that because she's humble. She isn't humble. At all. The humble bow to the lowest and crawl before the elite. Aya stands tall even when daimyos are trying to manipulate her, she doesn't give a damn and she's proud of that. So humility isn't the cause. She simply believes in the notion that everything that happens, everything she accomplishes, is the direct result of those that saved her. And though she only verbally credits this to Naruto, in her heart it's always been Yoshino, Ino, Chouji and Naruto. Had just one of these four failed her, she would have crumbled. That's why **Butterflies: She-Wolf** is such an intriguing Spin-off for me. Remove one of the four, what happens? How does the delicate being in her cocoon develop when you take away so critical an element from her?

That's how I planned this story, by the way. Stages of a butterfly's metamorphosis. It starts off in her caterpillar form, before Yoshino becomes Yoshino-sensei. Then she slowly starts wrapping herself in silk; the makeup, the dress. And she starts to change. Little changes at first, and it takes, in her opinion, far too long. But those little changes snowball into bigger and bigger and bigger changes. This continues until the chapter _A New Butterfly Unleashed_. Yes, it's a play on ANBU, but calling her a butterfly that first time was pivotal.

Which brings us to why the story is named **Butterflies** to begin with. Arguably, you could say that it's because of Chouji's name and Aya's fascination with butterflies. But, like naming anything in Japanese, names need to have an obvious and a hidden meaning. The obvious meaning is, of course, the name and the fascination. The hidden meaning is the change. To start off as something no one wants to be (a caterpillar), that no one wants to be with (a fat, ugly little bug), and to slowly grows into something, someone, that people would die for.

There's also a reason why wolves fit so well into this. The pack mentality. The core of the story –the moral, if you will– is that no matter what live brings us, we need to face it together. No matter the bond shared, no matter the trouble fate brings, it we face it together then we will make it. That's why Aya got a bit preachy when she was explaining what 'Namiki' really means. One single pillar cannot hold up a ceiling. No matter how strong the pillar is, pillars were meant to be surrounded by other pillars. Just as wolves are meant to be surrounded by other wolves. It's just the way it is.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _Bonus Content 1_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Starting to get a bit long winded :P I have a lot more to reveal, but... I need to hold something back in case you guys hit another hundred reviews ;)  
_**


	105. Deleted Scene 1 – Shika-Tema

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Deleted Scene 1 – Shika-Tema  
_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Troublesome." He mutters, wondering how he let this happen. He's lying in the Namiki compound's front yard, just watching the clouds. Life should be simple, watch clouds, play shogi. Simple. So why do females always seem to complicate things?

The current source of his frustration? Temari.

She decided, probably because his mother suggested it, to join him. To 'spend quality time'. You'd think that means she'd lie down close to him so they could talk, but far enough away for there to be to 'personal bubble invasion'. You'd think that she, being a foreign kunoichi and just as much against this arrangement, would try to keep a comfortable distance while they figure each other out.

You'd think wrong.

The first thing that went wrong was her deciding that he's warmer than the grass they lie on. So she lies next to him. Barely a centimetre separating them, kind of 'next to'.

The second thing is that, as is his custom, his hands are behind his head. This, of course, means that his elbows stick out slightly. Somehow this translates to 'free pillow' in girl-speak. So, his bicep got kidnapped and held for ransom. The price? He isn't sure, there's still no ransom note. He just knows from dealing with Aya that you don't interrupt 'cuddle time' when a girl's in the mood. And ESPECIALLY not a girl that happens to be a kunoichi!

The third thing, and this is working up to the real problem, is that he hears light snores. The blonde had the audacity to fall asleep on his arm! While, in itself, not a big problem, he's used to Aya. You don't wake Aya when she's sleeping, not if you like your life.

So the real problem? Shikamaru has to pee. He has to pee, and Temari isn't showing any sign that she's going to wake up anytime soon, and he doesn't want to wake her because so far she's proven herself to be every bit the kunoichi Aya is. He likes his life, even though it's troublesome sometimes. So, logically, he figures that if he moves, he'll wake her, she'll get upset, and she'll kill him. Not a nice outcome.

And then... things get worse. Temari shifts. Towards him. The side of her face is now comfortably on his shoulder, her breath (which isn't unpleasant, thank Kami-sama) is warm against his cheek and neck. And her leg tucks up onto him. Her knee now rests right on his bladder. It doesn't hurt, per se. But the added weight on an already overflowing bladder that is SCREAMING at him to empty itself, isn't helping at all.

He gently nudges the knee lower. Luckily the leg obliges, and her leg is now tucked between his legs.

"Troublesome." He mutters once again. He just can't seem to understand how females can be so consistently troublesome and yet the human race hasn't died out. That means that millions upon millions of males find something 'not troublesome' about said females, so much so that they consider relationships.

For the life of him, he can't figure out what. Even as his hand idly ghosts over her back. Even as his eyes study her angelic face. Even as he wonders about the trust it takes for her to feel comfortable enough to fall asleep in his arms. He can't process it. It's illogical. It makes no sense. And he fears for the day it starts to make sense.

He hears a camera shutter. Once. Twice. Going on ten times now. The giggling that follows isn't comforting at all. His mother. And his little sister. He identifies the words 'cute' and 'develop' one time too many. He narrows his eyes, starts trying to drown out the insanity that his life has suddenly become. He tries watching the clouds, to ignore that he hears giggling; now more than two sources of said giggling.

Why can't he be a cloud? Just floating on by, oblivious to the troublesome females of the human race.

"Troublesome." He mutters again. As if things weren't bad enough, her hand snakes up onto his chest. It lays there. Unmoving. Just, there, on his chest. He sighs. 'Female' and 'logic' have never had any relationship, not to him. They're emotional, and irrational, and...

"Nn... Shika...maru..." He blushes. She's dreaming about him? Why would she dream about him?

He really needs to pee.

 _ **8-8**_

 _ **End Deleted Scene 1**_

 _ **8-8**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: As things currently stand! Review count is:** _

_**Butterflies - 122  
Butterflies: Orange and Pink - 4  
The Butterfly Effect - 5  
Total: 131!**_

 _ **This is important because that means we're 69 reviews short of the next hundred mark! That's right! All reviews on all Butterflies' spin-offs and the sequel count in the total.**_


	106. Bonus Chapter 2 – Balancing Shadows

**_The Butterfly Effect  
_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Bonus Chapter 2 – Balancing Shadows_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

In the Hokage's office, things have been serene lately. Tsunade has her twins running around like nobody's business, finding that she quite enjoys the companionable chaos that comes with having her brats nearby. And what gorgeous little cuties they're turning into! Identical twin boys, with their father's birthmark and silvery hair, but their mother's looks. And they hate their father's perverted ways, utter prudes, both of them. Tsunade fears that might change when puberty hits, but... they are simply too shy and flustered around new faces, so she doubts it.

The beauty of this office's current setup, though, isn't that there's enough space for the twins to run around, it's the other desk and occupant of the office: Namiki Aya, the Sixth Hokage. Tsunade still isn't too happy with how that came about, but she's more than grateful with the status quo at the moment. If Tsunade wants to take a few days off, Aya can easily take over and will barely miss her, but the same is true the other way around. Frankly, they each have their own advisors and their own ways of doing things, but they never seem to disagree for long.

Aya is quite happy to explain her stance and will blatantly tell Tsunade when she's unwilling to budge on a topic. Tsunade is much the same. Interestingly, they never seem to be stubborn on the same thing. Things Aya is passionate about and dead set on making a reality, is usually something that Tsunade doesn't find too interesting, so she lets the younger Hokage run with it without too much of a fuss. And again, the opposite holds true as well. Other things, like medic trainings, both blonde and brunette are utterly devoted to. So there hasn't been a team in years that didn't have at least a Rank Four medic on it.

It's... refreshing.

"It's your birthday tomorrow." Tsunade offers, seemingly off the cuff. She's busy going over Sakura's proposal for a new wing at Konoha General, but she's gotten quite used to offering little bits and pieces of conversations now and again, just because she can. "You're turning twenty-one, aren't you?"

"How is that relevant?" Aya asks, going over the peace accord with Stone. The wrinkle between her eyebrows tells Tsunade that Aya isn't happy with it, at all.

"Well, seeing as that means today's your anniversary...?" Tsunade points out, wondering why she didn't take the day off.

"Chou begged off again this morning. That man never seems to remember that I enjoy spending the day with him." Aya sounds... pleasant enough, but Tsunade hears the annoyance in her tone anyway. "And no, Wolf, I do not want to hear about your opinion on the matter." There's a brief flicker just behind Aya; Hoshie's way of showing she's annoyed. "What about your... _husband_?"

Tsunade hears the 'good for nothing deadbeat' Aya really meant to say, but she doesn't like to speak ill of the twins' father in front of them. "Out with Minori and Haruki, as usual." Tsunade admits. "He should be back in a few weeks, I should think."

Aya offers a dull glare; _really?_ Tsunade shrugs, knowing the man promised his boys he'd be back soon, and he hates breaking his promises to them. "Hnn!" Aya obviously isn't very impressed, choosing to ignore Tsunade in favour of a document that seems to bother her even more.

"So when are you going to admit it?" Tsunade asks, smirking when Aya's hand shoots to her flat tummy.

"Auntie, you stalker." Aya grouses, blushing and looking away from her.

"You act as if this is the first time I've gone through this." Tsunade teases. "Does he know yet?"

"I doubt it. He's been all over the place lately. I swear the only time I even see him is when I drag him to bed so I can get some sleep." Aya complains, finally giving up on the stupid Stone thing. "Look, whatever. I'm heading out. You figure this stupid thing out, and if you don't like it, burn it. Stone pi... really upsets me." Her eyes flick to the twins, to show she's only behaving on their behalf.

Wordlessly, Wolf follows her sister, as do Crane and Koala. And Rabbit, but no one's too surprised that Sumi would sooner chew stones that let her lady go anywhere without her.

Once outside the office, Sakiko looks up, her eyes showing she isn't too happy with what she sees. Aya rolls her eyes, letting her secretary know that she's just in a mood and that it'll pass. Sakiko isn't buying it. "Tayuya, I think someone needs some fresh air, you think you can handle things around here without me?"

"Who the fuck you talking to? I've gone on S-rank missions solo, brat! I can handle a fucking desk job without you holding my hand!" Tayuya all but shoves Sakiko out of the way, happily burning pointless paperwork that has no value whatsoever, in her opinion. Just who keeps requesting higher quality toilet paper?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

In no mood to deal with people, Aya curses that she can't just disappear and skulk her way to wherever it is she feels like going. Instead, she has to (im)patiently wade through the crowds, talking to everyone that comes up to her. She's annoyed and emotional, but she loves her people. So she talks to everyone, even if only a few words, as she listens to well wishes and she smiles warmly to show she truly appreciates it.

Still, the only person she really wants to see is her oh so remiss husband. She's grateful to have her sisters, she's grateful to have Keito, Tsu and Sumi. She's grateful that the general populous of Konoha loves her, but... they aren't Chouji.

Unable to face people anymore, she ducks into a bakery and orders more chocolate than is probably healthy. Just her luck, the baby craves chocolate as badly as she does. Satsuma's going to have a fit when he finds out, and Aya knows Hoshie keeps him up to date on absolutely everything she eats and drinks. Four Anbu Operatives come out of the shadows just as Aya sits down.

Keito stands guard, knowing that there isn't a whole lot he can contribute, but he also casts a privacy jutsu so that he lady can... complain in peace? He isn't really sure what to make of pregnant women. Sometimes they're stalkerishly focused on their partner, sometimes they could happily disembowel them with a rusty spoon to show how supremely pissed off they are. Keito knows he can't figure it out, he doesn't try to. He lets the ladies figure themselves out, he'll just stand out of the warzone and warn others not to venture too close.

Aya bites into her chocolatey pastry, tears already streaming down her face even though she doesn't really understand why. She's just… all over the place; hormones are fun like that. And that she's quite an emotional person to begin with doesn't help that in the least. Hoshie is to her right, Ryuuzetsu to her left, both trying to calm her down, talk sense into her as gently as they can. Hoshie knows exactly what's going through her head, she's been down this road before, and she knows to remind her that Chouji's probably just out there planning something super sweet for her, just like the day they got married.

Ryuuzetsu is mostly focusing on wiping away Aya's tears. She's glad the woman at least didn't wear any makeup –that would make this so much worse, because nothing makes a woman feel more messed up that knowing she looks messed up– but she's still plenty worried, because Aya hasn't just upped and gone emotional basket case on her like this in years.

Something is bothering Aya. Well and truly, deeply, intimately bothering her.

Sakiko is pretty much of the same mind as Ryuuzetsu. So she's standing behind her sister, idly running her fingers through her hair and… letting her let it all hang out. Hoshie's pretty much mastered the art of cooling Aya down by now, the others know to soothe her physically, fret over her, let her know that she's alright… and mostly keep out of Hoshie's way as she gets to the heart of the matter.

Sumi is sitting down across from Aya, studying her lady's eyes. No matter how good her lady's poker face has gotten over the years, when she gets emotional, her eyes always tell the whole story. Always.

Aya's eyes speak of fear. Sumi doesn't understand it, at all. What could Aya fear so?

"Aya-nee, will you tell me what has you like this?" Hoshie announces she has Aya just logical enough to really start talking.

"I think Chou… he's…"

"You think he's having an affair?" Hoshie finishes. Aya nods, tears streaming down even more now.

They laugh.

Aya stares, shocked.

Sakiko kisses her sister once again, her giggles obviously announcing her amusement. "I'd believe a lot of things, but Chouji cheating on you?" Sakiko giggles some more. "That man worships the ground you walk on."

"Then why does he smell of another every time I see him?" Aya demands, hot tears showing she doesn't believe her fears are unfounded.

Hoshie sighs. "You just need to trust me, Aya-nee. It's not what you think."

"Trust you…?" Aya manages, wondering about that. She trusts her sister with her life every day.

"That's right. Trust me. Chou-nii tells me everything. I know the truth. And it isn't what you think. Just calm down, relax and trust me. I swear to you, everything will be alight."

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Bonus Chapter 2_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

 ** _A/N: A mean place to end it, but it shows what I want it to. Keep in mind, this just shows she's early in A pregnancy, not if this is her first or not. I was purposely vague, though I left a single clue in there if you pay attention._**

 ** _Also, as side note. This is a trailer for future events. Just like the engagement, in Bonus Chapter 1, this WILL happen. So you'll no doubt see what Chouji has up his sleeve ;)_**


	107. Bonus Content 2 – The story behind…

**_The Butterfly Effect_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Bonus Content 2 – The story behind the story_**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

A few things I want to handle in this round of Bonus Content. First off is a promise I made to explain Aya's uncanny willingness to give in to what people ask her to do.

There are actually quite a few factors at work here. First off is the blow to Aya's self-confidence. This happens to most (if not all) girls once they hit puberty, as such, Aya –who's already got way too much going on– deals with it poorly. I mean, if you know that the people around you can smell you when you're on your period? Smell when you're aroused? Smell when anything happens that most girls blatantly try to deny happens at all? It has a profound effect on Aya, and she copes with it poorly.

Then there's Aya's skittish way of dealing with things. She knows she's indecisive, so she simply finds it easier to let someone else decide, provided she can agree with it.

As well, we cannot entirely ignore that Aya's heritage –i.e. her wolven instincts and her pack mentality– are also playing a role. If she is somehow convinced that what she's being asked to do is for the good of the pack? That someone needs her to do this for them? Her instincts will crave to do it, so long as there is reason and it isn't detrimental to her pack (though not necessarily depending on it being detrimental to herself).

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Responses to CursedOne's reviews. Not because I'm petty (though I can be, why deny the truth), but because I stick to my word. Normally these rebuttals happen behind the scenes, where only the reviewer can read how I explain things, but this is what happens with every review. However, let me say that the obvious acidity of my responses are more to do with the increasingly condescending reviews of this particular reviewer. Seriously, if there's anything I can't stand it's someone that doesn't dare to post a story to put themselves out there, but trying to tell me what I'm doing wrong when I consistently show myself and allow myself to be vulnerable.

* * *

Review 1 ( **him** / _me_ ):

 **first thing first, english is not my native language or even my second language, so bear with my mistakes. And I was trying, really really hard to not post this but...** _Starting off bad here. Not because of English not being your first language, but if you were trying hard not to, then that means you're probably starting off in a bad place._  
 **when i found You and Butterflies for the first time I thought that I found something rare and worth waiting for.** _So sweet, yes Butterflies, like every story I make, is quite a gem in my not so humble opinion. I don't like to start writing unless I feel the story is worth telling._ **You created realistic person, Aya, Aya who could feel pain, hatred, sadness, weakness and the list go on. I was thrilled. You made a real person in fictional and unreal world, someone who even I could understand.** _If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right._ **Then the changes started.** _Sweetie, that's how life goes. Things start one way, you grow, it changes. How is this not meeting your yardstick?_ **At first I was happy with how the story progressed, because it would be strange for someone from Yamanaka clan to not realise that Aya had problems. Especialy when said yamanaka spend a lot of time with said person in school in the same room. It would be strange for said yamanaka to not act to help in some way. Aya who reacted to kakashi tardines and unwilingnes in the only possible for normal person way.** _Blinks. Okay._ **It was somewhere there when I decided that this story has the biggest potential that I've ever seen.** _This is where I start getting a bit nervous. It isn't up to me on which pedestal you put me on, but don't praise me with one breath, then slay me in the next. Change is part of life and, as such, integral in my writing. Not one of my stories allows for my characters to begin and end the story in exactly the same way. That's not only illogical, it's unrealistic._  
 **Sadly now in my personal opinion said potential was wasted (yes, I know, my opinion is not important here, and i'm sorry that I feel this way).** _Hnn? I'm glad we agree that your opinion is important to you, but seriously, I nearly peed myself laughing here._ **You created even more crazy and unreal (i would even say dissney) world.** _Again, Aya begging to be bent over and fucked? The countless times she's torn through enemies, collected heads, been THOROUGHLY unreasonable? I'd pay to watch a Disney movie where the 'princess' is anything like this._ **Asami, this I can understand, Naruto forgiving her as well because this was his nature from the very begining,** _Starting rather rocky here. And really, it says more about you than it does about me that you even view it this way._ **heck even Aya forgiving for kakashi was expected. BUT... seriously her godmother?** _You're absolutely right! Forgiving someone that fucked up YEARS later when they obviously need emotional support? How unrealistic! Que dramatique!_ **her biological parents?** _Uh huh. This is so wrong of her to not continue to be a snot-nosed brat! How DARE Aya try to let go of the hurt and anger and impotent hatred that has been eating away at her for YEARS! Especially when the source of that hatred –i.e. her not wanting to do the missions she does – is finally coming to an end, in her opinion._ **Mei who robbed her of her family?** _Mei who housed her wayward parents, you mean?_ **Sakura?** _Who, even now, isn't forgiven or even liked by Aya._ **girls in age of, what 17? 18? wanting to already create families of their own and having multiple children?** _And six year olds living on their own, paying their own bills. Don't base your 'real world' expectations with the in universe 'reality' I work with._ **(And most important... chouji, guy who does not want have sex with the person HE LOVE... what the fu... xd)** _And that is the EXACT reason I wrote Chouji like that. Because everyone likes to portray the guy as a mindless fuck machine that wants only to screw everything that walks. Why can't a guy want to wait? I know guys that ACTUALLY live this way. On purpose, CHOOSING to wait until they are ready to make love to their partner. Nothing wrong with that, just because YOU are not like that._ **Even original Naruto from the show was more realistic.** _I believe I already rebutted your version and brand of reality. Moving on._ **And then, there is Aya personality, you forced her to take 180 degries turn. Who she was at the begginig and now are two entirely difrent persons. Its like you put some other Aya in place of the one from butterflies. What You have done to her is not possible in normal world (yea, i know, that IS a fanfiction).** _So, you're saying that Aya is supposed to not change? And who's to say that the change is bad? Maybe the Aya that you've come to know is actually the clutter life threw at her, and the source of that clutter, the pain, the hatred, the anguish, maybe that is slowly leaking away. That would PSYCHOLOGICALLY allow for the TRUE Aya to shine through that has been there all along. This isn't only realistic, it's actually perfectly sound from a psychological standpoint._ **Another problem are kids... yes, kids. They are everywhere, and every single one of them is prodigy.** _Wow. This one had me scratching my head. You know that there are degrees of intelligence? That not everyone is brilliant, average or stupid? The kids are all consistently being offered the guidance and teachings that they'd need to grow. And you want to blame me for allowing them to grow? I'll grant that they aren't all equally realistic, but… Prodigy? Prodigy is a word I don't throw around lightly. But trust me, that of the bunch… MAYBE Hoshie could be seen as a prodigy. Maybe. The others are all simply being given a vent for things they are trying to run away from._ **they jump up from nowhere and start showing that they can do everything. Kids at 8-9 graduating from the academy? that in anime was the proof of being prodigy, and even there, there was less of them than in this story.** _Oh? So, Kakashi at age 6 being a chuunin? Oh, right, prodigy. But… Shikamaru being too lazy to graduate early? Oh, prodigy. Hmm, what about Sasuke undeservingly being top of the class? He's showing off, nothing more. He's given every chance to shine. And yet...? What about Shino? Do you think he could have pulled it off? Graduating early? What about Ino? She probably stayed in that class simply because she wanted to be near Sasuke. The entire graduating class was FILLED with what you would identify as 'prodigies', after all, not ONE of them died in the 4th World War. So how do you blame me for this, exactly?_ **It's like: Oh! new kid, here you have flute, guitar or some other music instrument, play and cast sound jutsu! And here, take this kodachi, wield it. Oh, you needed a whole week of training your body, mind and learnig how to play with sleep and meals between to actually succed? Don't worry, you just need some more time than the rest. At least you could succesfully use your new blade after 2 days of trainig, that's something. And lets not forget about the faxt that you unlocked your chakra and discovered your elemental affinity;** _Yeah, except Sakiko took what… six months to cast her first sound release based genjutsu? Playing the piano is simply a lot easier, so Hoshie got away with that, given that playing Mariah Carey's Hero isn't all that hard, and that I didn't even comment on her doing it well or not. People are drunk and enjoying their evening, who cares? Other than that, what do you think happens after practicing something for a while? That you don't get better?_ **  
every single kid, with no exception** _Ohs noes! Kids are learning! NO! MAKE IT STOP!_  
 **Aya and her home. Butterflies - only the chosen ones have an honor to went into namiki hosehold, 50 chapter forward, oh, are you in ANBU? I'm sorry you are hurt, come to my house  
The butterfly effect - oh, I met you twice and you smell fine so come one** _Aya, in the beginning of Butterflies was abnormally paranoid, needing to identify everything that moved. As she grew stronger and smarter, she learned which people pose a threat based on their scent (strength) and their personality (only those she is allowed to study in neutral territory get this treatment). This is called personal growth._

 **I feel horrible for saying all of that (no, seriously no, i write about what i see) so at the end to finish with good aspect of the story i have to say that i love your way with Danzo.** _Coincidently my most hated character to write._ **We all know that he is a militarian, and we all know that people like him are important. You just need to be the one in control of them. Aya know about Danzo and ROOT but does not interfere, because she know that Konoha needs him. But at the same time You showed us that Danzo is not all bad.** _Danzo is the definition of bad news. Even in my story. He plays along because he sees gain for the sake of Konoha, this doesn't make him a good person. In fact, you shouldn't assume he isn't a complete douche even now._ **He realized that Aya is important to his village, she bring to them more power. He doesn't want to control her, he try to protect her.** _I call bullshit on this. He knows he CAN'T control her, not the same thing. He tried, she flipped him off. He's intrigued, maybe._ **He KNOW HER WORTH.** _That I can agree with._ **With the way the story progresED she would be the only one acceptable as a Hokage to him. She demand respect and she gets it. Her home within Konoha is a stronghold within stronghold.** _Again, that I can agree with._

 **So yes, that's about it (even if i'm sure that i fogot about few things), I feel better now.** _*Pats you on the back*_

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Review 2:

 **Yeah, that would be interesting, but unfortunatly they can't put such a scen in a film for kids. In an adult version that would probably happened :D** _This is referring to my 'bend her over and fuck her comment. Yeah, no, I don't ever seeing that happening in a Disney movie._ **  
But besides that? Aya and her pack don't have big problems and hardships. Everything they encauntered this far is not threatenig towards them. Everything goes right and never wrong when they show up, they always find an answer that they seek, and they do it abnormally fast.** **There is no supreem threat. Even situation with cloud is not something important and dangerous. With the power they posses? Easy thing. Only war would be something unpredictable and big when you add akatsuki into the picture. And yet it would be boring because you have all important characters on one side and on the other all the villians put together: cloud, stone, akatsuki. Okey, maybe i'm exaggerate but You made it all look so easy to them. With Sound as a example, Orochimaru was gatering freaks upon freaks, and yet in all that Arc there was nothing threatenig. You only mentioned Jugo who in Anime traded few blow with RAIKAGE  
and deidara... the most epic person, died as a first one T.T **_Okay, I'm just going to take this all in one swing. There are two kinds of conflict: internal and external. Aya's entire LIFE is rife with internal conflict. Just because you're looking for this ultimate badass fight or her burning down half the Elemental Nations, does not mean Aya's going to get that. Since this review has been posted, Aya's shown that she PURPOSELY avoids those exact fights, because she DOESN'T WANT TO FIGHT. A clear cut sign pointing towards an internal conflict. If I wanted my story to revolve around this, I'd announce the story as 'Action' genre, not [Adventure/Friendship]. But, maybe that's just me. As for Deidara? Someone had to die first. As seeing as Aya's attack tactic is mostly assassination based, I think it's fairly easy to argue that she tries to take out people as efficiently as possible. But… maybe that's just my cutesy feminine logic working against me. -_-_

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Review 3:

 **I wrote this on the phone so there may be much more mistakes or weird words. Sorry** _*blinks* oka~aaaay…_

 **Hmm, you don't understand my point of view but thats something i was expecting with taking into acount my poor english. I have problems with putting into the words what i think and we misunderstand each other. My foult.** _Understanding and agreeing aren't the same. I understand where you are coming from, but I disagree with you. My greatest issue with you is that you come across as condescending. And that isn't something I take well to._

 **But yes, I say that Aya have it easy now. I realize that in the begginig of the story the shit was hitting the fan almost all the time. And she was working hard for it to work. And in my point of view by comparison she have it easy now.** _Please refer to my internal and external conflicts comment from the previous review. Just because you do not identify the severity of the internal conflict, does not mean it is not there._

 **Why i am anonymus? In my mother language fanfiction practicaly doesn't exist. Almost no one takes interest in it. So there is no point to bother with writing when no one read your work and no one make you realise your mistakes, and there is no room for progres.** _So making a profile means you have to write?_ **I have a lot o ideas for fanfic, but there is nothing to do with them. Here in section with english language there is a ton of readers and writers, but my proficiency with english is as i said poor. I'm unable to make them work. So i simply don't have an acount here. But if you want, i can give you my e-mail.** _And how, pray tell, will I get said e-mail address? Are you going to leave it in a review? And as for your ideas? Why not pitch them to someone so they can work it out? Or why don't you try to write it out in English and have someone correct your mistakes and teach you how it works in English? The basis for a good story isn't the language, it's the ability to convey an idea, not the ability to write pretty words._ **Or if you wish i can hold back my tongue and say nothing as i was from the begining to this point. Heh beginig, you had only 3 chapters in butterflies when i found you :D** _I… really don't know how to respond to this. I'm tempted to say that little things like "Loved the chapter" or "I can't believe that happened" might offer something. I'm glad you enjoyed my stories, but seriously, check your tone when writing. Because the way you come over to me is, again, condescending._

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Last review:

 **And i say that you blowed my mind right now. Yes you were hinting at the fact that she is unstable but the moment inoichi got to see that she should be forcefully removed from shinobi corps, have removed rights to lead namiki clan and be forced onto intense yamanaka care, along with separating her from the young ones.** _Ah, yes. Because there are no other jounins with the same problem? Like Kakashi, Gai, Anko, Ibiki… In a world where this is the norm, all you can do is learn to roll with it._ **With something like that she is unable to do anything. You said so yourself, her situations is so extraoridinary that even yamanaka clan doesn't understand what is going on in her head. No one know what to expect from her and lets not forget that she have knowledge about vilage secrets and is extremly powerful. She can one day woke up and decide to fuck this shit and go frenzy. (Wolves fights among each other, they can kill their packmates and leave young ones to die)** _Quite right. Now, what about Tsunade? Drunk, gambler, and yet the Hokage? Hmm? Maybe you should look at the world as it is. Everyone's a little crazy, some just happen to wear their craziness on their sleeve._ **  
You made yet anotherone big turn with her psyche and personality. What you were hinting and what you showed us is like to compare a deskrol or bike to a truck or train.** _Or… maybe that there is more to her than you see? Go back over the whole story, read between the lines. It's been there the whole time._  
 **I know that is not what you intended to do and you interprete (?) this completly different than me, but thats my opinion. Probably i'm the only one who think that way but still** _No, lots of people think the same way, it's just that I'm subtle with my writing. Even Seto (my Beta) doesn't know the subtle twists I plan into my stories. I love reading stories like that. Where if you read the whole thing the second time around, and REALLY look at the little bits and pieces, you see a whole other level to each interaction. Where you see the subtleties of the inner conflicts on plain view the whole time, but simply never noticed. I write what I love to read. Nothing more._ **  
I'm sad, really sad because i have different point of view and i simply don't get what you are trying to show us here. If that is the way you intend to go i will have to unfortunatly leave this fic because its too frustrating. It pains me because i really liked your work, but now i just dont get it and cant agree with this :(. Its too much. I wont annoy you anymore** _Ah yes. "I disagree with you. Goodbye!" Uh huh. Seriously? Dude. I'm not going to miss you at all. If you do not like my work, don't read it. Simple. I'm not going to sit here and beg you to stay when you want to leave. I'm more worried about my pathological need to explain myself than I am about having a disagreement with your point of view. In fact, I think I'll quote Aya's inner-bitch for you: They always gotta bitch and moan and monologue, like their version of reality is the shit and we're missing out. Congrats, CursedOne, you're exactly the kind of person I (Aya) was talking about._

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Bonus Content 2_**

 ** _8-8_**

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 ** _A/N: Seeing as I still want to post other things I still wanted to talk about, but don't want to drag this out, I might (but then again, I might not) post another Bonus Content chapter. Or I might just wait for the next hundred reviews. We'll see._**


	108. Deleted Scene 2 – Yasu and Sakiko

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Deleted Scene 2 – Yasu and Sakiko_**

 ** _WARNING! This starts off a bit intense and contains hints at rape, child abuse, child molestation and suicidal ideation. It starts in the bandit camp before Aya rescues the two focal points of this chapter._**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Hell. That's what this place is, hell. Sakiko is only five years old. She tries to, but she doesn't understand. Why do they keep hurting her? Why is she treated like a human toilet? She sees the others get treated the same way, but somehow they don't seem to be in the same amount of pain as her. Maybe it's because she's so small?

Sakiko doesn't understand.

What she knows is that she's bleeding _down there_. She knows that the man was harsh and brutal in doing whatever it is that the men do to her. She knows that her insides feel like they were being torn apart. Even as she's crushed under her latest attacker. Even as he jerks back and forward. Even as things happen that make absolutely no sense to her. All she understands is that it hurts. It hurts so bad.

"Shh, shh, shhhhhh." Sakiko hears her Yasu-nee, feels her petting her hair, feels her trying to heal the broken pieces of her soul… Sakiko just… doesn't understand.

Yasu, on the other hand, does. She understands what these beasts do to the poor girl. How odd, that Yasu can't bring herself to die. Oh, she's found the means, she's planned the execution. But… she can't. She can't let Sakiko live on without her, the poor girl has no one to help her, to save her, to live for her. So Yasu offers what's left of her sanity to the girl.

She's… she's just a little girl. She's but five years old. She doesn't deserve this fate.

Not that Yasu can stand her family for selling her to these curs. Oh, she remembers perfectly the name she was taught was her own. Her clan's name, its long history. She's sooner fall in love with her latest 'lover' than recite one word of that drivel.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Are you hurt?" Yasu stares. She stares. A girl, no older than thirteen, just slaughtered the bandits. All of them. And Yasu can't even say she saw any of it. All Yasu remembers is playing with her little brother. Watching him scrape his knee, holding him as he cries from the pain.

"N-no." Yasu manages. Is this a dream, too? Will Yasu wake up in the morning, only to find another unwashed wretch forcing her legs wide as they take that which she has never willingly offered?

"You're safe." The girl tells her. Yasu stares. Stares at the girl, her slight frame, her glasses that make her seem rather bookish. "Are you cold?"

Yasu shakes her head, no. Her movements are jerky, uncertain, frightened. She… she can't make sense of any of this. At all. Then she feels Sakiko tugging on her rags. Yasu looks down, her grey eyes taking in the little girl as she smiles. "She killed them." Sakiko says, sounding way too happy about that. "She got 'em good, too!"

"Yeah, I kind of did." Their rescuer says, smiling. "Listen up, everyone! I want you all to stay together, okay!? I don't want to take any chances if there's any bandits that I haven't noticed! If you see something that you don't trust, please let me or the masked idiot with me know! I swear to you, we will protect you with our lives!"

Yasu blinks away the tears. Someone that will protect her with her life? Someone that saved her from the hell that this place represents?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Though it takes a while, eventually those rescued are taken to Konoha. Yasu begs Naruto –who reminds her so much of her little brother– for one last hug, hoping that she'll see both him and Aya again soon.

How odd. These past weeks should have been the worst of her life. She's been bathing in cold, dirty river water. She's still wearing the exact same clothes as she has been for the past few months. And yet… Yasu cannot remember ever being this happy.

Konoha, as far as Yasu can tell, seems to be the place where her dreams might well come true. So, as she watches the two that have shown her that this world isn't quite as cursed as she was led to believe walk away… she prays that they will continue to change the world for the better. Even if it's just for one more person. Even if it's just their warm smiles. Yasu feels she owes them both a debt that will never truly be repaid.

Sakiko stays at Yasu's side, just where Yasu needs her. They answer all the questions they can, grateful these men are kind and respectful. One of them shows them to their new home, and offers Yasu an envelope with money, explaining that she'll get more or less the same amount every week, but it won't be enough to live a lavish life. Yasu doesn't need to, she's quite happy living a free life, away from those thrice-damned bandits now rotting away in whatever hell they deserve.

Yasu decides immediately that she can earn her own keep, so she sets out, money in hand, in search of work. There simply isn't enough money to buy an outfit, they only have enough to pay for food, really, so she hopes that the people here will allow her a curtesy and hire her on her credentials, not her outfit.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Yeah. No. The civilians of Konoha are no different from the civilians anywhere else. They take one look at Yasu and turn her down. It was hard the first ten times. But it's going on seven in the evening, most of the businesses are closed, so she decides to try a convenience store that seems to be open twenty-four hours a day.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm looking for work. Would your store happen to-"

"We don't deal with vagrants." Comes a cold response. Yasu wishes this surprised her, but really… this is as familiar to her as it is depressing.

"Hello, Yasu-san, Sakiko-chan." They turn to the familiar voice, shocked. Namiki Aya, their saviour, just standing there with a little smile on her face. Sakiko jumps into her arms not a moment later though. She smiles a little wider. "I take it you have somewhere to stay?" She ask, wondering at the sad state they're still in.

"Aya-san! It's so good to see you. What are you doing here?" Yasu asks politely. She has to fight back the tears, not quite being able to put into words just how she feels. There's the intensity of her gratitude that she no longer wakes up to another… scene? There's the frustration of not being able to find work because of her state of dress, which Aya herself seems quite annoyed with. There's… so many things conflicting with each other.

"Just picking up some small things. We kind of have a lot to do at home, you know?" Aya says vaguely. "By the way, would you two care to join us for dinner? I mean, it wouldn't be any trouble."

Sakiko's tummy rumbles at the thought of food. She turns a pretty red, clearly embarrassed about that. "That would be lovely. Thank you." Yasu bows, trying to hide the tears at Aya coming to her rescue once again – though Yasu doubts the girl will see it quite that way. "You say 'we'? Are you here with someone?" Yasu isn't quite sure why she asks that. Maybe the need to say something? To change the subject? To hide her undeniable shame at forgetting the time and not seeing to Sakiko's dinner?

"Uzumaki-san, naturally." Aya says smiling at the blonde taking out another pack of instant ramen, just in case. Yasu follows her eyes, finding Naruto there as well. He seems quite focused on picking up something extra.

"Ah, of course." Yasu smiles. When Naruto comes over with their things, he hands them to the shopkeeper. He looks at Naruto a little funny –which confuses Yasu, but she says nothing about that– Aya glares at him, he knows not to make a scene.

"Sakiko-chan, please do not do that." Yasu-san says, noticing the redhead's gaze on a pack of chocolate. She's longing for them, which Yasu understands, but that isn't proper.

"Don't worry about that, Sakiko-chan. I have plenty of chocolate we're already buying. And after dinner, I'll share some with you, okay?" Again Yasu is struck by Aya's… strength of character. To be so caring and giving and willing to tend to a girl she rightly barely knows? Yasu is almost to the point of tears once again.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Yasu is once again struck by the generosity of her young hosts. Aya heads off into the kitchen to cook, even as she allows Sakiko to run around and play freely. Yasu sees Naruto playing with her, sees the joy in his eyes that easily matches the redhead's.

Only, she cannot bring herself to sit idly by and be served. Not when she owes everything to her hosts. So she enters the kitchen and offers a hand. Yasu sees the gratitude in Aya's eyes, but not for the offer of help… if Yasu had to guess, she'd quicker say that Aya enjoys the company – which Aya also admits to.

Yasu washes her hands and starts chopping the vegetables, making small talk with Aya as she goes. Nothing important, mostly just asking what's on the menu, what she likes to eat, that sort of thing.

Aya starts telling her funny little stories about her brother, about their team and the wacky adventures they've gone on. Yasu listens, laughing every now and again at how Naruto and Aya seem to live like cat and dog, constantly fighting about little things, but like a true brother and sister they would fight and die for each other. Yasu finds herself admiring the pair even more.

Then Aya asks Yasu to have Naruto and Sakiko wash their hands for dinner, just like any mother would. Yasu finds that she can't quite see Aya as a little girl anymore. She's a young woman in a small body, nothing less.

Dinner is… wonderful, in Yasu's opinion. She hadn't quite realised just how much she and Aya prepared, they were so busy talking. It's more than enough for Sakiko to have seconds and even thirds. And, as promised, Aya shares her chocolate with Sakiko for dessert.

Yasu studies the contented little smiles on them both, just as Naruto heads into the kitchen to warm up some ramen? He still has room!? He ate as much as Aya did! And THAT says something!

However, Yasu quickly discovers that ramen to Naruto, is chocolate to Aya – they'll **make** room for it. Once everything is eaten, Naruto starts to collect the dirty dishes. Yasu stares in shock. "What?" Naruto asks, obviously feeling a little self-conscious. "It's only fair. Aya cooks, so I wash."

"C-can I help?" Yasu offers once again. She… she can't even begin to understand the humble attitude of her saviours. And really, these two have done nothing but save Yasu and Sakiko over and over again.

"It's fine, Yasu. You helped cook, too. I can pull my own weight around her, 'ttebayo!" Naruto tries turning her down, but Yasu stubbornly starts collecting dishes anyway.

"It's no trouble, Naruto-san, I assure you. After all, you were gracious enough to invite us into your home." Yasu insists. Naruto shrugs, seeing no reason to argue further.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

After the dishes are washed, rinsed, dried and carefully put away, Yasu finds Sakiko in the family sitting room, happily patting her distended tummy. Sakiko probably ate more tonight than she has in the last week combined. Yasu silently prays the girl won't get sick, but she's still quite happy to see the quiet acceptance that hell is in the past.

"Where is Aya-san?" Yasu asks. Sakiko points upwards, still rubbing her tummy and grinning like she's finally gone off the deep end. "You look like you're quite happy."

"We're in paradise." Sakiko coos dreamily. "Aya-nee… she… she understands more about chocolate than I ever will." Yasu finds herself laughing at that.

Yasu shakes her head and makes Sakiko promise not the throw up, but the girl just keeps patting her tummy happily, the smile never leaving neither her lips nor her eyes.

Yasu finds Aya in the bathroom, sorting through a mountain of dirty clothes. And Aya… she… Yasu can't quite process what's going on. Aya is offering a mountain of clothes to her. By some weird coincidence, the smaller clothes should easily fit Sakiko, and the lady's clothes are Yasu's size! And Aya is… offering it all to Yasu. For no reason other than that it'll fit.

She's blown away. Utterly lost. She can't begin to process this. First she saves them from hell, then she takes them into her home, and Naruto-san is all but demanding that they spend the night as well. Yasu is… she… "I understand. But… please, is there some way to repay you?" She begs, fighting back the tears. Aya's been nothing but an angel, Yasu simply cannot allow herself to take advantage of her like this.

"Yes. Be there for Sakiko-chan." Aya says. "She's about the age I was when I lost mama, seeing her happy, knowing someone's taking care of her…" She trails off, unwilling to continue.

Yasu understands, if only a little, why this amazing young lady is as she is. She understands what it is to have life kick you to the curb, to have your dreams shredded inside you. The urge to mother her is almost overwhelming, but Yasu doesn't doubt that things won't be that simple. She can't just take this lost little girl into her arms and tell her the things she deserves to hear. "That goes without saying, Aya-san. Hmm. Would you mind if I come here tomorrow and help you around the house?" She offers instead.

And after a bit more back and forth, Aya also demands that Yasu and Sakiko spend the night. Then and there, Yasu swears that she will do everything to help Aya and Naruto, that she will dedicate her life to making their lives better, to love them, to coddle them as much as they will allow.

After all… Yasu doesn't doubt for a second that if they hadn't saved her… it wouldn't have taken so much another month in that bandit camp to break her mind and soul entirely. After that, it would only be a matter of time before she took her own life.

Yet, here, in their home, in their haven from the cruelty of the world… Yasu sees something, finds something, she never thought she'd find again: love. And for someone as battered and broken as Yasu and Sakiko… that is all they can ever hope for.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End Deleted Scene 2_**

 ** _8-8_**

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 ** _A/N: This never made it into the original plot, because I thought it was a little too dark. But this is the story behind Yasu and Sakiko, this is the tale they never wanted to tell. And why they are so fiercely loyal to Aya and Naruto.  
_**


	109. Interlude 14 – Chocolate

**_Butterflies_**

 ** _"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!_**

 ** _Interlude 14 – Chocolate_**

 ** _This Interlude is dedicated to Sparkysbro, for reviewing so faithfully ^_^ I hope you enjoy it, even if it's a bit... depressing._**

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Standing here, looking out at the people. I hate them, all of them. I hate them for smiling. I hate them for forgetting all that mama and papa did to keep them safe – not that I know what that is, but that's beside the point. I hate them.

They didn't bury either of them. They didn't carve their names in that funny shaped stone. Mama and papa are just… gone. Like a dream, and everyone but me woke up.

It's my birthday. I'm six. I should be happy today. I should be dancing around the family sitting room with papa. I should smell mama cooking breakfast. I should be getting sp… spoi… spooled? I should be getting spooled rotten!

There should be gifts… and cake… and warm smiles… and mama telling me not to eat so much.

All I got was 'don't you go hurting anyone today, you hear?'. No happy birthday. No cake. No presents. No nothing. Just another day. And I hate them all for it.

I hate them all.

"What are you doing?" I turn to the voice. Naru. "If we don't head back soon, matron's not gonna save us nothing to eat, 'ttebayo!"

What do I care. Stupid matron. "Come on, Aya-chan. You don't want me to go back alone do you?" He asks. I sigh. Fine.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We make it back in time to eat. But fr… fre… frumply I hate this food. The rice is dry and hard. There's no meat – something about us not needing meat to live. And the… white… thing… isn't even cooked.

The others look just as 'happy' about this. That means there's gonna be a fight. Someone's gonna say or do something stupid. And they're gonna pick on Naru, like always. And I'm gonna end up breaking another nose. Maybe I'll go for an arm this time? Yeah. Never brook an arm before!

"Hey, freakazoid!" And that's my cu… que! I turn, finding one of the big idiots shoving Naru. "What do you think you're doing, huh? Eating up all our food! It's 'cause of you they don't have the money to buy us proper food, you know!"

"Yeah, well whatta I care!" Naru stands up to him. I nod, ap… appro… liking that. A punch, right in Naru's cheek. Thanks. I don't need more.

I pounce! I kick out his knees, brings the idiot down to my height, and I wa… whale on him! Six. Ten. Fifteen pr… pra… good punches! His eyes look funny, like he can't fo… fa… frackus anymore!

The other pups are all screaming, crying for me to stop. Funny, they never cry when Naru's getting picked on. Or maybe it's me being covered in his blood? He's bleeding pretty bad. Not that I care! Stoopid idiot shouldn't pick on my Naru!

"THAT DOES IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" M-m-m-m-matron? "YOU! GO GET HOKAGE-SAMA! **NOW!** "

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

And just like that. Kicked out. Hokage-chan is nice enough to give me somewhere to live, but… "Aya-chan, I have a favour to ask." He says, sitting on the couch in my a… appa… in my sitting room. "Naruto lives right across the hall from you." I nod to show I get it. He hands me a key. "I want you to let me know when he needs something."

I nod again, taking the funny key. I have a key, too. I'd better mark the stoopid things so I know them apart… can told them apart… sigh. Stoopid words.

"Do you understand what I'm asking you to do?" I nod. "Will you do it?" I nod again. "Why won't you speak to me?" I shrug. I don't like ta talk. Everyone makes fun a me! "Very well, child." He hugs me, scoops me up into his arms. "Happy birthday, Aya-chan."

I nod. I don't feel a thing. Not happy. Not sad. Not mad. Nothing. This… this is the man that should have buried mama and papa. This is the man that should have their names put on the funny stone thing. He didn't. I don't care if he knows it's my birthday.

He sighs. He puts me down. "Just remember what I said. Come to me if either you or Naruto needs anything. Okay?" I nod, but I know I won't. He didn't bury my mama and papa. He won't care if we need anything. I'll take care of Naru on my own.

"Did you want to join the academy? Naruto will be going in October." I think about that. I nod. Better to make sure he's safe while he's there. Not that I care about what that stooped place is.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"Well, well, well… look who we have here! It's the little demon!" I hear them. I see my Naru, he looks scared. I'm not allowed to start trouble… mama'll get mad. But if he hits my Naru? No one I love will get mad.

"What's it to ya!?" Naru asks. He's trying to be brave, but I smell that he's scared. I dunno how, but I do.

"You little…!"

"Is there a problem here?" A tall fat man with funny red hair and squiggles on his cheeks walks up, a little boy that kinda smells like him on his shoulder.

"A-Akimichi-dono! N-no! N-n-n-no problem!" The three idiots go away, after saying a bunch a things that make no se… cents.

"You alright, kid?" The man asks. He's nice.

"Yeah, yeah… thanks." Naru runs off. He smells like he's crying. I'll check if he has enough to eat later. He likes to eat more ramen when he gets upset.

"And what about the little guard, then?" The man turns to me. "You were keeping an eye on him, weren't you." I walk out of the funny smelling street, out of the shadows. I nod. "That's very nice of you, but shouldn't you be getting home?" I shrug. "… You're Miwako's girl, aren't you? Aya-chan?"

I shrug again, but nod. It's nice to know that some people remember mama. "Daddy?"

"Oh, sorry, Chouji-kun. Come on, you should introduce yourself. After all, she might be one of your classmates at the academy." The fat man puts the boy down. He looks a ner… nerve… shy.

"H-hi… I'm Akimichi Chouji." He doesn't look at me. And his cheeks are all red, and not just 'cause of the squiggly things on them.

"A-Aya." I say. Probably the first word I've said since mama died.

WRRRRRR!

Stoopid tummy! I know! I'mma get you food!

He laughs a little. "It sounds like your tummy's hungry." He laughs a little again. I glare at him, warning him that I'm not in the mood. "Hold on… daddy just got me something… maybe you'll like it, too." He pats his shirt a few times, before taking out something. "I don't really like it… too bitter." He hands it to me.

I blink, looking at the thing… I remember that! I remember him!

"Ch-chouji…" I say. Yes. I remember him! If only a little. It was the day they took me to matron. I ran into him, because I was crying and didn't look where I was going. He gave me something just like this… but I was too busy crying to and by the time I remembered I had it… it was all mushy and yucky!

He smiles, still blushing. "It's chocolate. Pure chocolate. I think it tastes a little funny, but maybe you'll like it?"

I move slow. I take the thing. If he did something to it…! He's right here, so if it tastes funny I can always break his nose.

I unwrap it. I take a bite.

…

Tears.

It… it's good. So good.

"Cho…co…late?" I test the new word, wondering about it.

"Uh huh. You can have it. I think it tastes funny." He says again.

"Hnn? Looks to me like you love it." The fat man says. Love? Is this what love tastes like? I… I can almost remember something… this taste… snow… being warm… there's a fuzzy pic-a-chure in my head, but I dunno how to make cents of it.

"Th-thank you." I kiss the boy on the cheek, before I run off. There's a funny feeling in my tummy, but it's not 'cause of the cho-co-late. I don't think so…

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 ** _End_** ** _Interlude 14_**

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 ** _A/N: The point of this was only to show Aya's first taste of chocolate. But honestly, if I'm going to show that, I need to show why it affects her so deeply, why this is the reason she developed a crush on Chouji so young, and who she was at the time to really give a complete picture. And just a heads up guys! 10 more reviews for more bonus content!  
_**


	110. Bonus Chapter 3 – Too soon?

**_The Butterfly Effect_**

 ** _"My pack? You make it sound like I'm some kind of leader. I am not a leader. I merely know what I value in this world, and to keep it safe I will weather any hurricane, hunt you down, and kill you. Questions?" Continuation of 'Butterflies'. Character death, Anbu operations, gratuitous violence and some adult situations. May change to M rating._**

 ** _ ** _Bonus Chapter 3_** – Too soon?  
_**

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Me. Five others. Staring. Lots of staring. Well, from one person. A rather disbelieving stare, too. Three others are mostly amused, and the last is pretty impassive – he's a samurai, so that's no great surprise to me. "Something on my face?" I ask.

"No, Imouto-chan. Just amused you didn't see this coming." Gaara offers. His Kazakage hat is placed neatly in front of him, his hands folded, his fingers intertwined and his usual little smile on his lips. I sometimes wonder why his smiles never get any bigger than that.

"I'd have to agree with Gaara-sama. Everyone knew you'd get picked." Mei says, smiling. Her eyes twinkle with delight to show she really is amused right now. Her Mizukage hat is elegantly placed before her, her hand in kept in her lap in case she has to hide her nervous tell – she fidgets.

"Nn. It makes the most sense. After all, it was you who defended Konoha, wasn't it." Darui drawls, smirking. I don't roll my eyes, but I want to. Apparently being present during an invasion automatically equates to 'saviour of the village' these days. His Raikage hat is on the table in front of him, like the others. But there's a sense of… carelessness about how it sits. Its forward tip is pointing exactly at the centre of the hexagon of tables, just like the last two, but somehow it just looks… half-assed.

Not surprisingly, the glarer doesn't comment. He just continues glaring. Oonoki, the walking dinosaur. That he survived when the rest of his species didn't. Impressive. His Tsuchikage hat is elegantly, precisely placed. He is a man that likes things done a certain way.

As for me? The Hokage hat is placed in front of me, precise, elegant. My hands are folded and gently placed on the table in front of me. I know my tells, but I just don't care. Gaara and Mei will know every time I give half the story, they know me well enough. And I'm just not the politricks type. I like things to be predictable, understandable, straightforward.

The last? Saromi Mifune, General of Three Wolves and the samurai nation of Iron. Seeing as the Land of Iron is basically one big ass snowball? I'm not surprised there aren't a lot of settlements here. I don't know him, at all really, but I've been around samurais so much it isn't funny. He's curious about me and the company I keep.

"Well, we're all here. Can we get this started? I'm sure there are more important things to be done than staring at me." I point out, gazing at Oonoki with a raised eyebrow. "Or should I be asking about Kurotsuchi's recovery?" The killing intent in the room is almost stifling. "I'm sorry. Too soon?"

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 ** _End ** _ **B** onus Chapter 3_**_**

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 ** _ ** _A/N: This isn't something that will surprise too many people, I'm sure. But it's a fun little piece to write, and it shows what it must._**_**


	111. Bonus Content 3 – Perspective

**_The Butterfly Effect_**

 ** _"My pack? You make it sound like I'm some kind of leader. I am not a leader. I merely know what I value in this world, and to keep it safe I will weather any hurricane, hunt you down, and kill you. Questions?" Continuation of 'Butterflies'. Character death, Anbu operations, gratuitous violence and some adult situations. May change to M rating._**

 ** _ ** _Bonus Content 3_** – Perspective  
_**

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Whereas Butterflies was written almost exclusively from Aya's Point of View, The Butterfly Effect would flop if I were to write it all the same way. I mean, the CSE with Hoshie and the others? If I'd only shown what Aya or Chouji could see? It'd be as interesting as watching paint dry, which is why the Sound Conquest was so dull. You wouldn't believe how interesting it actually should have been, and I will show that next round of Bonus Content, through Guren's eyes. But, from Aya's perspective? It was pretty boring. I did that (wrote that mini arc that way) because I want to show just how complete I try to show the world. And this is something I've delved into repeatedly throughout this fic: subjective reality. Aya was left out of most of the mission, so it was pretty boring for her. That doesn't mean the mission was actually boring!

That aside, I've reached the end of my 'save me quota'. Something is going to happen very soon in which Aya will decide, unequivocally, that she doesn't need more people in her district. (bit of a teaser, but that's kind of the point of most of these bonus chapters)

The point of divergence is coming closer. That means, that soon the cannon storyline will be all but useless in 'future knowledge' for this fic. That was one of the reasons 'the butterfly effect' fits so much better that 'butterfly hurricane'. After all, the theory behind the 'butterfly effect' is that one little change -like a stone cast into a pond- creates a ripple, which builds and build until it's become a tidal wave that washes away everything we know.

I mean, look at the situation. Danzo no longer feels like he needs to step in as 6th Hokage. He's found Aya, who -as much as she hates to see it like that- does things the way he likes. Sasuke never actually went rogue, so there's no 'Sasuke killing Danzo' Arc. There's no 'Itachi persuit' Arc, because Itachi's home. And there's no way in hell Obito would ever convince Aya he's Madara. So... what does that mean? Where does that lead the story? That's why I wanted to show that meeting still takes place, the Five Kage Summit. But why does it take place? What are they to discuss? And why is it still in the Land of Iron?

I've done all I can to ensure that the Elemental Nations seems rich in life, diversity, detail. I want it to be immersive, deep, and I want each city to have it's own unique feel. I haven't given them that yet, not in my opinion, but that's why I've had Aya going through the things she's going through. Even now, she's still quite closed off, almost world-weary. That was the reason Okichi needed to come into her life. Okichi is slowly helping Aya to grow up in a way no one else managed. She's giving her mama a childhood, a chance to play and be at ease, while still needing someone to guide her through this broken world. I assure you, nothing done in this fic (Butterflies and The Butterfly Effect) is done at random. Every character introduced has purpose, a story, meaning. Every event has hidden motif. And once I go over both with a finetooth comb to weed out the 'oopsies', you'd still find a lot of little things that... stick out.

Like Aya's personality split, her duality. I've carefully hidden that in word choice. How she seems to argue with herself over the simplest thing. How, sometimes out of nowhere, she'd just shout out 'irrelevant', even if only in her own head. Or how she'd like one thing, but argue with herself or come to a completely different outcome. Like in the Intro to Butterflies, her thing with cherries?

 _"Anyway, let me see. Chocolate, chocolate, or chocolate. Hmm, that's a hard decision to make, but I think the winner is obvious! Cherries! Yup, definitely che... didn't I want chocolate when I opened the fridge? I blink, wondering about that. Does it matter? I want cherries now! But I really had my heart set on chocolate... Both then? Yes, both."_

If you only read the story once? You'll never see the significance of that. But after reading the chapter Duality..., then rereading that? It's meant to make you wonder, which part of her is doing that? It's meant to make you question every little internal tiff she has. Which is why Aya -as a character- is so much fun for me to write. Because I can get away with having her say or do pretty much anything.

And now with Tayuya getting into the pack? With Zabuza itching for her to be pissed off and take missions? And with Grass begging to be ripped to shreds? That's why Saya, and her being possessed by Kannon -the goddess of mercy- was needed. After all. If you put together a team like that? With half a reason to get Aya pissed off? You need someone to make sure she doesn't actually burn down half of civilization. That doesn't mean bad thing won't happen. That doesn't mean Kannon will defend EVERYONE from her. That doesn't even mean that Aya will always listen to the warnings. But, it does mean that Aya will (FINALLY) be able to only take stupid missions like that only when she believes she must. And that means... when she must... countries will burn.

In other words. The Butterfly Effect is a slow burn, a slow build up. As are most of my stories. We're coming to one of the biggest climax peaks. And soon there won't be any cannon storyline to tell you what. THAT'S why I set this story up the way I did. And THAT'S why I won't need more people to be introduced any more. We've gotten to the point I've been itching to get to. The point where I can cast off the known, and tread into the dark just to see what's there. And we have a vague speaking mystic that tells half the story in a weird and cryptic way, just so that the 'unknown' can still seem 'predestined', just as 'cannon' had been thus far.

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 ** _End ** _ **B** onus Content 3_**_**

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 ** _ ** _A/N: ^_^  
_**_**


	112. Deleted Chapter 3 – Namiki Keito

**_The Butterfly Effect_**

 ** _"My pack? You make it sound like I'm some kind of leader. I am not a leader. I merely know what I value in this world, and to keep it safe I will weather any hurricane, hunt you down, and kill you. Questions?" Continuation of 'Butterflies'. Character death, Anbu operations, gratuitous violence and some adult situations. May change to M rating._**

 ** _ ** _Deleted Chapter 3_** – Namiki Keito  
_**

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Saromi. We weren't always called that. In fact, we were once known as the Satomi clan – 'sato' meaning 'wise' and 'mi' meaning 'beautiful'. We see beauty in wisdom, it is the way of the samurai. At least… that's what I once believed. I see… things. Things that should not be, yet are. Things that should be against our ways, yet happen with frustrating consistency.

Some are easy to overlook. Arranged marriages, for one. Our clan fled to the mountains because we could no longer stomach someone else dictating our fate. Yet we dictate the lives of our young. Mother is the prime example of that. Lowborn of the Taira clan, of the Land of Rice Patties. She'd been offered as a 'peace time gift', by the Daimyo of Rice Patties; a means of showing appreciation. Her fate was dictated by others.

Once of the Saromi, it should be our way to not dictate her fate even more. They did. They married her to my father… a lowborn samurai, a drunk. Not once did mother complain. She serves him faithfully each day. She bore him two sons and three daughters. Never once did her loyalty to him waver.

Nor has her loyalty to her children, no matter how dishonourable Koshiro conducts himself. He, like his father before him, is… a stain on our family's honour. A womanizer. A drunk. A philanderer. I… I was willing to accept the arranged marriage; Tsuki-san is an honourable woman, after all. Until I walked in on them, mid coitus. She claims rape, but one should not be screaming 'fuck me harder' to one's rapist. It calls credibility into question.

And yet, my father demands I honour the marriage contract that he signed. That **he** signed. Not I. Mine eyes, to this day, have not seen the words elegantly written on paper that were to bind me to Tsuki-san.

"I refuse." I say, meeting my father's angry gaze. "Not for the sake of dishonouring Tsuki-san. But for the sake of not denying her that which she desires. Let her marry Koshiro, she clearly loves him."

"Koshiro is to marry another." My father claims.

"Then he should not have wooed Tsuki-san." I will not bow to this. I will not. To marry without love, this is hard enough. To marry with full knowledge she loves another? No. I will not damn myself to that fate, to question if every child she bears belongs to Koshiro.

"Lies! I did no such thing!" Koshiro claims.

"So you claim an honourable woman as Tsuki-san wooed you?" I ask, meeting yet another angry gaze impassively. "You claim she snuck into your room, with full intent of offering her maidenhood to you?"

He scoffs, waving off facts as if flies over his meal. "She was no maiden." Koshiro claims yet again. After all, it is our laws that an unwed man must marry a women should he claim her maidenhood outside of wedlock. It is to protect our sisters, our daughters. If he is wed and does so? He must still take her and support her for life. Lest there be accusations of rape, in which case the fate of the rapist is determined at the whim of the victim – should there be any evidence of the crime. One of many reasons women are taught to travel nowhere alone in Three Wolves.

"Be mindful of your words, Koshiro. I have seen virginal blood on your sheets. I will not stain my honour by bearing false witness for your sake." I warn seriously. My father starts coughing, his condition worsens. It is no concern of mine. To indulge in sake and tobacco without a care everyday of your life from the day of one's majority? Such things catch up to you eventually.

"You would lie to the council of elders?" My eyes widen considerably.

"I wouldn't dare." I answer honestly. "I would tell the truth wholly and without fear. And you, brother?"

"Then our truths clash. Our realities are at odds." Koshiro grinds out, death being promised in his gaze.

"You delude yourself. I see clearly, and I would not have you claiming otherwi-" He comes at me, katana in hand, ready to behead me. I duck under his slash, unsheathing my katana and driving the butt into his throat. He stumbles back, gasping for air.

"You would attack your own brother!?" My father demands. I stare. Blank, shocked… appalled. He speaks to me this way? I am attacked without just cause, and he defends my attacker? Where is the honour in this?

"Had I not moved? What then would be your accusation?" I demand. "That I committed seppuku and he was my second?"

My father, he grabs Koshiro's katana and sheathes it. "Koshiro-chan never drew his blade. Why should I lie about such things?"

"So he is meant to marry well. You would rather have me killed than have that marriage contract annulled." I don't need his confirmation. The motifs are plain as day.

"If you deny Tsuki as your wife, you dishonour the Saromi clan. As such, you dishonour all you stand for. Death is preferable, though you so clearly desire a worse fate." My fa… no, that man claims. "Give me your blades."

Anger courses through my veins, hot like molten steel. "So this is the future of the Saromi?" I grab both my katana and wakizashi, throwing them at his feet still in sheath. Koshiro, obviously feeling vindictive, takes both blades and breaks them. I care not. That man, he takes an older pair… his old pair. A gift to him from mother's doting eldest brother, left to rot away. They are thrown to me, callously, without purpose or honour. Just as I now find myself.

A nation of samurais built upon a foundation of freedom from the yokes of a cruel master. How our ancestors must weep in the Pure Lands.

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* * *

I walk. I wander. Days. Weeks. Months on end. I care not where I go, there is nowhere meant for me. I care not where I sleep, only the honourable deserve shelter. I beg for food, but refuse all moneys offered. I scavenge what I can from the wild, hunting and roasting what I kill. The life of a ronin, existing without honour.

I have no tools to care for these blades. No matter, they are not mine. They are… _that man_ 's. I only use them if there is no other choice.

I hunger. I hunger for something no meal can sate. I hunger for the honour I once believed in, I once stood for, I once would have died for.

Was it all a lie? Honour? Does it truly exist? Righteousness, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Sincerity, Honour, Loyalty, Self-control. The precepts of Bushido, all denied of me. Not for the sake of my transgressions; this is imposed on me for the sake of two men that know nothing of honour.

"STOP! THIEF!" I turn, wondering that I find myself in a busy street, seemingly near a marketplace. I see two men running in my direction, and an angry woman running after them. I unsheathe both katana and wakizashi, blitzing to the men and holding the blunt side against their throats. I shove them back, glad them lose their footing and fall on their backsides.

The woman makes it to us not a moment later. I turn to the two men, glaring up at me with angry eyes. I point the katana at one of them, indicating to whom I speak. "I will ask only once that you do not lie to me. Have you stolen something?" I demand of him.

He smirks, amused with me. "What's it to ya?"

"He stole my money purse, good sir! I cannot feed my children without it!" The woman announces. I detect no deceit, and he does not deny.

"You will return it." I tell the thief.

"No."

"Ma'am, I would ask that you look away. You do not wish to see this." I say, meeting her now frightened gaze impassively. She does as I ask. "You have once chance to convince me to spare your life. Use it wisely."

"Aww, but my wife and brats would miss me." He sounds amused. His head roles not a moment later.

"And you, sir?" I turn to the accomplice. "Shall you toy with me, when you are so clearly guilty?"

"N-n-n-n-n-n-no." He grabs the money pouch from within his kimono.

"Have you taken anything else?" I demand. He stutters terribly. So much so, I cannot grasp his message. "If you cannot speak intelligibly, act." He turns to his beheaded partner, hesitantly reaching into his kimono and grabbing another pouch. I nod, taking both from him. "Ma'am, I would ask that you tell me how much was stolen from you."

"F-f-f-fourt-teen th-thousand Ryou." She manages. "It was for… b-b-b-buying w-winter cl-clothes for my ch-children." I nod, accepting her words as truth. I flick the katana to rid it of blood, then sheathe her. Opening one of the pouches, I see a collection of smaller pouches. This will be a long day, sorting this out properly.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Where am I now? I know not. It seems… peaceful enough. The victims of those petty thieves were kind to me, offering me all that I might want. What I hunger for, they could not offer. How long ago had that transpired? It matters not. Done is done.

"B-b-b-b-b-b-b-butcher!" I hear, looking ahead to see guards arriving at the customs gate of some city. I care not which, nor for its name. I walk over to them, seeing bodies strewn about, some beheaded, many mangled beyond recognition. What kind of man did this?

"What happened here?" I demand.

"W-w-w-w-we were attacked! Sh-sh-sh-short! G-g-g-g-glasses! S-s-s-s-sc-sc-ar! L-l-l-eft eye!" He manages, obviously the mental trauma addles his speech. "Th-th-th-th-that w-w-w-way!" I nod, running in exactly that direction. It takes no longer than ten minutes to spot a group of five. I… am unsure what to make of them.

The tallest, a man, he looks capable. Though he indulges in tobacco, even at this early hour. The second tallest, a rotund teen. He honestly looks as if he wouldn't harm a fly. Then comes a blonde maiden, she too in her teens. She looks upset about something – deeply disturbed, truly. And another teen, laconic from the look of him, even as they run. These four, not a drop of blood on any of them.

The short one. Black hair reaching her –and it is most assuredly a maiden– thighs. She is covered in blood from head to toe. This is the butcher?

"Seriously?" I hear her speak. Her voice almost sings, even in her exasperation. She senses me, even with fifty metres still separating us. She is skilled.

However skilled, I shall suffer no butcher to live. I draw both blades, attacking with reckless abandon. She… intrigues me. With seemingly no effort at all, she turns to me, unsheathes twin kodachis and blocks both attacks with no struggle on her part. I must be delirious, maddened by hunger and fatigue. And yet, she does indeed had glasses and a vertical scar over her left eye.

"Something on my face?" Her singsong voice, it… confuses me. She clearly shows annoyance with me, almost in a condescending way… but… at one and the same time, not. A true conundrum.

"I didn't expect a butcher to be so pretty." I tell her honestly. Truly, even covered in blood, her beauty is undeniable. I… do not understand.

"I didn't expect a simple mission to include a corrupt daimyo trying to kill my team and enslave me." That's a lie, it has to be! Though, for the life of me I detect no deceit from her. She likely notices my dilemma; she shoves me back, almost forcing me to lose my footing. "Life's just fun like that."

I come at her once again, trying with all my might to avenge those she felled. Again, she uses the speed of her shorter blades to intercept me, while still not buckling under the power of my strikes. "You are skilled, butcher."

She seems… exasperated? "I am Aya, not 'butcher'. Why is it that no one has the common decency to call me by my name anymore?" A trick. A simple mind game. It can be nothing else. I channel my chakra in the blades I wield, wishing to end this stalemate quickly. She defends with no more effort than previously. She kicks me in the shin, hard enough that I wince. I back off, wondering what it is that I truly face.

She is clearly a skilled swordsman… swordswoman? She has yet to attack me, choosing instead only to defend. She shows a power to withstand each of my attacks thus far, and yet her guards do not step in? I… I do not understand. "As in 'pattern'?" Make sense, you enigma!

"Logic." She offers, her tone never wavering. She… she does not fear death. She does not look down upon me – insofar as I have surmised. I ought be wary of this one, she is… more than she presents herself to be.

Sheathing the wakizashi and katana in one go, I grab the sheathed katana in my left hand, preparing for what is apt to be my final strike. Even if I strike her down –my faith in that becoming reality dwindles by the second– there a four guarding her who would avenge her straightaway.

Iaido Beheading. She should not be able to see me move. I drop my shoulder, square my stance, and-

As I feared. She blocked with no effort at all. I cannot even rightly say I know how I landed in the dirt. Dishonour oft ends in death, though in the worst way. I close my eyes, accepting the hand fate dealt me. _Mother, forgive me_.

The sharp edge of her kodachi is placed at my throat. Placed. Carefully not drawing blood. I open my eyes, wondering why I yet draw breath. Something catches my eye. The curve of the blade. It goes the wrong way.

"Reverse-edged. Why? That's a defensive blade." I… I do not understand you. Make sense!

"I'm a medic. And my team's defensive fighter. It fits." No. That cannot be.

"Medics don't slaughter." They save lives wherever and whenever they can. You cannot be what you claim. You cannot!

"Namiki medics do." She says, still using that same bored yet musical tone. "And the next idiot that tries to bed me against my will, will receive the same or worse."

No. That… that makes too much sense to be a lie. Yet, what else could it be? The kodachi is withdrawn, its tip cutting into the flesh of my forearm. Her hand glows, my skin tingles, and the wound fades. It… no. This… this cannot be! "You… speak the truth." Nothing you say, nothing you do makes sense. Yet it is all unfiltered, unaltered truth!?

"Gee, you think." She says, almost drones. The singsong quality dissipating to show she truly is exasperated with this situation. "Now buzz off. I've got these idiots complaining enough about the blood I've spilled." With that, she rises, she walks away. She leaves me here.

That… no. This… why? I… I do not understand. "You would let me live?"

"Did I stutter? Go back to Three Wolves, samurai." Her irritation grows, her tone sours. I… I find myself missing her early way of speaking. And how does she know? How could she know?

"Aya, chocolate." The rotund one says. I… her guards speak so commonly with her? Why does this not upset her? I… who are you?

"I am no samurai. Just a wandering ronin." I try to collect myself, wondering at the hope that bubbles up within me at hearing that word… 'samurai'. It… seems like a lifetime ago.

"Only samurai even use the term 'ronin'." I wince, though I doubt she notices. She… seems to understand our ways, even if only casually. "Unsweetened pure chocolate." She almost sings once again, even as she sighs with her mouth filled with her guilty pleasure. They start to walk. As do I. I have nowhere better to go.

"A samurai has honour. I have none." Why, then, do I feel my heart craving to serve her? Who is this woman? She… she knows the true depths of honour. Her actions speak well of her in this regard. Though I shall not deny she spilled blood, she did not do so without just cause.

"That's nice." How is she so casual, so sure of herself and her standing? Who are you, Namiki Aya? "Hey, Chou? You're my cuddle bunny later. Try to weasel out of it and I'm never going to forgive you." Though she does not speak with a childish lilt, she speaks as a child would.

"Only if you wash down first. I'm not getting all that blood on my clothes. Mom would kill me." 'Chou' offers. I… I do not understand. Why does this one make less sense the more time passes.

She shrugs. "She'd understand if you tell her what happened. But I'll agree anyway. I feel icky." Again, she speaks as a child would. She… she intrigues me.

"Why not take a break now then?" He suggests. I cannot help but wonder at these two, their easy casualness of it all.

"No. I'm not washing down with a stalker behind us. I swear, ronins have no sense of self-preservation." I gaze at them, studying the lack of tension in their backs. "Come on!"

They dash off. I… What do I want? By no means would I rightly expect her to take me in. And yet… my feet follow her anyway.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Madness. This is madness. My mind has wandered off into some deep, dark place in the hole that was once filled by honour – or sustenance. Clearly, said mind has taken all reasoning with it. Why do I follow? I… I want to say my wish is to avenge the fallen. It isn't. The… the hunger in me, the yearning for true honour… it abates in her presence. That… that shouldn't happen.

She's a butcher, yet, she's a medic. She's a kunoichi, yet she's a little girl seeking comfort. She's a noble, yet she's a commoner. She lives by Bushido, yet she might well have never studied the texts or even cursorily glanced at them. She bested me in combat, yet I draw breath.

I am without honour, without purpose. Why, then, am I drawn to her? Truly, I am drawn to her. As a moth to flame. I am drawn, so I follow. I follow, yet I do not know her. I do not know her, yet my heart clings to her as a son to his mother. Verily, she will be cross with me. I know, yet I follow.

Namiki Aya. Just who are you?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

"OI! I'm tempted to change my mind and kill you, you know! GO AWAY!" As I feared, she is cross with me.

"Saromi Yoshitoshi." I offer, praying she will not turn me away. I… I do not understand the reason. The reason matters not. I know that the hunger abates, and for now that is enough.

Her brow furrows in confusion. "… What?"

"My name. Is Saromi Yoshitoshi." Foolish heart! Desire nothing, expect nothing, and you shan't be disappoint. Why do you crave her approval?

"You're point." She demands. My heart wrenches, though I show nothing of my turmoil.

"It is common courtesy to introduce oneself by means of offering one's name, is it not?" I bow, finding… peace in the simple action. Yoshitoshi, old friend, you've truly gone off the deep end. You break the Saromi code of conduct, you're avowing yourself to a lady.

"Are you flirting with me?" She gives me a look to show she would be most cross if that were the case.

"I wouldn't dare, Namiki-dono. Your consort would be most cross with me, I should think." I sound more amused than I should be. The earth would sooner successfully woo the clouds in the sky.

Milady blinks, clearly making no more sense of this than I. There is no logic in the loyalty of a samurai, there is only loyalty itself. "Shika-nii, did I just end up with another overly loyal stalker for life?" She has servants, guards. I thought as much. A noble, through and through.

"Why are you asking me that?" The laconic one drawls, his eyes studying me closely. He is protective of her.

"You usually figure out people quickly. Ino?" Milady seems unsatisfied.

"It seems that way." The blonde… this 'Ino', seems amused. Highly amused.

"No. Just no. I have enough people like that in my life. Ino, you take this one!" Milady is displeased. Frightened almost. Why? What would frighten one such as her?

"My loyalty is not so frivolous as to be offered to one so easily." I point out. I could never avow myself to another, lest they still the hunger within me. Milady does this, the others do not. I cannot, will not, choose them over you, milady.

"Saromi, is it?" The fear overwhelms her. "You just all but swore an oath to guard me so long as you breathe. I'm in no mood. And I certainly do not have the need." She is lashing out.

If you understand my oath, please understand the hunger lingering within it. "Namiki-dono, pl-"

"What did I just say?" It's a wall. Her fear is seeded in people hurting her. What could have happened to you, milady? Who could have hurt you so deeply as to require such a defence?

"I cannot. Though the words never passed these lips, the oath has long been made, Namiki-dono." Please, milady. Please. I pray you, do not fear I would harm you.

"I am not royalty, Saromi! I am not a daimyo. I am not even a good person!" She claims, but her guards snort in disagreement. You are. You've done horrible things, this doesn't make you a horrible person.

"Your guards think otherwise. No matter how commonly they act with you, I sense their loyalty is no less than my own." I say, wondering at that myself. I do not –dare not– doubt my loyalty to her. This does not mean I understand it any better.

She ponders something. "Ah, but you seem to misunderstand, Saromi. You see, Shikamaru-nii here is the true royal. Heir to the Nara clan of Konoha. And currently without a guard of his own." Though I do not detect deceit, I do not care for it.

"You mix truth with lies, Namiki-dono. I thought it beneath you." I have nothing in this world that soothes the wound in my honour, heart, or soul. Lest you kill me, milady, I would not dare be disloyal to you.

"I do no such thing. Every word is true." She says. "The fact is that this team is nothing but royalty. Yamanaka Ino, heir to the Yamanaka clan. Nara Shikamaru, heir to the Nara clan. Akimichi Chouji, heir to the Akimichi clan. And Sarutobi Asuma, head of the Sarutobi clan. Each is far more deserving of your loyalty." Perhaps, but they do not affect me the same as milady.

"You think I should point out that she's the head of the Namiki clan?" Yamanaka-sama sounds amused, though her amusement irks milady in the worst way.

"… Have I offended you, my lady?" I pray not. My heart could not bear it.

"Saromi. Seriously. Shut it. Now." Akimichi-sama senses it; the fear, the storm raging within her. She's at war with herself. It's in her eyes, how she craves so desperately for so much that she is denied. So much she denies herself. Akimichi-sama wraps his arms around her middle, holding her close to him. The change is immediate. "Chou…" Though her tone speaks of warning, her eyes speak of gratitude.

"Just until you calm down. We need to get moving soon, and you need to see to your needs." His words are soothing, as is his tone, yet her eyes droop with disappointment. She craves him, in the worst way. "Just breathe."

She breathes. She closes her eyes, almost clenching them as if she wants to cry. She's… fragile. Emotionally, if nothing else. Is… is she fragile because of her deeds? Was what the situation demanded of her too steep a price to pay for a medic?

I question how well you know yourself. For truly, you… you are no butcher. Though capable, you lack the desire. You are a medic first and foremost, are you not, milady?

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Sun is set, night rolls in. Milady's companions, Yamanaka-sama especially, have taken to teasing her mercilessly. I find myself amused with it all. Once I've seen to my needs, I return to camp, finding milady's eyes on me. She seems… conflicted.

I've seen her popping items out of thin air all day, so when she starts doing so and handing out things to the others I do not take much notice. However, when milady comes to me, when she hands me a bottle of water and a small package just as with the others, I… I'm moved beyond words. I'd eaten four days ago, so I have no need to hunt for another day or two.

Yet, milady tends to me in much the same way as she tends to them. To those she values and trusts. I… cannot fathom why I'm being cared for; unaccustomed as I am. Even at the 'height' of my stint in Three Wolves, the 'golden age' of my rebuffed existence there, I was but a servant. It was I who did the tending, it was I who did the serving.

Milady is still not pleased with me, this I know. She tends to me nonetheless.

Nodding to myself, I tear open the little package and bite into the bar within. Wow. That's bland. Utterly devoid of any hope of flavour or joy. Even unseasoned, deer meat has taste. This is… bland. Still, milady would be displeased should I spurn a meal she provided for me. Especially when she didn't have to.

I eat the bar quickly, wash it down with water. I see the others stuffing the wrapper into the bottle, so I follow suit. Then milady comes and collects the bottles and seals them away.

"You guys need your rest. I'll take watch." S-sarutobi-sama? Wh-why w-would…?

Clan heads, lords, ladies, they never would do such a thing. Offer the others to rest while they stand guard? Heresy. They would sooner curse and have someone beheaded for it.

"Asuma-san, really, I'm not eve-"

"Medics don't take watch, Aya, you know that." Shock. Utter disbelief. Not one, but two clan heads? And this from milady, who's clearly tired. I stare, trying to amend the world I once knew with this… this… whatever I find myself in.

"Saromi, please stop staring at me. It makes me uncomfortable." I look away, emotions warring with one another within me. "I'm going for my wash down. I'm tired of the blood on me. Ino?"

I… I stare at the katana beside me. I ponder the hand I'd been dealt, and how odd this hand is being played out. I… do not understand. Things that should not make sense, seem commonplace with milady. Things that should be commonplace, seem alien to her? How does she strike a balance between the two? Does she?

"Come, you need your rest." Akimichi-sama says. I look up, finding milady looking more the part. A peach furisode top, with long sweeping sleeves and a wolf gazing at its young under a cherry tree. Though I am confused by the leggings, does milady usually match her outfit to her inner duality? Is she aware on some level?

Milady curls up in Akimichi-sama's lap, letting him wrap her in a blanket to fend off the night's gentle chill. She falls asleep quickly, contrary to her proclamation that she isn't tired.

"Saromi-san?" I look at Akimichi-sama, wondering what he needs with me. "Why are you really here?"

I smile, looking up at the moon as it shines through the leaves. "Akimichi-sama need not worry. Milady only has eyes for him. And one such as I? Birds only land on the dirt when they will it, so you need not be troubled by my presence."

"A wolf is loyal to a fault." He says. "So I'm not worried about her. I'm worried about you. Why are you willing to follow someone you've never met?"

I smile, seeing silvery light dancing among the leaves. "I do not know. Milady is… more than she lets on. She is… she quells a hunger long wanting to consume me."

"'Hunger'?" He sounds curious, though not worried. I'm thankful.

"For honour." I say. He inquires no further.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

We approach the gates of a village. There are doors large than most building I've yet seen, with 'hermitage' or 'retreat' marked on them in a worn red that I'm fairly certain was once festive. Once we've entered, on the left side there is a little guard box with two gentlemen on watch. "You found another one, Namiki?" One of them calls to milady. I narrow my eyes at him, trying to understand how he would dare to be so familiar with her. Yet, she doesn't seem to notice.

"Don't remind me. I'll take him to Senju-san to sort him out. His name's Saromi Yoshitoshi. Originally from the Land of Iron." I'm not the first, am I, milady? That is what you meant. You've brought others to safety, have you not?

"Under Namiki protection, I take it?" The other gentleman asks. He seems amused? What has milady been up to that two guards are so amused with her? Milady grumbles –most unladylike– and walks on ahead. I keep in step with her. "Careful, Namiki! Silence is almost always a yes with you!" There is laughter in his tone. I furrow my brow, trying to make sense of things – a new pastime it would seem.

We barely make it five paces before two stroll up to milady. Two women. They look upset. "Tsu, Tomi, I don't want to hear it." Milady intones, obviously understanding their plight before any words are offered.

"A country." The tall one with black hair and white eyes is quite cross with her. Well and truly upset.

"I don't. Want. To hear it." Milady seems just as cross, though not with this one. I'd wager she's more upset with the situation.

"A country!? You go with Chouji's team to keep an eye on him and come back the conqueror of a country!?" Her guards. These two are her guards. They are upset milady went without them.

"Tomi, if I knew it would go down like that, I'd have brought a far more specialised team. I didn't because it shouldn't have happened. Now quit it." Milady is quite interesting. A truly loyal guard would never allow such a thing to go undiscussed.

"Aya. A country! You overthrow a country and you expect me to 'drop it'? SERIOUSLY!?" I thought as much. She is loyal to milady, without question.

I find myself quite enjoying how the tall one frets over milady, how she worries for her. Though, I find myself more curious at the silver-haired one, who is studying me as if I am a wild boar and she guards a garden. Does she think I could possibly harm milady? Lack of desire notwithstanding, I am quite incapable of it. She bested me succinctly; I wonder if I'd last a second had we actually fought.

Still. Milady leads, I follow.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The one called 'Tomi' does not let up the entire thirty-five minute walk to an important looking building. Nor does she let up the twelve minutes we walk within said building. Only when she refers to me as a 'stray', when I bristle at the descriptor, only then does milady speak up.

Both guards are put in their place, but not in a vehement or even capricious way. 'Tomi' is ordered to take me shopping? 'Tsu' is ordered to keep guard? I fail to see the punishment behind this, and yet they both whimper pitifully? "Consider your lack of shopping punishment for not helping me when Tomi was on my case."

Milady is concise in her dealings with people. She knows where to strike to get the desired effect, but only does so when she needs to. Milady enters the room, 'Tsu' stands guard without question, and 'Tomi' motions for me to follow her?

I… milady is…

"Move it, Saromi." I'm ordered. I nod, keeping in step with her.

She takes me to a place with masked guards. I'm instructed to wait, and she returns ten minutes later. I half feared she'd forsaken me, not something I would not have expected even in Three Wolves. And yet, she returns. She studies me.

"Saromi Yoshitoshi." I offer, bowing to her. "I assure you, I am no threat to milady."

She does not respond immediately, though I dare not guess why. "Walk with me." She demands, already walking ahead. Only once we are alone does she continue. "Physically, I do not doubt you. As you have no doubt ascertained, Aya is emotionally far more fragile than most would guess."

"As you say." I agree.

"I'll not mince words with you, samurai." I do not react to that word. She'll no doubt be of the same mind as milady, mixing 'samurai' with 'ronin' almost casually. "Aya is Tsu's and mine to guard. We will kill you in a heartbeat if we suspect you would think to harm her. Whether physically, mentally, or emotionally. Do you understand?"

"I do." I nod. I suspected as much from the beginning. "As I said, I am not threat to her."

"This includes taking advantage of her generosity. She is too kind for her own good… always has been." I'm told, though not informed.

"She is." I agree. "A medic to her very core."

"You've been studying her. Why?"

"I do not understand her. She is… almost two puzzles with its pieces jumbled together." I admit. "She… she slaughtered in that city, and though that didn't bother her at first… it weighs on her."

"Nn." She is most troubled by this.

"This isn't the first time." I don't ask, I don't need to. The answer is obvious as noonday sun.

We walk into the village, into a clothing store. I'm instructed to buy what I need. "I have little need." I say, being entirely honest. Judging the situation differently, she instructs me to pick out four outfits. "I… have only even worn kimonos." So I'm taken to another clothing store, this one with kimonos. I go into the men's section, into the very back where the discount kimonos are, into the komon kimono section – everyday kimonos.

"Saromi-san. Don't. Aya will be upset with me for letting you." I'm told. I… have no idea how to respond to that. "Look around, I'll be right back." And she is, once again. She comes back with another. "Tsuchi Kin, Saromi Yoshitoshi… the new stray."

"She picked up another one?" That seems to be common knowledge around here.

"Yes, and don't get on her case about it. I got stuck with shopping for it."

"Mi-chan, really? And you didn't come straight to me?"

"You are more than friends." I observe.

"Lovers. What of it?" I blink. "Namiki Hitomi, by the way." I blink again. Milady is… so much more than I'd first expected. "Kini-kins, he needs four outfits. He only wears kimonos, and I'm not going to get Aya on my case because he dared to shop in the discount section."

"Ooh… Yeah, Aya-chan would be pissed if he were to wear anything like that. Come on, you. I'll get you sorted out."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

I'm brought before an important blonde, who mostly seems amused with me. Not even curious, just amused. Milady explains what little she knows about me, though I am curious that I am asked nothing. Her only demand is that I be brought in 'for processing'. Obviously this woman is the head of the village.

Milady takes me down to an out of the way section of the same building, where she speak with a secretary, explaining the situation. She informs the woman that I am not to be shackled at all, that may still bear arms, and that this is just pro forma. Then milady leads me down a hall to holding cells. The secretary unlocks an empty one, and I am motioned inside.

As the door gently closes behind me, I wonder. Twice has Hitomi-sama been in a position to abandon me, yet she has not. Now milady brings me to an informal prison? "I will bring your meals myself. Eat nothing I do not bring. Drink nothing I do not bring. You would not be the first poisoned in these cells." Milady warns cautiously. I nod. "You will be asked about a lot of things, Saromi. Tell no lies, hold nothing back. I cannot help you if you do." Again I nod.

And then… nothing. She's gone. I look around the little cell, wondering at the situation I now find myself in. Mostly, I wonder about milady. She is… so many things. Her guards are so protective of her, no doubt having studied the mystery milady shrouds herself in far longer than I.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The sun is set. A guard comes bearing dinner, but as per milady's instruction I do not accept it. "If you do not eat it, I'm not bringing anything else for you." I'm warned.

"That is acceptable." I'm unsure if milady wishes me to divulge her instructions, yet she did ask I tell no lies and hold nothing back. "Milady instructed me to await her. That she would provide my meals."

"Namiki Aya, you mean? She gave me this for you." I sense no deceit, and yet I find it untruthful. Milady might send one of her guards, perhaps a servant of hers. To simply hand it off to a common guard when she fears poisoning? No, milady would never.

"Then I shall ask her when next I see her." I do not ask for the guard's name, but I do notice he's covered in scars and keeps his scalp completely covered with a headband bearing this village's insignia. I wonder at the trench coat, but do not inquire.

The man leaves without another word.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Two and a half hours later, milady has returned. She comes bearing a tray with quite the meal. Rice, sautéed beef, two different kinds of salad, and two sticks of dango. She also bears tea. Herself. Her guards hang back, choosing not to interfere with milady's dealings.

I…'ve never met anyone quite like her. And yet, I sense something troubling her. "Is everything alright?" I ask, accepting the tray from her.

"I'm fine." She claims; she's a poor liar. "Please, eat up. It'll get cold otherwise."

I nod, setting the tray on the bunk of my cell. I taste every dish, enjoying each more than the last. And this isn't just hunger… this is well prepared. The rise is just soft enough and sticky, lightly salted. The beef is tender and juicy, lightly seasoned and mildly spicy. One salad has bits of chicken, the other has diced eggs and tofu. She… she was prepared for if I'm vegetarian?

Even long after I've had my fill, I find myself wanting to eat it all. This is the kind of food I've often seen the elite of Three Wolves eating – I can tell just by the scent.

With every morsel had, I sip at the tea. Chamomile, with a hint of jasmine. "Was it good?" Milady asks.

"I've never had so satisfying a meal. Thank you." I say honestly. "My compliments to the chef."

"You're quite welcome." She seems amused?

"Milady's cooking?" I wonder aloud.

"Nn. I… missed dinner myself, and I never did like Yasu-nee having to cook twice." She explains. I… I've just eaten a meal cooked by milady herself.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

The sun has only just risen when the same man comes back. He tries offering me breakfast, but I turn him down once again. So he unlocks the cell door, instructing that I follow. I wonder at the lack of tray with him this time; he knew I would turn him down.

I'm led into a room with two chairs but no table. I sit on the ground, carefully setting the katana beside me. The questions begin immediately. I explain all I can. My history, _that man_ 's dishonour and his dishonouring me. My time wandering, though I dare offer no dates or timeframes.

"Why not? Do you not know how long you've wandered?" He asks.

"I do not. I've not seen winter, more I dare not say." I explain.

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" He asks. His tone never wavers, ever neutral.

"Milady would be most cross with me if I should dare." I say honestly. "It would be unseemly, given how gracious a hostess she's been thus far."

"You're in a cell."

"I am." I agree wholly. "And yet, milady sees to my meals as if I were daimyo-sama himself. Yet milady tends to me personally each time. I've… never met anyone quite like her."

"Are you in love with her?" He asks.

"No. I dare not allow romantic feelings to bloom. One such as I? Lowly as I? Dishonoured as I? The sun would sooner rise in the west."

"And if you were to be exalted? Honoured? What then?" He presses. I wonder about that. Though unlikely, he does not question the probability, merely the prospect.

"Then I would love her like a son ought love his mother. Like a brother ought love his sister." I offer seriously. I am but a lowly ronin. Cast aside by those I once served, by those I once loved. I would not risk complicating milady's life, or frustrating her efforts.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Milady enters the room soon enough. Herself, once again, with her two familiar guards. I listen as she speaks with the man, but dare not interrupt. One must never interrupt his lord or lady whilst he enjoys breathing.

"Saromi, you coming?" I nod solemnly. I grab the katana and stand, following without a word. I make sure to bow to the man, though I still do not know his name – not really, since we've yet to be introduced. He seems on friendly terms with milady, it would not do to upset him.

Once outside, milady explains what is to happen. "The first thing we need to do is register you properly. You are a warrior, as such you will be registered as a shinobi under the Namiki clan. You will not be required to take missions, but this allows that you may. It also gives me the leeway to oversee your training and I will warn you from right now, Saromi, I have high expectations of every member of my pack."

"I understand." I assure her, my tone solemn as a bow my head to her. "I assure you, I will not disappoint."

"Good. After your registration, we are taking you to the blacksmith's. You're swords haven't been properly cared for, Saromi. That kind of thing will not be tolerated. Do you understand?" She sounds… worried? I understand her words, but her reasons are a mystery to me.

"I do. Forgive me, milady."

"Nothing to forgive, just don't let it happen again. Are you particularly attached to these swords?" She continues.

As attached as any broken man is to his cast. "No, milady."

"Why is that?" She presses. She seems inquisitive, though not intrusively so.

"… My blades were… broken, milady." And my honour with it.

"I see. Your blood swords." She understands some of samurai culture, it seems. Much more than a laymen, but not so much as a samurai would.

"Yes, milady." Though it did not hurt at the time, the wound has bled freely ever since.

"Then we will have new blades forged. The proper way, to honour your ways."

Hitomi-sama's words echo in my mind… milady truly is generous. "As milady wishes." Yes, I would value new blood blades, but it is what they represent that stirs every emotion within me. Honour. She would honour me.

"Does this daisho set bear bad memories?" She leaves no stone unturned, it would seem.

Far too many. The folly of that man, his senselessness towards mother's clan, and his ridiculing of all things I value. "… It does, milady."

"Bad enough for me to want to never see them again?" Yes.

"Milady need not trouble herself with these matters." I fight back the tears.

"That's not how I am, Saromi. If you want to be part of our pack, you refuse the right to hide from us. Now answer the question." I see now why everyone is so fiercely loyal to you, milady. You hardly know me. Yet I do not feel cast aside in any way.

"… There is a custom… When a samurai is disgraced, his swords are… broken… and he is given a… broken daisho to symbolise this."

"I see."

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

True to her word, I'm registered under the Namiki clan. I briefly wonder if she wishes me to take a new name – such is the custom should one's loyalties change. Though I dare not speak up. Milady is so busy arranging things that I do not wish to burden her with yet another.

I sign as where I'm told to, trusting milady blindly. Or I try to. "You will read it first. I don't care how much you trust me, you will sign nothing without reading it thoroughly. Not now, not ever." She demands. Even with something as simple as this. Milady does not suffer fools or blind followers; noted. I go over everything carefully, correcting the kanji and katakana of my name, briefly wondering if that was why 'Satomi' became 'Saromi' in ages past.

Once I'm satisfied, I sign the forms and hand them to the clerk. We leave immediately, milady is used to being efficient, it would seem.

She leads, I follow. All the while noticing the warm smiles milady receives from the people. Milady is well liked.

As we enter the blacksmith's, milady is quick to get his attention. Once she does, she turns to me. "Saromi, your blades." M-milady! How… how could I hope to guard you without them!? She holds her hands out, palms horizontal and facing the ceiling. I focus on my breathing, trying not to panic. Milady's will is clear. I take the katana, offering it to her. I do not hesitate, but I fear she might become cross for my jerky motions. The second I release the katana, "Both of them."

I… feared as much. I take deep breaths, trying to soothe my frayed nerves. Grabbing the wakizashi, I focus with all my might to will away the tremble in my hands. Broken honour is not much, but it is what little I have.

"With this, you offer me your broken honour. Is that correct?" I nod sullenly. She understands, yet she does so? "Good. Blacksmith, I would have you repair these blades. Have them fitted for storage. Repair his broken honour." Milady offers the daisho to the blacksmith, but I… I… am overwhelmed. Repair my broken honour? That man… from this morning… he knew. He knew milady would do this. "As well, I will need new blades for him, worthy of him. Forged as a true samurai's blades should be."

A… a samurai's blades? Blood blades? Breathing isn't as easy as it was a moment ago.

"Of course." The blacksmith bows his head formally, taking a notepad for the order.

"He will need a set of four. A katana, a wakizashi and twin kodachis. All reverse-edged. Of a chakra conducting metal, of course. What alloy would you recommend for a samurai?" Samurai… She would see me as a samurai? And reverse-edged blades? A guard. She would see me as her guard.

"Nectar of the Kami." Breath stills. Heart stills. Nectar of the Kami? The highest honour for any samurai honour guard. Not even Mifune-sama bears a blade of this alloy! "An alloy reserved for the guards of royalty. A bit pricey, but if anything is worthy of the samurai you have with you, this is."

"Very well. I will trust you to pick a proper sheath, colour and style befitting my honour guard, blacksmith. He is of the Namiki now." Words fail. I am of the Namiki? Her honour guard?

"Then he will need a new name. A samurai takes a new name when he takes a new master."

Milady turns to me, thoughts racing through her eyes. She has the most expressive eyes. "From this day forth, you will be Namiki Keito. 'Kei' meaning 'respect'. 'To' meaning 'person'."

Breathe. Breathe. Just breathe. "As milady wishes." I bow, I breathe. I fight back the tears with all my might. "Then I, Namiki Keito, offer you my life. From this day forth, I am yours to command, Aya-dono." I will follow you, milady. Lead me where you will.

"I accept you oath, and will honour it." She says, her tone solemn. I right myself, subtly trying to pinch myself to see if this is truly happening. "In turn, I will need you armed, Keito." She… she's taking her own blades! Her kodachis! HERS! She offers them to me. "Until your new blades are ready, you will wield mine. Guard me well, Keito."

"With my life." With my every breath, milady. 'Tsu' taps me while milady is busy, offering me straps for milady's blades. Our eyes meet, for a fleeting moment, before she decides to strap milady's kodachis to my forearms herself. The blacksmith asks me from where I would let my blood. The Saromi always used the right wrist, but I am Saromi no longer. "Where would milady prefer?"

"Allow me." She takes my right hand, an alcohol swath appearing out of nowhere, and she taps the tip of my index finger with a needle. The blood is collected on a paper, and she quickly heals my trivial injury.

 ** _8-8_**

* * *

Milady proudly explains at the registrar's my need to reregister, and to burn the earlier forms. We happen upon the man from earlier, she once again happily explains my new name and the reasons for it. I… glow a little brighter each time.

Keito. Respectable person. She does not offer me a chance to belittle myself; naming me something that already introduces me as respectable.

Soon we enter the office from yesterday. The 'hokage's office. Milady once again happily explains my new name, and the reasons behind it. Tears well up, seeing her gladly taking up her village leader's time to explain something like this.

"That's our Aya for you." Hokage-sama says, sounding amused. "Welcome to Konoha, Keito."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." I bow politely to her. Though not my lady, she is one that even milady honours – in her own way.

"Ah. Before I forget. I've taken the liberty of picking a headband for you." Hokage-sama says, still sounding quite entertained. She reaches into a drawer and retrieves a red headband, similar to milady's. I accept it reverently, as the situation would well dictate.

I start to wonder. "How… should I wear it?" I ask milady.

"It's your headband." Milady sounds amused as well now. "Most wear it on their foreheads. Shika-nii wears it on his right arm. Lee wears his as a belt. I've seen people wearing theirs like bandanas, some even backwards. It's about what you want."

"Around the neck?" I wonder, glancing at her headband and how she wears it.

"Mostly a girl thing, that's why I didn't suggest it. I won't care if you want to." She explains seriously. I ponder my options, wondering which is best.

"What if we make it a Namiki thing?" Hitomi-sama wonders. I look on as both Hitomi-sama and Kin-sama wrap their headbands around their necks, much like milady.

"What do you know, I'm a trendsetter." Milady seems pleased. No, she is pleased. Her little smile says as much – though she's more amused. Hnn… when in Rome. I tie it around my neck as well, then look to her for approval. She smiles again, just for me this time. "It suits you, Namiki Keito." Namiki Keito. The novelty of that name doesn't wear off, I don't think.

"Now come on. I'm sure there will be another meeting soon just for the sake of annoying me. And we still need to introduce you to the pack." The pack. Our pack. Cast out from Three Wolves, thrown to the wolves. Mother, I'm becoming a wolf. Though I'll not lead the pack, I shall be of it.

Lead, milady. This wolf shall follow you wherever you go.

 ** _8-8_**

 ** _End_** ** _ ** _Deleted Chapter 3_**_**

 ** _ ** _8-8_**_**

* * *

 ** _ ** _A/N: And so, Keito fans, we have Keito's past dredged up for the first, but not the last time ^_^ We shall see why I say that. As for why this never made it pass the cutting board? Well, that's really simple. Keito sees Aya too well. It would have ruined most of the suspense I wanted to keep hidden until the time was right.  
_**_**


	113. Bonus content: Solidarity

**_Butterflies: Solidarity_** — ** _Author's Rant_**

My reviewers have been curiously silent lately (current total review count is 366, so still short for the next round of bonus content) but I felt like talking about this gem I'm working on anyway.

Yes, the spin-off has finally started. I need something different to write about to keep my skills ever sharpening, but I can't seem to focus on the stories I already have going. So, I've started this one to fulfil a long-since promise to myself.

My first straight-up lesbian centred story. Only, not the type you tend to find out there, where two females go at it like rabbits. No, these are the lesbians you meet at a coffee shop, these are the lesbians you see comparing notes on a book they read. But there is so much more going on here, so much that sets Solidarity apart from the main storyline.

First off, for those that remember. The Wolf summoning contract was decided on pretty late in the game, compared to what I'm used to. So I wasn't able to write Aya's character true to this fact. This has been corrected in Solidarity.

The true depths of Aya's depression, this is far more prevalent in the spin-off. Along with a far more carefully selected reaction to new situations.

Aya finally comes to terms with why any relationship with anyone but Chouji would never work out: she isn't really attracted to guys. I also explore what this means for her, coming to terms with her not fitting society's norms, and how that impacts the story itself.

Another major difference is her innate distrust of people actually impacting her relationships—something I can't claim in the first fifteen chapters of Butterflies.

But mostly, it's the collection of all these little things leading Aya to be more authentic to her situation, and how the world tries to deal with that. If you are curious, please understand that there is far more political intrigue, far more dark themes in connection with Anbu Ops, and Aya is still on a journey to discover her sexuality. This is **not** meant for the immature, in any sense of the word. There is a lot of killing, a lot of gore, a lot of sexual references, and in later chapters, there will be some pretty intense sexual scenes. Not smut, mind you, or even erotica. This will be a lot more like walking in on two females making love, in a natural and comfortable way.

In short. Aya, in this story, is a real lesbian. The kind that lesbians can read about and identify with (hopefully, since I've never actually published anything for and by lesbians).

Sorry for the rant, if you were expecting something utterly epic. But this is just something I wanted to talk about.


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